Recommended Hand Winch for 3500 Lb ChrisCraft Sea Hawk 215

Question:

Hello, Im looking to purchase a hand winch for my boat/trailer. I have a 1988 ChrisCraft Sea Hawk 215 which weighs approx 3500 lbs boat and motor. Im looking for a winch that will be relative easy to crank this boat on the trailer. Of course incline, boat pull length, current, etc all plays a part. I received a rated 3500 lb winch as a gift from a family member and it didnt even last 1 pull of the boat out of the water. Gears stripped. Of course it was a cheap winch get what you pay for and I dont think they paid more than $30. Again, you get what you pay for. Anyway, with the winch being rated at 3500 lbs and at a 2 to 1 ratio - it still should have pulled up my boat with no issues considering the 2 to 1 ratio would have put my boat at 1750 lbs. Still stripped the gears and the winch is in the trash. So, Im wondering with this DL15440 am I going to run into the same issue??? Should I go electric??? Strap or cable? Any help would be great. Thank you.

asked by: R

Expert Reply:

The Dutton-Lainson # DL15440 Two Speed Winch you mentioned should be exactly what you need. As you said, you want to choose a winch whose capacity is at least 50 percent of the weight of your boat. Since the # DL15440 winch has a capacity almost equal to the weight of the boat, it will provide plenty of capacity to spare. Dutton-Lainson makes a great product, the winch should provide years of trouble-free service.

I do not believe you need an electric winch, a two speed winch should be able to handle your boat with no problem whatsoever.

For a boat, I prefer using a strap over cable. A strap will store neatly on the winch, will not corrode or kink and cannot scratch anything. Since the # DL15440 can be used with a strap, I would recommend # DL24251.

I have linked you to our hand winch FAQ article that you might find helpful.