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Winch or capstan, in Spanish they "cabrestante" and in French "cabestan."
The winch consists of a rotating roller or cylinder, which, thanks to wheels, cranks, or levers, rotates around its axis around which a rope, cable, or woven strap is wound, causing the movement of the load attached to the other side of it. It is used to move heavy weights.
Multiplier crowns are another important element in any winch. The crowns generate a pulley effect. The more crowns, the easier it is to lift the boat, and less effort is required.
The winch cable can be made of steel, natural fiber rope, or synthetic material. Synthetic materials such as Kevlar, which are lighter and withstand tugs better, can be used, but they are less resistant to abrasion during dragging. It is better to use winches with synthetic woven straps instead of steel cables since if there is a break, the woven strap will never hit us. The cable, if it breaks, can whip and cause an unwanted accident.
It is always advisable for the winch to have a brake to prevent the load from recoiling at the worst moment.
Winches can be made of galvanized steel, stainless steel, or iron.
The winch was invented to help pull or lift an object that could not be pulled or lifted by hand.
Some winches are so powerful that they are used to pull boats onto ramps for repairs or for other specific reasons. These winches are located on the solid ground side and not on a boat.
Types of marine winches
There are various types of winches:
Manual Winches: also known as mechanical winches, in which the loading work is done by hand, manually driven.
In manual winches, crossbars at the ends of the rotating cylinder allow the necessary force to be applied.
Manual winches are mainly used for loading boats or lightweight loads onto their respective trailers, causing less effort for the navigator.
Electric Winches: the force is generated by an electric motor.
They are highly recommended if sailing alone since they free the navigator from loading tasks. This allows the navigator to focus better on balancing the weights inside the trailer, which is crucial for safety.
Electric winches are suitable for very heavy loads.
Hydraulic Winch: it has a hydraulic cylinder in which the vehicle's engine is placed. This increases the pressure inside the cylinder and, therefore, the force of the rope within the winch.
How to buy a winch for a trailer?
When buying a winch, it is important to consider its quality. Also, consider the weight it will be subjected to because the greater the weight, the easier it will be to lift the boat from the water onto the trailer. Typically, you should purchase a winch with twice the pulling capacity as the weight of your boat.
Some of the most sought-after boat winch brands are
- Bada Marine
- Nova Argonautica
- Runva
- Superwinch
- Tecnitrail
If you want to purchase a marine winch at the best possible price, visit Mercanautic. You will find different types of winches, spare parts, and accessories, such as winch straps with hooks, winch cables with hooks, and replacement handles for manual winches. If you want to see our winches click here.
If you have doubts about which winch you need, the experts at Mercanautic will advise you according to your needs. Let yourself be guided; we have a lot of experience.