Just a note on the Lewmar winch maintenance schedule. I just finished taking apart all my winches, cleaning them, re-greasing them, and putting them back together. This is the first time since 1996, when I had Godspeed #108 built by SLM. The surprising thing is that only one of them actually needed cleaning. The staysail halyard winch was home to some mud dobbers, so the ratchet wasn’t engaging due to mud. Lewmar and others recommend a cleaning yearly. I think, though, that my next cleaning will be far into the future. Just saying. Happy cleaning.
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That’s really awesome to get a feel of your Lewmar winch for boat experience of Godspeed #108! It’s a marvel that they’ve lasted from 1996 to now with so little maintenance. Your idea about the fact that only one winch needed cleaning the reason being mud dobbers really underscores how long-lasting and skillful these winches are. While Lewmar and others advise yearly maintenance, your experience proposes that actual weather conditions and usage habits are the reasons to stretch the time between major cleanings. Surely, the regular check-ups are valuable to prevent early appearance of any potential troubles. Thanks for sharing your insights.
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