A towable genoa car uses a control line and 2:1 purchase so you can slide the lead fore-aft under load from the cockpit, without walking forward or easing the sheet — worth it once you retrim more than once a sail. MAURIPRO stocks Barton's 25mm and 32mm towable genoa cars, including a heavy-duty option.
On most cruising boats in the 30–45 ft range, the genoa car sees more sail-trim adjustments than almost any other piece of deck hardware. Every reef, every wind shift, and every few turns rolled onto the furler moves the clew and calls for a new lead position. A fixed, pin-stop car handles that fine at anchor, but under load at sea, moving it usually means easing the sheet, walking forward, pulling the pin, and re-pinning — not something you want to repeat every twenty minutes upwind.
A towable car solves that by routing a control line aft to the cockpit through a 2:1 purchase, so a moderate pull on the line does the work of hauling the car against real sheet load. Barton Marine builds its towable range in 25mm and 32mm T-track sizes, in standard and heavy-duty versions, and in silver or black anodized finish. This guide compares the four MAURIPRO stocks and helps you decide whether the upgrade fits your boat.
Towable genoa cars at a glance
| Component | Track size | Break load / SWL | Best for | MAURIPRO SKU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton 25mm Towable Genoa Car, 2:1 Purchase | 25mm T-track | 2,280 kg B.L. / 1,140 kg SWL | Smaller-to-mid cruisers on 25mm track | BAM-25220GT | $205.00 |
| Barton 32mm Towable Genoa Car, 2:1 Purchase | 32mm T-track | 3,280 kg B.L. / 1,640 kg SWL | Most 30–45 ft cruisers on 32mm track | BAM-32210GT | $260.00 |
| Barton 32mm Towable Genoa Car, 2:1 Purchase – Heavy Duty | 32mm T-track | 5,970 kg B.L. / 2,985 kg SWL (mfr.-published) | Bigger genoas or offshore-load margin | BAM-32211HD | $370.00 |
| Barton 32mm Towable Genoa Car, 2:1 Purchase – Black | 32mm T-track | 3,280 kg B.L. / 1,640 kg SWL | Same as standard 32mm, black anodized finish | BAM-32210GTB | $265.00 |
What actually makes a genoa car “towable”?
A towable genoa car swaps the plunger stop on a standard car for a tow eye or sheave. A control line runs through it and back to the cockpit, so pulling the line hauls the car along the track instead of you walking forward and pulling a spring pin. The 2:1 purchase built into Barton's towable cars routes the control line through a second sheave, which roughly halves the pull force you need to move the car compared with a straight 1:1 line under the same sheet load.
When do you actually need a towable car instead of a fixed one?
If you reposition the genoa lead more than once per sail — for a partial furl, a reef, a wind shift, or swapping headsails — a towable car earns its keep the first time it saves you a trip to the foredeck under load. If your genoa mostly lives in one setting and you rarely move it, a fixed pin-stop car is simpler, lighter, and less expensive for the same track.
Roller-furling boats are the clearest case for towable hardware: partially furling the genoa moves the clew forward and up, which shifts where the sheet lead should sit. A car you can slide from the cockpit means you can actually make that adjustment when the wind picks up, instead of leaving the lead wherever it happened to be when you last went forward.
25mm or 32mm track — which fits your boat?
Per Barton Marine's own published technical specifications, the 25mm towable car is rated to 2,280 kg break load / 1,140 kg SWL, uses a 40mm sheave, and takes control line up to 12mm in diameter — sized for smaller-to-mid cruisers. The 32mm towable cars step up to 3,280 kg break load / 1,640 kg SWL with a 50mm sheave in the standard version, or 5,970 kg break load / 2,985 kg SWL with a 60mm sheave in the heavy-duty version — both take control line up to 16mm — which covers most 30–45 ft cruisers and higher-load setups.
As with any genoa car purchase, measure your existing track's width and profile before ordering rather than sizing from sail area alone — the track size, not the boat length, is what determines fit.
Do you need the heavy-duty (HD) 32mm version?
