How to Use a Sailboat Winch
A sailboat winch is only as safe as the technique behind it: how many wraps, how you tail the line, and how you ease it under load. Here is the...
Sailboat WinchesHow-To Guides
Choose winches sized to your sails and loads, and keep them turning smoothly with regular service. Learn about self-tailing, gear ratios, and how to match winches to your boat.
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How to Service a Sailboat Winch: A Cross-Brand Maintenance Guide
Winch servicing looks the same across brands until you get to the pawls — Harken and Lewmar insist on light oil only, while Andersen's own manual calls for a thin...
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Two-Speed vs Three-Speed Winches: Which Does Your Sailboat Need?
Two-speed and three-speed winches differ by one gear — but that gear determines how much genoa and sail load your primary can comfortably handle. Here's how to tell which one...
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How to Choose a Sailboat Winch: Size, Power Ratio & Placement
A practical, cross-brand guide to sizing sailboat winches by power ratio, sail area and load — covering self-tailing vs standard, one- vs two-speed, aluminum vs stainless, and where each winch...
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How to Choose the Right Harken Winch
Yacht winches are generally pretty durable, with long lifespans. However, eventually you might want to consider replacing them. Perhaps you would like a self-tailing winch, one with a new function,...
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Electric Winches, Conversion Kits & Accessories
How do you swap manual grinding for push-button trimming? Learn the difference between full electric winches and conversion kits, and how boat size, load, and 12V versus 24V power decide...
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Self Tailing Winches
How does a self-tailing winch let you trim and grind solo? Learn how the stripper arm and grooved jaw cleat the line automatically, and how to match winch size, gearing,...
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Sailboat Electric Winch Conversion Kits
How do you add push-button power to a winch you already own? Learn how brand-matched conversion kits motorize your existing winch base—no new holes—so shorthanded crews can handle headsails, spinnakers,...
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#KnowYourGear - Hydraulic Winches
Hydraulic winches use pressurized fluid rather than a person's arm to turn the drum, delivering enormous, effortless trimming power for large sail plans while a single crew member stays in...
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Barient Winches - Selection Guide
Barient winches have been out of production for more than a decade, so there is no factory replacement — but every Barient model maps to a modern equivalent from Andersen,...
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Lewmar EVO Electric Winch Conversion: A Comprehensive Guide
Converting a Lewmar EVO winch to electric means fitting a below-deck motor and gearbox to your existing self-tailing EVO drum, so the winch powers your sheets and halyards at the...
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Ronstan Orbit Winches: High-Performance Self-Tailing Sailing Winches
Ronstan Orbit winches are a high-performance line of self-tailing sailboat winches that combine lightweight alloy and carbon-fiber construction with an efficient self-tailing jaw and advanced gearing to deliver smooth, low-effort...
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How to service your Harken Winch
To service a Harken winch, disassemble the drum, clean every part with a degreaser, inspect the gears, pawls, and springs for wear, then re-lubricate gears and bearings with winch grease...
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Andersen Sailboat Winches: Self-Tailing vs Electric Sizing Guide
In this new article, we will help you choose your Andersen Winches to reflect your sailboat's size and sailing requirements. This selection guide is intended for masthead & fractional rigged...
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How to find the correct spare part for your Lewmar Winch
To find the correct spare part for your Lewmar winch, first identify your winch's series and size (for example, Ocean 40ST or EVO 45), then match that model to its...
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How to find the correct spare part for your Harken Winch
To find the correct spare part for your Harken winch, identify your winch's exact series and size (for example, Radial 46 or Performa 46.2), then open that model's page on...
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Radial Electric Winch Conversion
A Harken Radial electric winch conversion kit turns an existing manual Harken Radial winch into a powered one by fitting an electric motor, gearbox, and control system below deck without...
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Ronstan Orbit Winches are here to revolutionize your sailing experience!
Ronstan Orbit Winches are a range of lightweight aluminum self-tailing winches for boats up to roughly 40 ft. (12 m), built on Andersen's proven gearing and featuring the patented QuickTrim...
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The ultimate self-tailing winches selection guide
A self-tailing winch is a winch whose drum has a spring-loaded jaw at the top that grips the sheet under constant tension, so it acts as its own cleat and...
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Lewmar Winches Selection Guide
Lewmar winches are chosen by matching your yacht's sail area and application (sheet, halyard, or topping lift) to a winch power ratio, then deciding between manual self-tailing and electric drive...
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Harken SnubbAir Winch
The Harken SnubbAir is a low-profile snubbing winch designed to replace the B8A plain-top winch on the J/70, giving crews reliable line-holding assistance without a traditional self-tailing drum. It bolts...
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Harken CLR Mooring Winches Selection Guide
The Harken CLR is a compact, underdeck mooring and docking winch that retracts flush with the deck and comes in six sizes (CLR 600 through CLR 12000) matched to boats...
