The Offshore Race Crew's Manual by Stuart Quarrie

Author:Stuart Quarrie [Quarrie, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408159217
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

The Grinder

The winch grinder’s task is very different to that of the trimmer. He needs to be fit and strong, especially in his upper body and his muscles need to be able to deliver huge amounts of power in relatively short bursts, often with little break between effort.

The skills needed to be an efficient grinder are fairly simple to learn, although most of the best grinders are good crewmen in other positions as well. He must know how to put a rope onto a winch so that riding turns do not occur, how to put in a handle, both efficiently and quickly and how to exert just enough force to do the job without exhausting himself.

Putting turns on the winch correctly usually means not putting too many on the winch until the load starts to build up – three turns are normally sufficient initially. Inserting the handle sounds too easy to be worth mentioning but in fact I have watched all sorts of people waste time by not being organised in their approach. The most important thing is to be holding the handle by the shank and not by the handle itself. If it is a locking handle it is often easier to get into the winch if the lock is pressed across with your thumb at the same time.

Use of body weight to augment upper body strength is important. To exert maximum power the grinder should be positioned right over the winch in an attitude that feels comfortable and where he is braced against the movements of the boat. When tacking, he should remember that the main winching will be done after the yacht is on the new tack and ensure that he is balanced appropriately. Obviously an understanding of the winches themselves is also important. If using multi-geared winches the gear changes must be smooth and fast.

Grinding with pedestal winches sometimes found on larger yachts demands its own technique. The greatest problem for crew not used to grinding in unison with a partner on crank handles is to forget to hold on tight in order to avoid being thrown off. If you ever do lose your grip with one or both hands, the only way to get back on the handles without either stopping or risking a broken wrist, is to place your hand(s) on your partners shoulder(s) and work your own hand down his arm until you reach the winch. In this way you will be able to keep in time with him.

Letting the sheet fly is another skill which is often not applied correctly. If there are more than three turns on the winch before the tack is called, the additional turns should carefully be unwound as the load starts to come off the winch. When the sheet is let fly, the last three turns should be spun quickly from the top of the winch. A frequent problem when letting fly is that of getting kinks running down the rope and becoming caught in the turning block.

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