The heavy-duty BAM-32211HD runs on the same 32mm T-track and uses the same 2:1 purchase mechanism as the standard BAM-32210GT. Barton's own published specifications show the HD version rated meaningfully higher than the standard 32mm car: 5,970 kg break load / 2,985 kg SWL on a 60mm sheave for the HD BAM-32211HD, versus 3,280 kg break load / 1,640 kg SWL on a 50mm sheave for the standard BAM-32210GT. Barton also describes the HD casting as using a precision-turned Ertalyte sheave and a riveted aluminum tube “for extra strength” — added construction margin on top of the higher documented rating, not instead of it.
In practice, the HD version makes sense if you're running a bigger headsail, sail offshore where the car sees sustained high loads, or want a margin of construction durability beyond the standard car's rating. If your boat sits comfortably within the standard 32mm car's working range, the non-HD BAM-32210GT covers the same track and purchase system for less.
What about control-line cleats for a towable genoa car?
Because a towable car's control line runs all the way back to the cockpit, it needs somewhere to be secured once the car is in position — typically a cam cleat or rope clutch mounted along the coaming or cockpit side, within reach of where you actually sit or stand while trimming. Size that cleat to the control line's diameter, not the genoa sheet: up to 12mm for the 25mm car, up to 16mm for either 32mm car, per Barton's published maximum rope diameters. MAURIPRO's separate rope clutch and cam cleat range covers sizing that hardware once you know your control line diameter.
Silver anodized or black — does finish change the spec?
BAM-32210GT (silver/Spectra finish) and BAM-32210GTB (black anodized) share the same 32mm T-track fit, 2:1 purchase mechanism, and published break load and SWL. The black anodized finish is a cosmetic option for matching darker deck hardware or mast fittings — it isn't a stronger or weaker part, just a different coating on the same car.
Common mistakes to avoid
Sizing the car off the sail instead of the track. A bigger genoa doesn't automatically mean a bigger track size — measure your existing 25mm or 32mm T-track before ordering, since a car built for one size will not run on the other.
Under-cleating the control line. A control line cleated on hardware sized for a thinner line will slip or chafe under load; match the cleat to the control line diameter (up to 12mm on the 25mm car, up to 16mm on either 32mm car).
Assuming the HD car is only a construction upgrade. Per Barton's own published specifications, the heavy-duty 32mm car carries a materially higher documented rating than the standard 32mm car — 5,970 kg break load / 2,985 kg SWL on a 60mm sheave versus 3,280 kg / 1,640 kg on a 50mm sheave — on top of its riveted tube and Ertalyte sheave construction. If your loads exceed the standard car's rating, the HD version is a documented upgrade in load capacity, not just added durability margin.
Frequently asked questions
Can I retrofit a towable car onto an existing 25mm or 32mm track?
In most cases, yes. Barton's towable cars are built to run on standard 25mm or 32mm T-track profiles, and Barton notes compatibility with most manufacturers' T-track of the matching size, so you can typically swap a fixed pin-stop car for a towable one without replacing the track itself, provided the profile and width match.
What does the 2:1 purchase actually do?
It routes the control line through a second sheave on the car, roughly halving the pull force you need at the cockpit end compared with a straight 1:1 line moving the same load. That's what makes it practical to reposition the car by hand while the sheet is still loaded.
Does the towable version still have an end stop?
The towable car replaces the plunger stop with a tow eye or sheave for the control line, so positioning is set by cleating the control line rather than dropping a spring pin into a track hole. Use it with Barton's matching end fittings for your track size.
Is the 25mm car strong enough for a 30-45 ft cruiser?
Check it against your boat's sheet loads rather than assuming by length alone. Barton's 25mm car is rated to 2,280 kg break load / 1,140 kg SWL; if your genoa sheet loads run higher than that with margin, the standard 32mm car's 3,280 kg break load / 1,640 kg SWL is the safer match, or the heavy-duty 32mm car's 5,970 kg / 2,985 kg if you need more margin still.
How do I know if my control line is the right diameter?
Match your control line to the sheave's rated maximum rope diameter — 12mm max on the 25mm car, 16mm max on either 32mm car, per Barton's published specifications. A line thicker than the rated maximum won't run smoothly through the sheave.
See also: How Do You Choose a Genoa Car and Track for Your Sailboat?, Which Ronstan Genoa Car and Track Series Should You Choose for Your Sailboat?, and Adjusting Genoa Lead Cars.