Being an old boat, Flirt has/had a lot of older systems on her. One of the main ones found on any sailboat are the winches used to snub the jib in tight. On a Sprite of Flirt’s vintage they are bolted to bronze mountings on the outside of the coamings that are attached to both the deck and the coaming boards. A very safe, stable, and convenient place to mount them.
While both work, and seem to work well, and have built up a wonderful patina of green on the bronze, the trouble I have with them is a lack of handles and knowing exactly what winches Flirt has.
I know they were made by Merriman, as their Trident symbol is prominent atop them, but from that point on, I am at a loss. As you can see they have a rather unique way of mounting the handle, it does not use a slot into the side, nor does it use a more modern square or star shaped receiver, instead the handle would slot in from the top and lock much like a rotating latch.
Anybody have any clues? Not only would I want a set of handles, but I would like another to mount on the mast to help with sail tension.