Experienced boat owners know that the key to starting, and especially capping off a great day on the water is to make launching and loading as effortless as possible. Trailering a 6-metre bowrider can feel like trying to raise the Titanic when you’re working on a steep, slippery ramp; that’s why the choice of winches is so important.
As is often the case with non-technical boating accessories though, winch selection is typically reduced to a matter of cost. There are, however, 2 infinitely more important characteristics that need to be considered: power and weight. After a long day of waterskiing or breaking in a new fishing reel, you want a winch with the power to safely recover a boat or a pair of PWCs without breaking your back; and fortunately, a fully capable winch doesn’t have to be a budget breaker.
High-Quality Winches are the Key to Safe Launching and Loading
Let’s be honest: while everything from the amount of fuel on your boat, to the condition of your trailer’s bunks or rollers will have an effect on how you launch or retrieve, it’s the strength of your winches that makes all the difference. The more pulling power you have, the better, and with today’s premium-grade marine boat trailer winches, you won’t have any problems choosing a versatile, electric or manual winching solution that has all the power you need, at the price you want.
Companies like Powerwinch, Runva, Atlantic Products, and Sherpa manufacture some of the finest, and most affordable winches for boats on the market. And while they’re also among the sturdiest, and least complicated pieces of equipment in boating, they unmistakably underline the fact that price should be the last consideration when you’re evaluating one. Everything from the shape of your boat’s hull to the amount of time you spend in salt or fresh water is essential to choosing the right one; and instead of price, these factors are all tied to how safely you’re able to launch or load.
Going Beyond Cost to Pick the Right Winch
Although boat winches are rated according to boat weights, it’s important to understand that weight is still only one factor that you need to be concerned about. Any trailer winch that warrants serious consideration needs to be capable of overcoming the friction, surface resistance, and environmental considerations that you’re likely to encounter when moving your boat on or off the trailer, including:
- Your boat’s mass and dimensions – For safety, your boat winch and winch cables need to be rated for ½ to ¾ of your boat’s gross weight, including fuel, batteries, equipment, and cargo; and they should also account for the added frictional resistance that a wider beam can generate.
- How your trailer’s outfitted – The serviceable state of your trailer’s rollers, as well as the angle, position, and condition of your bunks will all have an effect on how well your boat trailer winch is able to do its job.
- The ramps you launch and recover from – The geometry of the ramps you’re using, including their length and incline, has a direct impact on the amount of force trailer winches need to overcome radically steep angles.
The fact is, when estimating how much an adequately rated boat trailer winch for sale would really cost you, you can’t afford to exclude the indirect costs that could go with it. Not only do you run the risk of damaging your boat and your trailer, as well as injuring your spine by settling for an insufficiently rated winch, but having an underrated winch, or winch cable break while under load can even be fatal.
The risks from relying on an inadequately rated winch are too great to overlook for just a few dollars; that’s why there’s no shortage of manual and electric boat winches for sale that you can trust to safely handle your winching needs.
Electric Winches Give You the Power to Overcome Any Obstacle
Let’s be honest: when it comes to safe, effortless launching and retrieving, especially from steep or algae-covered ramps, 12V/24V electric winches for boat trailers are the best choice. With maximum ratings suitable for boats up to 9000kg on a 45° incline, heavy duty electric winches are designed to place quick, convenient, and above all safe recoveries at the forefront of their operation.
Electrics are the feature-rich, low-maintenance trailer winches Australia trusts for both horizontal and vertical pulls, and they offer a range of options that include:
- Corrosion-resistant aluminium construction, with 316 stainless steel fittings;
- Series wound motors, producing up to 6.6hp;
- IP68 protection against dust and submersion up to 1m for 15 minutes;
- Electronic braking, with remote power-in/freewheel-out functionality; and,
- Wireless remote control operation with manual override.
Electric winches for boat trailers also make it possible to perform double-line pulls and lifts, effectively allowing you to multiply the torque needed to safely overcome severe ramp angles, or recover in rough weather conditions.
Manual Winches Make For No-nonsense Launching, Anytime
Manual boat trailer winches offer optimal strength for strict, no-nonsense launching and recovering of boats up to 1500kg. They don’t require a power source or special precautions, and can be counted on for anytime, anywhere operation; that’s why they continue to be the cornerstone of cost-conscious pulling and lifting for boat owners.
In spite of their straightforward functionality, manual winches still deliver the goods when it comes to launching and loading, and offer a rugged complement of features that include:
- A choice of either high tensile alloy, or axle-grade 41xx steel construction;
- A range of gear drive options from single 1:1 and 3:1, to multiple ratios of 15:1/5:1/1:1;
- Machine-cut gears, and heat-treated and hardened steel bushings and washers;
- Launch control braking, with quick releases; and,
- A choice of either corrosion-resistant Dacromet®, or powder-coated finishes.
What a manual winch for boat trailer lacks in electronic convenience it makes up for in simplicity, durability, and low maintenance. With proper use and regular lubrication, these winches can last forever, which explains why they’re still the preference for cost-effective trailering.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, while cost is an unavoidable aspect of buying a winch, you can’t allow price to dictate your buying decision. At its most basic, your winch is a piece of safety equipment, and compromising on it shouldn’t be an option.
You don’t need them on the water, but premium-grade marine boat trailer winches are investments in your personal safety that you can’t afford to ignore. And you can be sure that with the right winch, you’re going to be able to enjoy your time on the water even more.