What is the advantage of a self tailing winch?

A self-tailing winch holds the line in place by itself. This means you don’t need to hold the line while you’re turning the winch, or need an extra pair of hands for pulling the line. Because of this, a self-tailing winch allows you to sail short-handed (solo).

Why are sailboat winches so expensive?

They’re all expensive, because they are well-made precision equipment. They’re also among the most frequently retrofitted items; it’s worth repeating here that an oft-heard saying aboard a lot of sailboats is that the winches they came with are not big enough.

How do I choose a winch for a sailboat?

Some manufacturers make size recommendations based on boat length. While this is useful, a better option is to consider the job it will do, if you can. For example, typically the larger the sail area that a winch will have to control on a sailboat boat, the larger the winch needed.

Are Lewmar winches good?

In conclusion, Andersen and Lewmar are always good choices if you are looking for dependability in the manual or electric winch markets. If you are in need of headroom below decks, but need powered winches, Harken and Andersen win that category.

What is the smallest self tailing winch?

15
Self-Tailing Top (or Not) In the case of Harken winches, the smallest self-tailing winch is the 15. Anything smaller than the 15 will not be self-tailing. One thing that is important in regard to self-tailers is the line size and type of line.

What does the number on a sailboat winch mean?

The sizes of the winches are indicated by numbers: 20, 30, 40, 44, 48… This figure means that if you exert a force of 1 kg on the crank, the winch will exert 40 kg on the rope (for a 40 winch) and this for the speed with the greatest force (especially on 2 or 3 speed winches).

How do I know what size winch I need?

To figure how much winch your vehicle needs, add at least 30 percent to the working GVW. Say, for example, your working GVW comes to 6,700 pounds. That means you should be looking for a winch that will provide at least 8,000 pounds of working load capacity.

How do self tailing winches work?

Self tailing winches are winches that wrap the tail in a round jam cleat that is located on the top of the drum. When you crank the drum, the winch will pull the tail simultaneously eliminating the need for a crew member to pull your tail for you.

How do you size a sailboat winch?

Use the Length Overall (LOA) figures as your primary selection criteria. Refer primarily to the sail area, rather than LOA. For boats with heavy displacement and/or a high righting moment, it is advisable to choose a winch larger than those indicated in the table.

How do two speed winches work?

With a two speed winch, clockwise grinding is the same as the single speed, however, counter clockwise grinding will engage another set of gears which keep the drum rotating in the same direction, but at a lower the speed, thus increasing the power.