Inside Practical Sailor Blog

What Old Gear Do You Swear By (or at)?
by Darrell Nicholson on February 13, 2019
Instead of fixing or replacing tired mechanical equipment with new gear, we can often find a less-expensive substitute on the used-gear market. In many cases, this is equipment that is just as good as new gear, if not better than new. The trick is separating the gems from the junk. A poster child for this sort of refit quandary is the old Simpson Lawrence manual windlass, a British-engineered oddity that has long been a source of cruising sailor ire. Commonly found on cruising boats made in the 1980s, these windlasses use a troublesome chain drive rather than a gear drive. This, along with the dissimilar metals used in its various components (cast-steel gypsy, aluminum case, etc.), make these windlasses a poor candidate for rebuilding.
Resources
Reader Questionnaire
Which of the following best describes your approach to bottom paint?
- I choose my own paint, but I let a professional apply (521 votes)
19%
- I let a professional apply the paint that he (or boatyard) recommends. (329 votes)
12%
- I choose my own paint and I apply it. (1639 votes)
60%
- I apply paint that a local professional or boatyard recommends. (254 votes)
9%