Matt,

I don't have the same brand of winch, and this year I am going to a power winch with a fob remote, but I'll give it a shot.

If the handle keeps winding off the driveshaft, it could mean the load on the winch line is too low...below the winch's minimum load when you were trying to lower. Before this happens, (the handle unscrewing) you would probably see the line loosening around the spool and bird nesting. You need to keep some tension on the line the whole time while paying out line.

The handle should turn counter-cloclwise to lower the load as the spool turns opposite/clockwise. First make sure the winch drum hasn't been reversed wound somehow, and that when lowering, the drum spins clockwise, and opposite of the handle rotation.

Take any slack out of the line around the drum. Try to attach a heavy/heavier load to the end of the line, and start picking the load. The handle should screw back onto the shaft before reeling the line back in. Once the handle screws back on and the line is rewound snugly around the spool and is tight it should be reset.

You need to keep a load on the line when lowering to keep the handle from unscrewing.

With a load on the line, as you crank the handle counter-cloclwise, the handle wants to back off the shaft and therefore release the brake friction and allow the drum to freewheel. But... the load on the end of the line is trying to turn the drum opposite/clockwise and tighten the shaft back into the handle with a force proportionate to the load and this apply brake friction pressure. When you stop lowering by stopping the handle, the weight of the load cranks the spool and handle back tight, applying brake pressure and self holds.

This is the way my winch worked and this is all from memory. I hope this made sense.

Todd T.

On Thu, Apr 30, 2026, 5:44 PM Matt Wilson <mwhornblower at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> So glad the list is chirping with the sounds of spring!  Hope you are
> sailing soon if not already.
>
> Last fall when I was attempting to lower my mast with the winch will only
> pay out a few inches of line before the handle started to unscrew.  I
> managed to get it down by tightening the nut on the handle side of the
> winch but the same thing seems to be happening now. It seems like it
> catches just fine to raise the mask so I should be fine this spring, but is
> there something that needs adjusting or replacing from your experience?
>
> The nut on the handle Sides has a spring and the shaft of that bolt/nut
> combo sticks out about an inch and a half or so. is that normal?
>
> I believe this is the original mask raising system from General boats. The
> winch housing says Shelly on it.
>
> Thanks for whatever help you can give,
> Matt Wilson
> Hornblower II
> White Bear Lake, Minnesota
>