Harken winches - do they have nuts?
Printed From: myHanse.com
Category: Hints & Tips
Forum Name: 300 / 301
Forum Description: 300 & 301 Hints and Tips
URL: https://www.myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13873
Printed Date: 27 March 2026 at 03:51
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Topic: Harken winches - do they have nuts?
Posted By: seanthijsse
Subject: Harken winches - do they have nuts?
Date Posted: 16 February 2023 at 16:48
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Hi all, Another newbie question... I am currently servicing my winches on my 301. The two primary winches are Harken Classic 32.2ST two speed and the two coachroof winches are Harken Classic 8 plain-tops one speed. All four are the 2004 to present versions. I have taken them completely off the deck as they desperately needed a deep clean and service. Question: Does anyone know if the flathead machine screws require nuts and washers? The holes going through the deck are tapped so I suspect they are not needed. I have looked at the service and installation manual for both and there is no mention there. I have looked behind the lining on the starboard coachroof winch (Harken classic 8) and there is no sign of any nuts or washers. That doesn't necessarily mean that they are not meant to be there! Looking forward to the new season that is fast approaching! All the best, Sean |
Replies:
Posted By: Wayne's World
Date Posted: 16 February 2023 at 17:16
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Sean, I think you will find the mounting bolts screw into aluminium plates in the fibreglass layup. There are no nuts. I always leave our winches in place when servicing them. ------------- Wayne W Cruising, currently in the Pacific until the end of 2026. |
Posted By: seanthijsse
Date Posted: 16 February 2023 at 17:21
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Thanks Wayne. The coach roof ones go straight through and stick out in the gap between the roof and the lining so no aluminium plates there. I am unsure of the primary winches as I haven’t removed the lining to check. Unfortunately with the Harken Classic 32.2ST you need to remove them entirely to get to the inner mechanism (held together by an allen screw at the bottom of the winch). Not the best design! |
Posted By: seanthijsse
Date Posted: 17 February 2023 at 10:28
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Response received from Harken: "The screws that secure the base to the deck do need nuts and washers, unless there is a plate underneath that some OEM puts in place. This is not done by Harken and so we can’t advise a solution to that. The official Harken way of securing the winch is to bolt or screw down with washers and nuts" Pretty clear response. Best, Sean |
Posted By: Martin&Rene
Date Posted: 17 February 2023 at 15:37
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On my 341, which will be just slightly younger than your yacht. there are integral aluminium plates built into the deck where the winches, clutches and deck organisers and other items are. So, I would be surprised if yours is not the same. This old post refers to aluminium deck plates on a similar yacht to yours. https://www.myhanse.com/friction-in-running-rigging_topic1411_post13533.html?KW=deck+aluminium#13533" rel="nofollow - https://www.myhanse.com/friction-in-running-rigging_topic1411_post13533.html?KW=deck+aluminium#13533 Do not forget to put something like TufGel on the machine screws before you put them back. ------------- Martin&Rene Hanse 341 Dipper Wheel steering, 3 cabin layout, normally based in Scotland |
Posted By: seanthijsse
Date Posted: 18 February 2023 at 07:42
| Would the aluminium plates be visible at all from below or not and would the machine screws go straight through them and stick out the other end? Is there a way of knowing for sure that there is an aluminium plate? |
Posted By: Kox
Date Posted: 18 February 2023 at 11:02
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On my 315 the plates are not visible from below. But I threaded a new M8 (if I recall correct) for some extra clutches on the coach roof, so I know for sure they're there:-) I would be surprised if the design on your 301 is not similar.
