Servicing winches — cleaning and greasing
Step by step: stripping, cleaning, greasing and checking the pawls of a yacht winch.
A winch is a mechanism that multiplies the force you can apply to sheets and halyards, through its gearing and one-way pawls. Salt, sand and old, hardened grease make the drum start turning both ways or seize, which is dangerous under load. Servicing is recommended at least once a season, and twice with heavy use. Before you start, close the open hatch or block the drain so that small parts cannot go overboard.
Start by identifying the model and getting the manufacturer's service manual (Harken, Lewmar, Andersen). Remove the top cover as the design requires: some winches have a snap ring, others a screw or a retainer. Take the parts out one at a time and lay them out in the order of disassembly on a clean rag or in a tray, photographing every stage with your phone. That is the surest way to reassemble the mechanism correctly, especially on two- and three-speed versions.
The main parts are the drum, gears, spindles, bearings and the pawls with their springs. The pawls are the most common cause of failure: gummed up with old grease they stop springing out and the drum stops locking. Clean every part in a tray of odourless paraffin or a dedicated cleaner, with a brush and a cloth, until all the old grease and salt deposit is gone. Check the teeth and bearings for pitting, corrosion and cracks, and replace damaged parts with original ones.
Lubrication is selective, and that is the key to correct operation. Grease the gears, spindles and bearings thinly with winch grease, without overdoing it, because excess grease attracts dirt. NEVER grease the pawls and their springs — they take light machine oil or pawl oil, otherwise the pawls stick and will not lock the drum. This is the most common servicing mistake and leads to the winch spinning dangerously free.
Reassemble in reverse order, checking as you go that the pawl springs are seated correctly (a pawl should spring back and click). Once assembled, check the drum by hand: it should turn freely in the working direction and lock firmly in the other, with the pawls clicking clearly. Fit the cover and make sure the retainer holds. Test the winch under a light load before you go out.
Using a winch safely is a subject in itself. Always keep your hand away from the drum while it is under load, to avoid trapping your fingers and a serious injury (a riding turn on a loaded line is the classic trap). Take the handle out of its socket after use, so it cannot go overboard or injure the crew when the boat heels. Use lock-in handles wherever there is a risk of losing one.
Document the service: date, model, parts replaced and the type of grease. Keep a set of spare pawls and springs on board, as these are the small parts that fail most often. Use only greases intended for winches — automotive or general-purpose greases can thicken in the cold or wash out and attract salt. Regular, correct servicing costs next to nothing compared with the risk of a failure under sail.
Material prices — products and options
Indicative prices in EUR (incl. VAT), as of July 2026. Products widely available in Europe; prices depend on the shop, the pack size and consumption. The links lead to example shops that ship across the EU. Dollar amounts are converted at 1 EUR = 1.1622 USD (ECB, 7 September 2026) and rounded — treat them as a rough guide, not a price in a US shop. Imperial values in brackets are conversions of the metric figure.
Winch greases
- Harken — High Performance Winch Grease
synthetic grease for gears and bearings, resistant to salt water, 100 g (4 oz)€12–20 (≈$14–23) - Lewmar — Winch Grease
maintenance grease for winch mechanisms (tube/tub)€10–18 (≈$12–21) - Ronstan — Winch & Hardware Grease (RA500001)
grease for the gears and bearings of smaller winches, 75 g (3 oz)€8–14 (≈$9–16) - Andersen — Winch Grease
grease made for Andersen stainless steel winches€12–20 (≈$14–23)
Pawl oils
- Harken — Pawl Oil (BK4521)
light oil for pawls and springs only — never grease, 50 ml (2 fl oz)€8–14 (≈$9–16) - Lewmar — Pawl Oil
machine oil for the pawl mechanism of winches€7–12 (≈$8–14) - Harken — One Drop Winch Conditioner
dry conditioner that limits the build-up of dirt€10–16 (≈$12–19)
Repair kits and parts (pawls, springs)
- Harken — Winch Pawl / Service Kit
spare pawls and springs — the small parts that wear out most often€15–45 (≈$17–52) - Lewmar — Winch Spare / Pawl Kit
service kit of pawls and springs for Lewmar winches€12–40 (≈$14–46) - Andersen — Winch Spare Parts
pawls, springs and seals for Andersen winches€15–50 (≈$17–58)
Cleaning and degreasing
- Yachticon — degreaser / cleaner
solvent for washing old grease off the parts€6–14 (≈$7–16) - Set of cleaning brushes
brushes in various sizes for the inside of the drum and the gears€5–15 (≈$6–17) - Nitrile gloves (pack of 100)
disposable gloves resistant to oils and solvents€6–12 (≈$7–14)