Clean and Naked Winches

If we want to sail Abake, there are a few things that need to be working.  A good working winch is right near the top of the list.  We knew Abake's needed servicing, but wow.  A word of warning to anyone who needs to lube gears like this -- use a compatible (the same type of) grease with what's there.  If you don't know what it is, do it right -- clean it all off and re-grease it.  Mixing grease types causes the grease to harden and the results are not pretty.  You can see that here.  The first picture shows how dirty the grease is, which tells us how long it has been since it was last serviced.  We read that it is recommended that winches be cleaned once a year.  We're sure that next year it won't come close to looking like this!

Dirty winch bearings

Look closer now and you can see where the grease had hardened and turned gummy.  This is the product of two different types of grease.

Filthy, gummy gears

Once everything was taken apart, the old grease/gunk was cleaned using mineral spirits.  With so many parts, there was a waiting line for the mineral spirit bath.

Parts of the jigsaw puzzle

Everybody in the pool!

After re-greasing the bearings and gears, the winches were re-assembled and spin easily.  Hmmm ... now where are those sheets?

Clean (and naked) winch.  Puzzle assembled!

Final touches

We've also been waiting for the opportunity to tension the rig.   It has not been done since we stepped the mast while on the hard.  But to set it to spec, we need some cooperation from the wind and the waves.  The mast must be "raked", in other words, the top should be pulled toward the back of the boat a total of 18".  This is measured by hanging a weight (a plumb bob) from the main halyard.  Since we can't keep the boat still or the wind from blowing the weight all over, we keep looking for a calm day. 

In the meantime, the VIPs (vacuum insulation panels) have been ordered for the refrigerator.  These will go on the ends and the front of the fiberglass tub and provide an R35 rating in a 1" thick panel . (There is room for regular insulation behind the tub.)  They should arrive in a couple of weeks (custom order).  So Mike has been pulling wires and preparing to run any along the starboard side of the hull through a pvc pipe that will lie behind the refrigerator.  It will make it easier to fish lines, should it become necessary.