Split Reel Winch Recommendation to Hoist a Boat Out of the Water

Updated 07/31/2014 | Published 07/30/2014

Products Featured in This Question

Dutton-Lainson Hand Winch - Worm Gear - Split Reel - 2,000 lbs

(43)

$106.14

Hand Winch Cable with Safety Hook 7/32" Diameter x 25' Long - 2,500 lbs.

(18)

$32.98

Question:

Need a winch that will handle two 5/16inch cables. Application: Two 1 ton boat hoists travel out and back along on their own trolley, perpendicular to a boat slip. One is positioned to lift rear of boat, the other to lift front of boat. Each hoist trolley is moved in and out, attached to its own line, fed through their own pulleys overhead, to upper corners of roofed boat slip, then routed to opposite upper corner, through their own pulley there, then down to a single hand cranked winch. Need a winch that will pull both cables in tandem, to position both hoists over front and rear of boat at same time. Then hoists are used to raise and lower boat. Once boat is raised up out of the water over the slip, then winch needs to move each trolley back in, bringing boat along/under each respective trolley, to a fixed raised platform, to set and hold boat out of the water on the platform. Can this winch provide the above functionality?

asked by: Hank A

Expert Reply:

The winch you referenced is designed for 7/32 inch cable, none of the split reel winches we carry would use a 5/16 cable. With that being said the cable and winch you referenced have a 2,000 lb capacity on the first layer of rope on the winch so I would recommend a higher capacity winch like the Dutton Lainson Ceiling Mounted Winch part # DL11140 which has a 4,000 lb capacity and is designed for what you are trying to do.

This winch can pull from two opposite directions so as long as you don't need more than 27 feet of cable on either side this should work for your pulley system. The recommended wire rope is the part # DL24047.

expert reply by: Jameson C