------------- Hanse 315, Ella, Hull# 640 |
Posted By: pb1006
Date Posted: 18 February 2023 at 11:54
| Does anyone tried a metal detector to check where are renforcement plates? |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 18 February 2023 at 15:05
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The plates are often buried in the laminate and so they may not be visible from below. When Hanse drills and taps the holes, the mounting bolts always stick through the plate and show underneath. This insures full threading of the bolts. I can’t imagine that your winches which have carried considerable load were mounted without them !! ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 18 February 2023 at 15:14
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Also, I agree 100 percent with Martin. You absolutely must use an anti-sieze compound on the threads when you install. Aluminum and stainless will weld together if left alone in the marine environment. Sadly, Hanse did not always use one and I’ve had a few frozen bolts on my boat that needed drilling. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: seanthijsse
Date Posted: 19 February 2023 at 10:05
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Thanks everyone for the responses. It certainly seems clear that it is most likely that there is a backing plate embedded and like Leon said, they would have been carrying significant load in the past with the previous owners. Good advice regarding the anti-seize compound. Will ensure I use. |
Posted By: Martin&Rene
Date Posted: 19 February 2023 at 10:26
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Easy alternative test. Put 2 studs in and use a multi-meter to check for electrical continuity between the 2. ------------- Martin&Rene Hanse 341 Dipper Wheel steering, 3 cabin layout, normally based in Scotland |
Posted By: perry
Date Posted: 19 February 2023 at 17:29
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Yes I successfully used a detector to locate the Aluminium plates. I borrowed a device that plumbers use to find copper pipes under floors or in walls. Perry
------------- Current Yacht Hanse 315 2007 Last Yacht Hanse 301 Round GB in 2017 |
Posted By: mjo
Date Posted: 20 February 2023 at 15:26
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These days I found out, that nuts and bolts are very differently in 301 and unfortunately (at least in my case) lousy solutions had been put in place: genoa rails: machine screws had been blocked with washers, but when the laminate was too thick, they just left the washers and nuts out  deck organizers: quite funny: on port side blocked (washer+nut) on starboard just screwed through laminate w/o blocking roof winches: blocked, but some screws got loose ==> so take some time, remove the cover (in this area it is easy) nad check it BR Martin
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Posted By: seanthijsse
Date Posted: 24 February 2023 at 06:55
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Hi all, Thought I would post some pictures of the underside of the starboard coach roof where one of the winches and four clutches go. As you can see, clearly no nuts and washers. The winch bolts (two are hidden on the other side of the bulkhead) are flush with the ceiling and the bolts for the clutches barley stick out. Not indentation in the ceiling either as “evidence” of previously used nuts and washers.
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Posted By: mjo
Date Posted: 24 February 2023 at 07:52
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Hi, If there is no metal plate with treaded holes inside the laminate, I guess hanse have used an extreme robust and highly engineered material, which is able to hold the screws probbaly w/o nuts and washers. (sorry for sarcasm) The 301 is sailing very nice and I like the boat, but these bricolage examples enraging me. Also discovered last weekend: the plate on top of the mast support is fixed with 4 bolts through the laminate with the mast foot. The nuts on the bolts (under deck) aren't secured at all. 2 altready got loose. I think, using self securing nuts or always a second one to secure, wouldn't have driven the production costs significantly higher. BR M
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Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 24 February 2023 at 19:15
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The problem with what Hanse has been doing with these embedded aluminum plates is that it provides for a weaker laminate compared to using a proper backing plates with nuts. It’s speeds up assembly at the cost of overall strength. When Hanse puts their plates into the middle of the laminate, there leaves only a portion of the structure ABOVE the plate. This will leave much less of a thickness to resist breakout of the fiberglass. Break out has occurred on occasion, possibly a result of too thin a structure above the plate when it was laminated. With a BACKING PLATE under the deck, with nuts to secure, you have the FULL thickness above the plate with no opportunity for error. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 24 February 2023 at 19:32
 ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 24 February 2023 at 19:36
 From a 505 which posted the breakage on this forum. The addition of washer and nuts to the bolts from below would strengthen the Hanse install assuming the bolt threads were showing underneath. The washers and nuts would load up the unused laminate below the aluminum plates thereby adding to the overall strength of the install. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: seanthijsse
Date Posted: 06 March 2023 at 12:38
Hi there, the primary winches on my boat definitely have a reinforcement plate embedded within the laminate.  |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 06 March 2023 at 13:56
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What you show there is a proper installation of the plate to the laminate. You can see that the plate is well below the structure and simply attached with a layer of glass. The ones I’ve seen that failed have the plate INSIDE the laminate, thereby weakening it significantly. In those cases I would add washers and nuts if the bolts are long enough, and maybe replace the bolts with longer ones if they don’t protrude enough to accept washer and nut. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |