Winch Handle Pocket

by Bob Smalser, Seabeck, WA

An easy extension of the bird's mouth spar technique. Eight boards have a 45° notch cut in one edge and are laid up around each other forming an octagonal hollow stick

A piece is slabbed of the side on the bandsaw…

…and the inside edges of the stock are knocked off with the plane.

Further planing is done on the inside of the pocket to proved a fit for the winch handle.

Then the outside of the pocket is planed to a circular form.

Back to the bandsaw where we slab off an ogee shape which will accommodate the grip of the winch handle.

Some work with rasps and paper smooths the edges of the opening in the pocket.

A leather keeper is fitted which well help us from losing the winch handle in heavy seas.

Items for boats are finished different from items of furniture—besides the exterior finishes—.this is 50-50 Daly's Teak Oil and BLO wet-sanded into the mahogany followed by six coats of Epiphanes spar varnish—there can be no crisp edges because crisp edges won't hold varnish very long in sun, sea and sand.