Electric Winch Conversion Tips

Electric winches on board sailboats are becoming increasingly popular. It makes shorthanded sailing much easier and allows a crewmember to hoist and trim any size sail in all kinds of conditions with a simple push of a button. With more and more larger sailboats being used for liveaboard, cruising, and weekend sailing, the sails are also bigger. An electric power winch enables any crew regardless of strength abilities, size, or physical condition to perform the strenuous tasks required to sail a bigger catamaran efficiently and safely.

An electric winch makes high-load jobs easier such as hoisting the mainsail when sailing short-handed. It allows you to look up at the main whilst hoisting it to make sure there are no snags or hold-ups. We are converts! When we bought “Zuri”, our new Lagoon 450S, we decided an electric wince was an expense that was well worth the cost. In the video at left, Tech Team member, Craig Blazer from Harken, shows us how easy it is to upgrade your Harken Radial winches to electric powered.

Also Read…

• how-to-choose winches guide
• Servicing winches for a longer, more efficient life