| Do you use the right body mechanics to avoid injury | | | | Stand, face the winch, brace your feet, and lean back. |
| like muscle pulls or back strain when working a sailboat | | | | This uses your body weight to help hoist or trim the |
| sheet winch? Whether your winches are regular or | | | | sails. |
| self-tailers, you will learn how to sail a boat better than | | | | 4. Cleat the line without a half hitch |
| ever before when you get the winch to do most of | | | | With non self-tailing winches, belay (tie off) the line to a |
| the work for you. | | | | cleat with a cleat hitch. Use extra figure eight turns |
| 1. Stand or squat and face the winch | | | | instead of a final locking hitch. That way, even under |
| Strange as it might sound, I've been on boats with | | | | heavy load, the line can be cast off fast and easy. |
| experienced crew that try to trim a loaded headsail | | | | You want this ability when short-tacking in a narrow |
| sheet while sitting down with their backs to a winch. | | | | channel or waterway. |
| That's just begging for injury! Stand or squat so that | | | | 5. Face the sail for shorter trims |
| you face the winch to get the best mechanical | | | | When you just need a bit of line pulled in to trim the sail, |
| advantage every time. | | | | face the headsail from a sitting or squatting position. |
| 2. Make wraps based on line diameter | | | | Insert the winch handle. Grind in a clockwise motion. |
| Use clockwise turns around the winch drum. If you use | | | | 6. Ease a sheet with the hold-ease-push |
| line about the same diameter as the end joint of your | | | | techniquePlace your hand on the side of the winch |
| little finger, use three wraps. As the diameter | | | | drum opposite that of the loaded sheet. Push your |
| decreases--as it does with some high-tech | | | | palm over the turns with your fingers extended out a |
| synthetics--use four wraps or more. You want enough | | | | bit. Hold the tail under tension with your opposite hand. |
| friction on the winch drum to grip the sheet as you trim | | | | Ease the sheet in a slow, smooth motion. The palm |
| it in. | | | | keeps friction on the drum for control and helps |
| If your winches are self-tailing, make the final wrap | | | | prevent sheet jams (winch override). |
| over the stripper arm and jam the bitter end into the | | | | 7. Pull up and off the winch drum to cast off |
| top "clam" plates. With non self-tailing winches, get | | | | Control casting off wraps from the winch drum to |
| another crew to tail for you. If short handed, you will | | | | prevent rope burn (line running through hands and |
| need to tail with one hand and grind with the other. | | | | fingers at high speed). Hold the sheet end in one hand. |
| 3. Hover over the winch spindle | | | | When ready to release the sheet, pull it straight up |
| Push the winch handle into the center spindle. Move | | | | over the top of the winch drum with a smooth, easy |
| your body over the drum so that you can look straight | | | | motion. Allow the sheet line to slide out through your |
| down at the top of the winch. This positions your body | | | | hands. |
| so that muscles in your arms, shoulders, and back | | | | ******************** |
| share the load. Grind with two hands for more power. | | | | You will learn to sail a boat better than ever before |
| Remove the handle when you're done. | | | | when you use the right body mechanics with your |
| Cabin trunk mounted winches--like those used to lead | | | | sheet and halyard winches. Follow these seven easy |
| halyards back to the cockpit--present a different | | | | steps to keep your sailing crew safe and injury free all |
| challenge. You will be unable to hover over the winch. | | | | season long. |