Tender Crane issues

[wwestman]

Our crane to lift the tender has decided to become a problem. The 5/16 cable broke (luckily while the tender was in the water, not hanging up in the air) Got new cable but am unsure about the correct way to wrap it around the drum.

There is a place to insert the cable and a hole for a set screw that is missing. Anyone know what size and type set screw goes in the hole?

There is a wire bail(?) that may or may not be broken. You can see it on the right in the pictures. Does the cable go inside or outside of that?

I noticed in an earlier post that someone had mentioned changing from wire to amsteel rope. Does anyone have experience doing that change? Did it work? Is it a good idea?

I have used the crane probably a total of six times since I bought the boat (not a big dingy user) and the problems seem to be escalating. I think part of the issue is that the dingy is a center console with a 30 hp motor which makes it fairly heavy. But my wife likes the electric start, so....

Any ideas or comments on how to make this better.

Bill

 

[Joe Pica]

Yes I changed over to Amsteel 8 years ago. Dynema just as good.

 

[dhays]

Contact Pacific Fabricators and see if they can give you some information. Dyneema rope works great. It has a lot of advantages over wire.

 

[Xsbank]

I have amsteel on my crane and I would never go back to wire. No more meathooks! Amsteel (and the other one) don't like to be chafed so you need to be aware of the line's condition. Given that the amsteel is probably twice as strong as wire, that rarely becomes a problem. All of the ships that use it for mooring lines use chafe guards.

I also say call the company that made the crane!

 

[Chrisjs]

We had similar motor winches on our previous boat. The bail goes over the wire, though we found it to be a problem than help. Kept getting caught and buckled. You can easily tell direction of rotation and winding for cable just by running motor and observing direction. While we did use SS wire and replaced it on a regular basis because it became very unfriendly to hands, would now definitely go with rope. The wire (rope) is inserted into the hole in the central shaft and locked in with an allen bolt that fits flush to the shaft surface when inserted. Suggest you just buy a few different sizes to get correct thread, then cut to correct length. Also, there should always be several turns left on the winch after dinghy is lowered, so in reality the lock screw is not needed as friction is more than adequate to keep things in place. If you go with rope line, then suggest you simply ignore hole/screw and tie a tight bowline around the shaft before winding on.

 

[Larry M]

When we replaced our ss cable with Dyneema, the davit manufacturer told us to put at least 5 wraps on the drum when fully extended because it is very "slippery". As it turns out, with the dinghy in the water, we have probably 10 or more.

You be able to find information and parts for the winch on the internet. It looks like a Rule 33S series from your picture. Warn Industris may also be a source for parts.

 

[Chrisjs]

Another consideration if changing to rope from wire, is the condition of any existing pulley sheaves involved in the lift system. My experience is that wire sheaves get quite beaten up by the cutting action of the hard wire. I suggest inspecting closely and probably renewing all pulleys/sheaves when you replace the wire. After a while they need replacing because of both surface and bearing wear. Also, FYI, there are pulleys designated specifically for wire and others better suited to rope.

 

[mbevins]

Another consideration if changing to rope from wire, is the condition of any existing pulley sheaves involved in the lift system. My experience is that wire sheaves get quite beaten up by the cutting action of the hard wire. I suggest inspecting closely and probably renewing all pulleys/sheaves when you replace the wire. After a while they need replacing because of both surface and bearing wear. Also, FYI, there are pulleys designated specifically for wire and others better suited to rope.

At the very least, if you switch to Dyneema, polish the sheave so the scars from the wire don't damage the dyneema.