Some sailors expect their winches to work year after year with little or no maintenance. Mark Corke offers a step-by-step guide to servicing this vital piece of deck gear.
6. If the winch is a self-tailer (as shown here), lift off the self-tailing arm. It is sometimes locked in place by salt and corrosion and might require a tap with a soft mallet.
On sale: 12th Jan
The top 50 innovations that changed sailing, 'David and Goliath' cross the Atlantic, how to stay safe in fog and Practical advice for cruising abroad.
Editor's log previewing the best boats, charters and cruises plus the latest issue round-up.
A new J Class Britannia will sail again. Should King George V's orders to sink the original, funded by taxpayers, have been ignored?
