Winch mounting

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David Knecht

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Mar 23, 2026, 5:02:02 PM (13 days ago) Mar 23
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I am starting a project to replace my primary winches.  I have removed one of the Barient's and was surprised to find no evidence of a metal backing plate in the pedestal.  Is it possible it is embedded in the fiberglass and I can't see it or perhaps they were built without backing?  Dave

David Knecht
S/V Aries
1990 C&C 34+
New London, CT

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Chuck Scheaffer

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Mar 24, 2026, 7:39:30 PM (12 days ago) Mar 24
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The coaming where our 28s are mounted is about 3/8" thick solid fiberglass and kevlar laminate.  No core.  No backing plate.  Fender washers on four of five bolts.  Smaller washer on the one bolt because there isn't room for anything more.  Remember the strain on a winch is not verticle, it's horizontal.  I love the 28, as you can remove the drum and all the gears from the base and take it home to service it, while the base stays mounted.  Can't do that with my 27s and 21s without removing the base.  I usually service them all in place, anyway.

Curious what replacement you've chosen.

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Francois Rivard

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Mar 25, 2026, 9:12:49 AM (11 days ago) Mar 25
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Why are you replacing those winches in the first place? 

All the insides on the primaries are solid bronze (Except for the roller bearing cages) and basically unwaerable... They are also $2300 + a piece to replace with actual equivalent ( I looked, anything less is inferior)

Huttonwinches.com from Australia has everything you need to replace for maintenance such as the roller bearing assemblies. 

The Allen Hutton is a pleasure to work with and quick to pick up his phone for any questions. I just bought $600 bucks worth of stuff to rebuild all 3 of my 2 speed self tailer cabintop winches to brand new condition, the stuff was shipped quickly / efficiently.  Beats paying $1,800.00 a piece for equivalent replacements and dealing with hole pattern hassles. 

All the schematics are easily downloadable for free and all those winches are brain dead simple to work on.  No flying inner springs on any Barient designed winches to worry about on disassembly either...


François 

1990 34+ 
Lake Lanier,  GA

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David Knecht

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Mar 25, 2026, 10:23:21 AM (11 days ago) Mar 25
to 'Glen Hunter' via C&C 34/36 Owners
I figured I was going to get this question, so let me explain with more words than necessary to justify this decision.  The Barients work fine so I am not replacing them for function.  I primarily race single handed and find that by the end of a breezy race, I run out of arm power to get the last few inches of genoa trim.  At 72, I just don't have the stamina I used to have, and want to keep racing as long as my body allows.  The genoa has been the limiting factor.  I can do better with my 110 genoa, which I raced with exclusively for a season, but that is still a problem when it blows and limiting in light to moderate winds.  I hoped the PHRF rating boost would compensate, but it doesn't.  So I have been thinking about electric primaries for some time. I bought an eWincher several years ago, hoping it would solve the problem without complexity and have explored using it as an assist for the genoa, but it really doesn't work very well for the genoa for racing.   I love it for halyards, and I will continue to find uses for it.  The cost of electric winches has kept me from seriously considering the switch, but I also worried about the complexity of adding another battery to drive the winches so I didn't tax my house battery.  I also seriously considered a "new" boat to prolong my racing (self-tacking headsail), but I love my 34+ and have it set up so it works for me for racing and for my wife and I for cruising.  Then I read about eWincher's new Sailforce electric winches.  I loved the concept and design and after good experience with the eWincher decided to make the plunge, rather than sell my boat and start over with a newish one.  They use a single high voltage Lithium battery to drive the winches and it is essentially trickle charged from the house battery.  Their calculations are the load on the battery is not a problem.  The winches are Hutton (they have conversion kits, but not for Barients) which are apparently pretty common in Australia.  They have built in variable force limiter so you (or more importantly, your crew) don't tear your genoa apart.  The only thing absent I would wish for is reversible electric, which some of the new Harken electrics now have, for a premium price.  The installation looks pretty simple.  So I decided to go for it while they were on sale this winter.  I think I am the first person in the US to install them for this purpose, so will provide feedback/review (Practical Sailor?) when I have had a chance to use them. 

This is what the setup will look like for comment.  Battery will be in the starboard cockpit locker wired forward to the panel.  One cable will go to the nearby winch and the other around the rear compartment over to the port winch.  It all looks pretty simple to me.  Comments welcome!  Dave

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Francois Rivard

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Mar 26, 2026, 1:14:56 PM (10 days ago) Mar 26
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In much fewer words: Hutton sells an affordable electric conversion kit for your winches. 

-Francois

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