Our current goal for 2021 is to learn as much as we can about Sailing & Sailboat Maintenance. One of the lessons we learned recently from a fellow sailor named TOM is how to service a winch. If you’re new here, we are Sam & Rene from the 24 Hour Travellers, our YouTube Channel since 2017, is where we share videos of our journey from Van Life to Boat Life. Our stories revolve around overland travel in Malaysia and Thailand.

We were preparing to drive our DIY camper van from Malaysia to the UK but Covid-19 has made us rethink that plan. Seeing as borders will be shut for another year or more, we have decided to use our time to learn what we can about Sailing in Malaysia. With so much uncertainty now, we dare not announce any long term goals of crossing oceans because we are newbies and have never sailed before however, we do want to join the Sabah Rally that is organised by Sail Malaysia. The only way this can happen is that we first learn to sail.

What is a Winch?

A Winch is a drum shaped mechanical devices used to handle halyards, sheets and control lines on a sailboat. They require regular yearly maintenance. You can order the Lewmar Service Kit from Amazon but we didn’t – we used alternative brands of grease that can be sourced locally here in Malaysia. Does the job just as good.

Watch the video linked above to see how Tom has taught us to service winches on this Hunter 27 Sailboat.

NEXT IN LINE

We are currently waiting for our next lesson which is the installation of a diesel engine into a sailboat. We will be observing the process which will be done by Yanmar professionals. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel if you’re interested to know more and join us on our journey.

YouTube Channel Link https://www.youtube.com/c/24hourtravellers