What size trailer winch should I select??

[CatFisher]

Hello LOU Community!!

I'm brand new to boating and towing this season, and I just want to ensure I'm doing everything as safely as possible, so I'm hoping someone here can help me. I've just brought home my first "real" boat, and I'd like to replace the trailer winch, but I'm not sure what the winch should be rated for. I have a 1963 Sea Ray 900 17' closed bow, with a 115 hp Johnson outboard from 1974. When new, the boat should have weighed about 1200 lbs, and the motor about another 325 lbs. I also understand you have to account for additional gear and fuel, so let's assume the total weight of my rig to be about 1700 or 1800 lbs.

My questions are; does the winch I select have to be rated for the full 1800 lbs? Doesn't some of the weight of the boat rest on the water and/or trailer as I'm winching the boat in place? And, does the winch actually serve to restrain the boat while in tow?

Could someone maybe recommend and inexpensive, hand winch that would be suitable for my boat?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

-CatFisher

[LongLine]

General rule of thumb is that the winch should be rated at half the weight of the fully loaded boat w motor. If you can afford a higher rated one then go for it & you'll never have to worry about it.

The winch is for loading the boat. Don't depend on it to hold the front end down as your speeding down the expressway. Install a safety chain at the bow and make sure you have a good strap holding the rear end down.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[dcso]

If your trailer has rollers you may want to consider a winch with a brake, mine is a conventional crank type but it does have brake for " just in case". My boat weighs in about 4700lbs and will sail off the trailer if not controlled

ted

[Knotlost]

You should have a safty cable or chain to hold the bow not just rely on the winch. Go to lows and get some of the plastic coated cable, 2 cable clamps per connection (aways double them) and the proper hook to snap on to the bow eye. Mesure befor hand so the cable will go through a hard poing on the trailer that will not let loose and reach the eye, and get the cable cut the right size at lows unless you have a cut off grinder as cable is not user freindly with any type of saw. This will cost you less then $10 and will hold the boat down even if your winch lets loose. I make mine about 6 inchs loose so its easy to hook up but short enough so it will still hold it. With winches the bigger the better as it just makes loading easy. The winches are never meant to be used as safy devices.

Hope this helps.

[CatFisher]

Hello everyone!

First, let me apologize for not replying any sooner. I had assumed that when someone replied to my post I would be notified by email, but I see now that I'm not getting those notifications.

Thanks for all the great advice! I am definitely going to get a safety cable for the bow of the boat, so I'm not relying on the winch itself for safety. I ended up finding a reasonably priced winch that's rated for 1800 lbs, and my boat and motor weigh in at 1525 lbs, plus gear. So far, this winch seems to work well for me.

Thanks again for all the great advice and help!

-CatFisher