Old Markey deck equipment finds new life

A significant number of Markey Machinery deck machines manufactured up to 40 years ago are still in service today

As a result, customers often contact Markey for service parts and/or a complete overhaul of a winch that is over 50 years old, states the company.

Much of the company's older equipment is "cross-decked" (moved to a new vessel) after the vessel it was originally installed on is retired. Sometimes the original vessels find new life in a new role.

In 2012, Markey created an "Alumni" web page, featuring pictures, video, and short stories about "senior systems" that are still in service, or have returned to the factory for refurbishment. Since the company has maintained extensive records and all of the manufacturing drawings for this equipment, new owners are "sometimes surprised at just how much history the company can provide on an old piece of deck gear," said a Markey spokesperson.

One such situation recently occurred when Nancy Everds and partner Peter Mann reached out to Markey regarding an anchor windlass on a wooden boat they are rebuilding:

We think that our winches on our boat were constructed/installed by Markey. We own a 1941 wooden boat that was an Alaska Survey Vessel built at Sagstad in Ballard. She was named 'Patton' originally (sister ship to the 'Lester Jones', now named 'Summer Wind'), and was decommissioned in the 1960s and then named 'Challenger', 'St. Croix', and 'Triton'. We renamed her 'Gyrfalcon'. At some point, we'll probably want to have you guys take a look at our winches, assuming that you did the original work. In the meantime, I just wanted to get in touch and see if you knew anything about our boat winches.

According to Markey, the couple was "amazed" when company vice president Robert "Bobby" LeCoque promptly replied: The attached scan includes the original outline drawing (AW-525) and the original proposal from Markey to S.E. Sagstad dated October, 1940, for the anchor windlass aboard the 'Patton'. No problem taking a look at the winch and we can supply new components too, as we still have all of the original drawings.

The couple have indicated that as refurbishment work proceeds, their particular piece of 73-year-old Markey equipment will "come home" to receive some "TLC"; and be returned to "factory-new" condition.