Chrysler Sailors Forum

Sadly, this is my last post here. I recently sold Old Ugly, a C26. She was a good boat, but there was an accident on board that I wanted to share with you Chrysler owners.
We had her anchored in front of the house on Mobile Bay (Mobile, AL) for a few days. We had sailed her over from the slip where we keep her on Dog River. A nice sail, really, a straight shot across the Bay. Anyway, we had some friends sail with us and we were on the boat , anchored, watching the sunset and having a cocktail when the clutch on the keel winch gave out. That wouldn't have been so bad, but a friend was standing next to the winch handle when it went. The handle must have been going around at about 30+mph. It hit his knee 10 times in a second causing serious injury that required a hospital visit.
I have small kids and it scares me to think about what could have happened to a child.
I sold her inside of a week after that.

One thing you guys should do is replace the keel winch, if you have not done so. I remember seeing a post here for a replacement.

On a lighter note, the 50th Annual Dauphin Island Race is coming up on April 26th. It's the single largest point to point race in the US. Should be a good time. Hope to see some of you local area folks make the trip. I'll be sailing on my buddy's 39 Oday.

Cheers.

Jim Cummings

Sorry to see you go, pass the site address along to the new owner (or the login itself if you want to leave it with the boat).

Wow, quite the story, brake winch or no, might be a good mod to drill a hole for a locking pin in the winch. Even a new one could fail.

We'll give ya a wave when we go down 42 next time.

My winch did the same thing, whin I take the boat out of the water I leve the kill down about 10%. That keeps the boat certer on the traler, but don't forget to take up the slake after the boat is out. I did not, so when the boat went back in the water the cable had slake in it an the winch frewhelled. I keep my winches greased up, I use whell grease, on all of the winch. My winch has never free whelled sence, all so stops rust.

I have a wire loop I put over the handle. This prevents the handle from freewheeling, even if the clutch were to fail.

Jim