Save-A-Boat - The Forum for Plastic Classic Rebuilds!

I've often wondered why Edson or Morse have not developed an engine/gearbox control module for sailboats that accepts a standard winch handle as a dismountable operator. I'd think it would sell like hotcakes. I'd think they'd be on just about every sailboat out there.

I stumbled across this AMAZING triton daysailor thing on the NETA site (Tim, if you referenced it in your daysailor design discussions, I missed it.) and lookee there in the cockpit.... Is that an engine control operated by one of the old-style flat bronze winch handles????? Sure looks that way to me!!!

Yup--I did indeed reference the "other" daysailor on my links page:

http://www.tritondaysailor.com/links1.htm

I'm well aware that I'm not the first with this idea--still, my version is going to be quite different from the "other" one.

That sure does look a lot like the sort of control you're talking about! It seems like sailboat engine controls get the short end of the stick, so to speak--perhaps the market is too small. Good sailboat engine controls are tough to come by, and even the best ones tend to get in the way. I had an old Morse set that had removable levers, at least. Now I have a very nice Vetus control which hasn't so far proved to be a line-snagger.

Trouble is, most new boats--even some silly 25-footers--come with wheel steering now. Get to 30 feet or over and it's almost a guarantee. So the separate control market is even smaller now, as these boats feature (usually) pedestal-mount controls.

Other than that, I can't imagine why someone hasn't marketed the very thing you describe. I've seen deckplates equipped with a star-type winch handle drive, which I always thought was a good idea instead of the ridiculous small deck plate keys that we have to fumble with.

Such a thing indeed is available.

I first saw it here: http://www.sailjazz.com/editorial/articles/14/8 -- it is the ATCU/1 from Spinlock in the UK



(from http://www.spinlock.co.uk/sitev2/defaul ... tType=atcu)

Regards,

Tim

A great idea for cross use of a winch handle but the pic makes my shins ache :)

David

Between the five-pound bronze shifter in the cockpit sole, and the throttle and choke controls on the wall of the footwell, my shins already ache plenty.

It's a good thing I have the atomic-4 excuse, or I'd have blown a chunk of boat-bucks on that spinlock doodad long ago.

I know exactly what you mean Mike. An early lesson this season was "Always secure the shifter before rough seas". Having that bronze shifter fly around the cockpit well made for some exciting and acrobatic dancing. It was all fun and games until I zigged when I should have zagged. Ouch.

-Britton