Noticed last week that the winch on the coachroof sounded “graunchy” when winching the main up. Realised I probably hadn’t done anything to the winches since I bought Blue Opal, so it would be a good idea to to something about that. Ordered some Lewmar winch grease (research showed it might not be cheap, but it’s good), and waited for it to arrive.
I have to say, the Lewmar winches are a doddle to take to pieces. At most you need a hammer and a screwdriver to get the top cap to release, then a screwdriver to release the self-tailer jaws, and something to grip the collets that hold the main spindle at the right height. If you’re taking it apart completely, then there’s a bit more to do, but not a lot.
The Lewmar service manual is reasonable. I didn’t go as far as stripping down to the pawls, but I did check their movement with the winch drum off, and things seemed fine. Perhaps this winter I’ll completely strip the winches if time permits, but they sound better with a bit of cleaning and new grease.
