Difference between marine and auto winches

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I don't get this discussion at all.....why on earth would anyone want to install an auto " winch" on their boat ??? There is absolutely zero benefit in attempting to do this, except comic relief from passing boat owners.

Lifting the dinghy, raising an outboard in a slide... I was looking at them for these purposes, but went with the tried and true block and tackle system for simplicity over laziness.

[MultiCountryDon]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I don't get this discussion at all.....why on earth would anyone want to install an auto " winch" on their boat ??? There is absolutely zero benefit in attempting to do this, except comic relief from passing boat owners.

Frugality ! (The sailor's middle name)
Penny wise, pound foolish in this case.
Don

[MicHughV]

I give up....wanna put an auto winch on your boat in lieu of a proper marine winch...knock yourself out..

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Lifting the dinghy, raising an outboard in a slide... I was looking at them for these purposes, but went with the tried and true block and tackle system for simplicity over laziness.

You’d be better running a PTO off your engine.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Lifting the dinghy, raising an outboard in a slide... I was looking at them for these purposes, but went with the tried and true block and tackle system for simplicity over laziness.

Well, with a typical marine windlass, especially vertical axis ones, you can use the warping drum part to do all of those things if you really want to... and rather easier than with some mickey mouse adaptation to a truck reel type winch with it's own built in cable that moves at glacial speeds.

Jim

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, with a typical marine windlass, especially vertical axis ones, you can use the warping drum part to do all of those things if you really want to... and rather easier than with some mickey mouse adaptation to a truck reel type winch with it's own built in cable that moves at glacial speeds.

Jim

I suppose, but what a nightmare that would be on my boat.

Routing the control lines from aft davits (and outboard lifts) all the way forward to the centerline near the bows, around the deckhouse. Then you’d have to yell to someone aft watching to see how far you’ve made it while switching between control lines and tying those lines off when you got to the right spot.

The davits would be far, far worse. You’d have the same routing, same yelling to someone to make sure you’re progressing properly (forget going ashore if you’re by yourself), but add to that the complexity of switching back and forth between control lines constantly on the single drum as you raise the dinghy so you don’t end up too far bow or stern up as you raise it, having to tie the other control line off each time you move its counterpart.

The small atv or automotive winch would make a much, much smarter installation at the lifting site. One for each spot. Lots of people do it. What’s “Mickey mouse” about an electric winch to perform ancillary tasks?

Especially as one gets older and might be facing physical challenges but still wants to go ashore or lift outboards? This is a necessity for some I’d assume.



https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post2786692



https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/...nghy-9800.html




https://svdenalirosenc43.blogspot.co...avits.html?m=1



I can’t see how it would be easier to run all those control lines to the bow, around the deckhouse, not being able to see what you’re winching. Seems mickey mouse to do that to me. And rube goldburg too. Just have the winch right next to the task, press a button and monitor your own progress standing next to it.

Some of these ATV winches even come with straps as opposed to the metal cable that can rust. You could put a stainless cable on too if you needed to. Quite a lot of options. And they are inexpensive.

Me? I chose the tried and true block and tackle for simplicity and reliability. Manual lift with lots of purchase. Who needs another thing to have to occasionally fix or maintain? Block and tackle lasts decades.

[goboatingnow]

An electric option on my OB crane would be nice though. I always seem to be one hand short.

[Jim Cate]

I suppose, but what a nightmare that would be on my boat.

.....

I thought we were talking about alternate uses for an anchor winch...

Using a number of reel winches for all the lifts, etc would certainly work, but wouldn't weigh the anchor very well.

Very different applications...

Jim

[Tupaia]

Quick make dinghy recovery winches.


https://www.kent-marine.com/en/produ...-12v-150w.html


Not cheap "marine" and you will need 2.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

.....

I thought we were talking about alternate uses for an anchor winch...

Using a number of reel winches for all the lifts, etc would certainly work, but wouldn't weigh the anchor very well.

Very different applications...

Jim

Ah. Ok. That makes sense! Thanks for clarifying.

I was having some issue getting my head around the points you were making but if you were talking only about the anchor windlass/winch, that makes sense and I agree. I can see no reason to use these automotive drum winches in that way.

I actually went with a manual windlass too. Secretly, I regret that a bit if having to re-anchor (exhausting), but overall it’ll probably be good for my extra exercise requirements.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by pas63

I am curious to the differences in pulling power between an auto winch vs an anchor windlass. Something just doesn't seem to add up.

Many auto winches, even low end ones advertise far more pulling power than the vast majority of anchor windlasses. This one is listed as having 30k pounds of pull, where as even the biggestMaxwell/Lowfrans etc are rated as no more than a couple thousand pounds of pull?

The difference is just gearing.

You take the same electric motor and gear it down 10x, and you will get 10x the pulling power.

Jeep winches need to pull a lot but not fast. They need to exert a lot of force to get your stuck jeep out of the mud, but they don't need to pull the jeep over a long distance. Boat winches don't need to pull a lot -- just the weight of the anchor plus chain -- but you need to be able to get that 300 feet of chain in within a reasonable period of time.

Hence they are geared differently. That's all there is to it.

[Yellowtulip]

I remember someone (perhaps on here) posting that they’d installed a small reel winch to get themselves up the mast.

[pas63]

Amazes me how these threads deviate from the original. I never said anything about installing an auto winch on a boat. The original question was why auto winches are rated in the thousands of pound pull and anchor windlasses in the hundreds with the express caveat from most manufactures that you are not supposed to use the windlass to pull the boat to the anchor.

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by pas63

Amazes me how these threads deviate from the original. I never said anything about installing an auto winch on a boat. The original question was why auto winches are rated in the thousands of pound pull and anchor windlasses in the hundreds with the express caveat from most manufactures that you are not supposed to use the windlass to pull the boat to the anchor.

You posted in the Anchoring and Mooring section. It seems reasonable to assume that was the context for your post.

[pas63]

That is what happens when you assume. Noting in the original post indicated anything more than why here is a rating difference between the two.