The winches have been of great help to those who love going on adventures and driving off-road. Winching requires skills, which most people neglect and ultimately get in trouble when stuck off-road. The winch rigging techniques are the skills you can adopt to recover your vehicle from such unwanted circumstances.
The safety instructions, precautions, and measures always save you from danger. But careless driving may lead you to severe consequences.
Among so many winching techniques, winch rigging is one of the best tricks to apply for vehicle recovery. Check out this guide to know how this technique works.
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Steps To Follow Before Starting Winch Rigging:
Before you start rigging the winch, it is necessary to follow some safety measures and steps. By that, you can ensure the safety and proper execution of the technique.
- Always wear hand gloves to protect your hands from rope burning. The wire rope winches tend to develop spikes or barbs that can injure hands badly.
- The use of a hook strap for holding the hook is wise. It will keep fingers away from the fair lead while coiling the wire rope.
- Always carry D shackles or clevis with you. It will connect the winch to your vehicle, cables, or straps to reduce the chance of an accident.
- Keep a winch kit with you for safe recovery without any complications.
- Please do not use a recovery strap in winching operations because they are stretchable. If the rigging process fails, the recovery strap will react like a rubber band for the high level of energy storage within it. The recovery strap helps rescue a stuck vehicle.
- First, analyze the situation and then plan to work on the solution.
- Also, keep a fully charged automotive battery with you for performing the winch operations. The minimum rating for the battery should be 650 cold-cranking amps. This rating is best for the winch to perform at its peak.
Winch Rigging Techniques
Multiple rigging techniques are out there. Before you go, it is wise to analyze which tips and tricks are perfect for the solution.
Single Block Rigging
The single-block winching is mostly seen in big sailing craft like Ketches and Briggs. The rope goes through its way into the hole on the block, encircling the tree. This way, the sheave scaffolds opposite eyes, turning the block rather than rotating the ship.
Multiple Block Rigging
You can apply this multi-block technique if you find no space to set up a tree or pulley. You might need more rope for this technique than the previous method; still, you can go with it. It’s better to cut the winch rope short for ease of use.
- It is for easy access to set up a winch on the deck close to the mast. If you have enough space, set two trees close to each other fixing one end to the mast, and the other to the ship’s stern.
- The spool is like a storage device to the line when it’s not in use. If you want to set two or more trees at one time, you will need more than one spool. Also, read which way the winch spools.
- If not much space is present, you will have to create an extension pole attaching to the winch spool’s top and going into the water through a hole in the hull.
- You can connect many ropes with the help of strop clamps or hooks and secure them to the pole top. This way, you can achieve some height from the waterline.
- By the way, the rope takes more water from the sides when coiled in. It provides buoyancy which in return will provide more distance.
Single Line Winch Rigging
- Pull the winch line to a suitable anchor point. It can be a tree, rock, or a different vehicle. The anchor point must be solid enough to pull your car out.
- Secure the line with the help of a strap, shackle, or a combination of both. It’ll help to make that stable to work comfortably.
- Connect the remote control to the winch, lock the clutch, and bring the line under tension.
- Cover the winch line with a blanket or some other object when tight. It will give support if the line breaks.
- Then, slowly pull the line and stop winching after reaching the stable ground.
Double Line Winch Rigging
This method will give you more pulling power due to the usage of a snatch block. It will make the process flexible, smooth to pull, and generates more hauling power when you apply a snatch block. So, let’s see how it works.
- Start by connecting the snatch block to the tree trunk protector.
- Feed out the wire rope. It should be enough to free the winch hook.
- Run the winch line through the snatch block. Next, attach the snatch block hook to the frame of the vehicle/tow hook.
- Connect the shackle to the strap’s two ends, and be sure not to tighten up too much.
Now, slowly winch the vehicle. You’ll find that winching is now smooth, easy to operate, and have more power.
Triple Line Winch Rigging
The triple line winch rigging uses the same techniques as the double line winching. The only addition is to add a 90-degree angle between the winch and the first anchor point.
- Start by attaching the snatch block with the first anchor.
- Put the winch line through the snatch block.
- Secure this rope to the vehicle with the help of a screw pin shackle. Place it as close to the winch as possible.
- Now, you have to run the wire to the final anchor point.
- Secure this winch rope to the second anchor using a choker chain or tree trunk protector.
Check the anchor. Make sure that all the connections are properly secured and debris-free.
It’s now ready. You can begin with the winching operation.
Final Thoughts
Winching is a broad concept, and the winch rigging technique is the essence. This article presents the basic winching techniques for unstuck vehicles. But, you need to have your analytical skills to assess the situation and accordingly determine the outcomes.
Always be careful of your safety as well as of those around you. Pay attention to each detail before beginning the winching process.
Be safe and enjoy your trip.