T&T: Stern winch

[Al Dente]

Funny how our eyes play tricks... I read the Subject as Stern Wench... alas.
I think the winch was more helpful in this case.  I am now calling my eye
doctor!

On 3/2/07, Rich Gano <richgano@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> A year ago I put a 6-inch manual warping capstan (or sheet winch, if
> you're
> a raghanger) on the fantail.  Last night, while catching hell from the
> storm
> that smacked Enterprise, AL, I had occasion to be thankful for it.
>
> I had been monitoring the boat in its slip out behind the house taking
> 15-20
> knot wind and waves on the beam all day long when things got really nasty
> at
> about midnight.  With an 18-foot side-to-side clearance for my 13'8" beam,
> there's not a lot of clearance, and really strong winds can start to
> stretch
> the windward lines to the point where the boat starts making contact with
> the some of the leeward pilings (I have six wooden pilings per side to
> support a vinyl cover).
>
> When I looked out about midnight as a really big blow commenced, I saw
> contact between the rub rail and the lee pilings.  Pulling the bow off
> with
> the electric windlass would not have helped much with the aft end (as it
> later turned out, the anchor windlass would not pull against that strain),
> and there was no possibility of me doing anything short of starting the
> main
> engines and attempting a twist into the wind to get the stern over.
>
> The manual capstan sorted this minor emergency out in a few seconds.
>
> Rich Gano
> CALYPSO (GB-42-295)
> Southport, FL
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