electric winches !!!!!

[Birdseye]

Being mature (ie ancient) and creaky, I was thinking that I might treat myself to electric halyard and genny winches on the boat I am thinking of buying. So I asked a chandler what would be the cost - and the answer is horrific. For a Lewmar 40 the extra cost of electrickery is about £1000. Why?

You can buy a 1000w windlass for about £700. So why is a winch more than twice as much? And if a car starter motor costs maybe £150, why does a 12v motor for a winch cost 8 times as much.

Leave aside the angle grinder you can buy for £15.

I'm used to things costing more than I expect, but this one seems ridiculous. There must be something I am missing. Anyone know of a chinese brand of winch?

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Compromise

I sail a First 47.7, which has one electric winch set on the coach roof. With this winch we raise the main, take in reefs, sheet in the main, and if we feel really lazy, we can also wind the jib in as the angle from the main winches seem to work fine. However the last heavy grind part will need to be done with the elbow.

Remember though that you may need to beef up the charging system and add a further battery as the power consumption can be large.

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[SP2]

Don't forget the marine factor which is at least 100%. Just bought a nice deck brush for £20 from the chandler then discovered the self same brush in Robert Dyas for a tenner. Oh well, its only money...

Mike

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[claymore]

Someone I know who is quite a mechanical typie of person slotted car starter motors into his winches and they work a treat - didn't cost him too much either

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>regards
Claymore<font color=purple>
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[DaveS]

Why? Because the magic word "yacht" is involved. There is a scale of prices - rather like the electochemical scale in fact - running from "yacht" at the top, down through "golf", "car" then "garden" to "trade". See relative prices of (identical) helmsman's / gardening / work gloves. The trick is to find a "lower" application that would do the same job. Bit of a problem with winches, however: the starter motor idea would make a good article for PBO, though. Any takers?

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[Graham_Wright]

COST=30% ITEM+70%NAME.

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[Graham_Wright]

Why not?!

If you could put me in touch with the "mechanical typie", I would be interested in manufacturing.

I too am fed up with being ripped off. Having a fair idea of manufacturing costs, I can never understand the prices we so-called millionaires are charged.

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[flaming]

Do you actually need all new winches, I seem to remember hearing about a retro power fit. Should work out cheaper.

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[Budgie]

Last winter I fitted electric conversions to my genoa sheet winches, Lewmar 48's. Cost of the conversion kits was around £3,000 for the pair, included motor, gearbox, control units, CBs etc. Not cheap, but life is definately easier.

Were money no object I would have fitted Andersen winches with induction motors, as they take up far less space below deck.

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[Rohorn]

Hi....I too was put off by the high price of power winches, and am playing around with the idea having a single electric vertical gypsy/drum windlass on the transom of my cat in place of the existing manual windlass for the stern anchor. When required, one could simply use it to put a bit of extra pull on either of the genoa sheets, or even the genoa furling rope.
Has anyone ever tried that?
Cheers....R

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