Anyone Using an Electric Winch on Their C-Dory Trailer?

Sea Wolf

I'm wondering if any of you C-Brats are using an electric winch on your C-Dory trailer and whether you find it particularly useful vis-a-vis a standard mechanical winch?

What are the specific advantages and disadvantages of the electric compared to the mechanical hand-cranked winch?

How difficult was the installation and what problems did you run into?

What would you do over or differently next time?

Etc., etc., ..............

Joe. Teeth

Jack in Alaska · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:39 am Post subject:

I had a Power Winch on my trailer for years. Had it rigged with a single block (double line) as I ran my boat onto the beach and then loaded it dry pulling it up over the big roller on the trailer. I powered the winch directly from the truck battery thru a breaker with heavy wire. Worked well. I kept the hand winch on it also just in case.

But........salt water and electric things don't get along for a very long time. It became a big rusty, shorted out chunk of junk. Winch is in the dumpster and wiring removed from truck.

I now launch/load my boat wet using the for fee log skidder launch service. It works much better.

rogerbum · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:35 am Post subject:

I bought my boat and trailer from the factory and had the power winch installed. But, as Jack notes, it's one more set of electrical connections to keep working. Also, I didn't like the clutch system on mine very well. It would get the boat onto the trailer fine, but on a bumpy road, things would loosen up and the boat would be bouncing against the trailer stop. Finally, another issue was that if I had a problem with my truck, no one else I knew had a truck with the plug to the winch wired so I couldn't load my boat without my own truck. For all those reasons, I took off the power winch and installed a two-speed fulton manual winch. It's much more reliable as there are no electrical connections to maintain and the boat stays put once it is on the trailer. Also, with the two speed winch I can get the boat on quickly or shift into the lower gear for steep ramps.

ccflyer · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:52 am Post subject:

I added an electric winch to my trailer last month but haven't used it yet since the boat's been at the slip.

There are wireless winches available which could be quite helpful when single handing. (You can be at the side or back of the boat guiding it onto the trailer while holding the wireless remote).

With regard to Roger's point on wiring the winch, I've been told there is enough juice in those portable emergency charge battery back up devices to power a winch and get the boat back on the trailer. Wink

Phil

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:00 am Post subject:

We have a Power Winch on the Daydream trailer, Les installed it at EQ, it is great for retrieving the boat but we too have had the problem of the clutch or something loosening up while driving, very disconcerting to see the bow bouncing, but the real problem when it loosens up is that the whole boat can move sideways on the trailer - not good. Not sure if we will go to a manual winch, it sure is nice for pulling that big ol' CD25 out of the water...

Sea Wolf · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:18 am Post subject:

Pat-

IMHO, every boat has to have a safety chain with a positive clasp of some type to back up any winch!

Any winch, mechanical or electrical, can have the ratchet/brake/clutch/switch fail!

I nearly lost an aluminum boat which was 1/2 way off the trailer and moving to the rear on the freeway when I spotted it in the mirror!

I also keep the "safety chain" on until I get down the ramp to the water for the same reasons. This goes double for owners of roller type trailers like me!

One could substitute a turnbuckle, lever clamp, or several loops of a moderate sized line for the chain, but the function would be the same.

Hope this helps everyone to think and save some the trouble of a boat laying off the trailer along side the freeway or on the ramp!

Joe.

Grumpy · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:25 am Post subject:

We have an electric winch because the admiral decided it was cheaper than paying for my heart attack when retrieving on a shallow ramp.
True it does make things easier but I have not cmpared it to a two speed manual winch.
BIG word of warning about the clutch. It will NOT hold the boat on the trailer on a steeper ramp. ALWAYS put the safety chain on. You don't need to ask how I know !! Embarassed

I re-installed the maunal winch "over the top" of the electric as a back=up and I actually use a carabiner and turnbuckle on the safety strap so I can control the contact of the bow with the roller. If you don't so that, as other posts have said, the boat runs back on the trailer and start "nodding' at every bump.

You also need to be very careful with any loose strands on the wire cable. They do a wonderful number on your hands. ALWAYS use thick leather gloves and watch where you stand in case the cable breaks.

Thats my .04 c worth.

Merv

ryder · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:44 am Post subject:

Reading this post reminds me the hard bottom zodiac i had with a 50hp on it. Loaded it on the trailer headed up the ramp, the winch let go and the zodiac slid off. If that ever happened with my new c-dory( when it arrives) I am sure i would cry like a baby.

Jim D

Since i started reading the c-brats site , I have been reminded of all the dumb things I have done in the past. Hopefully I have learned. But maybe not!!!

rogerbum · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:26 pm Post subject:

How about a hefty turnbuckle for the chain--or a chain ratchet, such as the truckers use? Northern Tool has them for a decent price.

We have an electric winch--but so far, both the CD 25 and the Tom Cat go on and off the trailer so easily, that we have not considered putting it on--yet. I was thinking of keeping the standard heavy duty strap winch, and putting the power winch on a separate temporary mount.

Another option to the 12 volt winch, is a Litton Armstrong 110 volt winch. I have one I use on davits for some of my boats, and it is rated at 2500 lbs lift. The Honda Generator will run it fine--so it might be another option. (be cautious with power and water, but there is a remote available)

Grumpy · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject:

Bob,
I will publish some photographs on the kingfisher page later today.
I have a standard ratchet winch over the top of the electric. The ratchet is usually enought to ensure that the bow stays in contact with the frnt roller but I have done exactly as you suggested and included a turnbuckle in the safety chain which enable me to control exactly how tight I pull it up. The yellow strap in the picture is simply to prevent the turnbuckly unscrewing under road vibration. Takes 2 seconds to fix.

What would be of interest to me is to hear how fellow Brats deal with the situation on launching (with a roller trailer) on a reasonably steep ramp. The boat will not stay on the trailer unless it is held by somehting. And I hate the idea of chasing any form of winch strap into the water and then having to retrieve it so I take a bow line and take a couple of turns around the bow roller then release all the tie downs. I can then simply slip the bow line and the boat launches itself into the care of the admiral. If I did it single handed I would still have the bow line in hand.

Merv