Making fast to a winch or self-tailer

Line handling · moderate · also called Loading a winch

Used for

Trimming and holding jib sheets and halyards on a sailboat
Holding a sheet while you take the load off a jam with a rolling hitch

How to tie it

Check which way the drum turns by spinning it by hand; on most sailboat winches it is clockwise seen from above.
Lead the line onto the drum low down, at a fair angle, so the turns stack upward without crossing.
Take at least three turns around the drum; three or four is usual.
Pull in the slack by hand before you put the handle in.
On a self-tailer, lead the line over the stripper arm and down into the jaws all the way round.
Crank the handle while keeping tension on the tail, or let the jaws hold it on a self-tailer.
On a winch without self-tailing jaws, make the tail fast on the cleat behind it.
Take the handle out and stow it.

Check it: The turns lie side by side on the drum with none crossing another, and the tail is seated in the jaws or cleated so the line does not creep.

Cautions

Keep fingers, loose clothing and hair away from the drum. Keep the back of your hand toward the drum, and ease with the heel of your hand.
A riding turn or override happens when turns cross, often because of a poor lead angle. Stop cranking as soon as you see one and never pull at loaded turns with your fingers; take the load off with a second line and a rolling hitch.
To ease a loaded line, keep tension on the tail and let it slide slowly around the drum. Never throw all the turns off at once.
Handle direction and gears differ between winch models; follow the maker's instructions for yours.
Do not stand in the line's path or in a loop of it while it is loaded.

Sources (6)

lewmar.com · harken.com · safe-skipper.com · sailboatzone.com · navytribe.com · en.wikipedia.org

General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.