![]() The owner had even set it up so he could electrically winch the kedge anchor from the stern – essential when mooring bows-to in a Mediterranean harbour to protect the rudder or for privacy in the cockpit.Ĭomparison table: electric winches Reduce friction This way, once the bulk of the sheet/halyard has been hauled in, it’s easy enough to take another couple of turns around the non-powered winch ready for manual trimming if necessary.ĭepending on your boat’s layout, you may want to install a second deck switch so you have a clear view of the headsail on both tacks. In fact, I’ve sailed on a boat that had one electric primary, to starboard, that could be used haul up the halyards and take in the port genoa sheet simply by taking one turn around the manual winch and then leading the sheet or halyard onto the powered one. If you’re feeling a little flush, why not convert one of the primary winches too? This is a fantastic help if, like me, you have a huge overlapping genoa. Then, with a bit of clever rerouting of the genoa sheets via one or two new turning blocks, you can often use the same winch for hauling in the bulk of the genoa. ![]() To keep costs down people often just convert one halyard winch, usually on the side of the mainsail halyard. ![]() The latter is easier than you may think as all the components are supplied, along with full instructions and an easy-to-understand circuit diagram. But the extra cost often works out at considerably more than if they had invested in simply upgrading their sailing yacht.įor instance, a good many manual winches can be electrified by buying a conversion kit (Lewmar, Harken and Andersen all sell manual-electric upgrade kits for their two-speed winches), which often works out costing half the price of a new winch – especially if you’re good with the DIY and can modify the drive unit, and install the electrics yourself. Kitting out a sailing boat with electric winches and furlers may look to be expensive, but if it keeps you on the water isn’t it worth it? In fact quite a few sailors end up moving over from sail to power because they no longer have the physical strength to manually winch in the sheets or haul on the halyards. The best Lithium-ion battery for your boat – we test 12 units Whichever it is, why not accept a helping hand from Mr Volt? Maybe you want to spend more time sailing single-handed, or perhaps you’re reaching the age when winching up the mainsail by hand is starting to take the fun out of a weekend sail.
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