[TowerTalk] Fulton 2500 winch single or dual speed?

[Patrick Greenlee]

You were lucky to only have to go to a clinic to get skin flap 
reattached.  A free wheeling multi-speed winch (coffee grinder - jib 
sheet on racing boat) malfunctioned and went free wheeling killing the 
crewman manning it with the equivalent of a terrific upper cut punch.  I 
subsequently sailed aboard that boat and for safety the winch was locked 
into one gear.  I assure you I always kept my head over the winch out of 
the swinging arc of the handles on either side.

It is best to not employ manual winches that free wheel as they are an 
accident waiting for a chance to happen.  When injury or death are 
potential consequences, a few $ more for safety should be a no brainer.

Patrick NJ5G

On 4/3/2014 10:57 PM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
> On 4/3/2014 12:06 PM, jcjacobsen at q.com wrote:
>> How do,
>>
>> Gerald is looking for a new winch for his tower.
>>
>> Please, be careful that you don't get a winch that has a FREE WHEEL 
>> position.
>
> Been there, done that, and had to go to the emergency room to get the 
> hide put back on the back of my hand.  It was just a glancing blow 
> that peeled the skin off nearly half the back of my hand from knuckles 
> almost to the wrist bone.
>>   Nothing worse than the winch getting in that mode and having the 
>> handle whipping around at a rapid pace,
>
> I'd say getting hit by it rates right up there.
>
>>   not to mention the tower dropping at the same or greater rate. Most 
>> marine/boat winches are free wheeling.
>
> Mine has a latch, but I was lowering a mast that wasn't terribly heavy 
> and had it unhooked. My hand slipped off the handle, but the handle 
> stopped pointing straight up. I knew better, but it was stationary. 
> Just as I grabbed, it went around once so fast I couldn't see it 
> move!  Had it hit square it would have broken a bunch of those small 
> bones.  As it is I only have a scar that covers about a third of the 
> back of my left hand.
>
> Those winches can be dangerous and it only takes a moment of 
> inattention  to put you in a lot of pain.
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
>>
>> 73
>> K9WN Jake
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>