Trailer winch pulling power

Jun 1, 2004
243
Hunter 26 Lake Pueblo Colorado
Morning all. I need to replace the winch on our Hunter 26 trailer. Can someone please tell me what pulling power it should be rated for. I cannot find it anywhere in the manual and the boat is all tucked away for the winter. 1000, 1200, 1600, 1800 or 2000lbs. also was the original winch one or two speed. Thanks in advance Chris
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Hi Charisma:

This is not exactly what you asked but .... I have restored 7 old sailboats and at least that many trailers. Northern Tools or Tractor Supply will usually have a good selections of winches of various sizes and some with multiple speeds and/or breaks. I don't think you need a breaking winch unless you launch on a really steep ramp.

Beyond that, I'd get the largest one that fits your trailer and budget. No matter what some guys say, Bigger is Better. Unless it is too big.... :)

After you remove the old winch, take a square of cardboard lay it over the old bolt holes and (using a pencil) make a template of the hole pattern....just punch holes through the original bolt holes into the cardboard.... Take that piece of cardboard with you and make sure your new winch will fit the original hole pattern. Getting a winch that already fits will save you a lot of time and work. I've made that mistake before and had to drill all new bolt holes into my trailer.

If that is not to your liking and you really just want to order the same winch, I can look on my trailer and see if there is a rating stamped on the winch. Mine is parked in my yard.

BTW: I really like your "To arrrg is Pirate" tag. Funny.
 
  • Like
Likes: Charisma
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Good advice to use the bolt pattern, a real time saver. :)

We never used the winch to either pull the boat up onto the trailer or to let it out. That's what dock lines are for.

The trick is to get the bow into the V shaped fitting when you float the boat onto the trailer. The winch is only for the last few inches, while the boat's still in the water.

Least that was our procedure.

The main work the winch is doing is keeping the bow where you put it. And when you're trailering, you should have tie down straps anyway, so there's not much load on the winch.

Good luck.
 

Joe A

.
Feb 4, 2008
117
Macgregor 26S Lake Wallenpaupack / EastCoast
Pay close attention to the length of the handle arm. I once tried to mount a bigger (more powerful) winch only to find that the boat would interfere with the longer handle when the winch was mounted on the existing winch stand.
 
  • Like
Likes: Charisma
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Sailboats are floated on the trailer and not winched on, leave that to the power boats with their flat stern planning hulls. The bow eye does not usually have a back plate and is not designed for a strong horizontal pull. Like Stu indicates just use it to bring the boat up to the bow stop while the boat and trailer are still in the water. You may use it to secure the bow while trailering but the smallest winch will do.
 
  • Like
Likes: jwing
Aug 22, 2011
1,113
MacGregor Venture V224 Cheeseland
yeah but.

In certain conditions some sail boats are occasionally winched on and power boats are not winched on they are power loaded even when the sign says no and I'd rather have a winch that can handle dragging the boat up if it absolutely has to be done especially if you trailer regularly and/or in new places and having equipment such as that when you need it is better than being SOL.

.02


ps a bow eye must be backed! Heavy piece of galvanized pipe works great!
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
I have been trailering for decades and have never met a situation where I had to winch a sailboat unto the trailer. Some hybrid water ballasted models do have semi-planning hulls and could be winched but displacements hulls are not shaped for the task. Strongly backing a bow eye may result in serious damage to the bow if too strong a load is applied. Seen a boy trying to power load a jon boat unto a trailer once, it was the funniest.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Some hybrid water ballasted models do have semi-planning hulls and could be winched but displacements hulls are not shaped for the task.
The O.P. has an H26... which is a water ballasted boat. I agree that you seldom need to winch a boat onto a trailer but I have a ramp that I regularly use and when the water in the reservoir is low I cannot back down as far as I'd like or I'll drive off the edge of the ramp (I actually did that once... not a fun day :() In those cases, I have had to pull my boat up the last few inches with the winch. I'm glad I had a strong winch and a backing plate on the bow eye.

And on backing plates for bow eyes...I have owned two Mac-21's a Mac-22, a Rhodes 22, Coronado 23, Balboa 26 and now an H26 trailer sailboat and I know for sure (because I restored them) the first six of these boats had backing plates on the bow eye... I have not looked at the H26 yet because it is new to me... but if it does not have one... I'll be adding one. Paraphrasing topcat ... 'it is better to have what you need and not need it... than to need it and not have it'.
 
Jun 1, 2004
243
Hunter 26 Lake Pueblo Colorado
All good information. I do float the boat onto the trailer and I use the winch the last couple of inch's so as to snug the bow into the bow stop. Unfortunately my winch has seen better days and is in need of replacement. Thanks rgranger for the tip to match the holes, priceless. But can anyone tell me the pull rating of the original winch supplied with these trailers. Thanks Chris
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
Happy to help

I don't think anyone mentioned it yet but tie your shoes or you'll trip and break your neck.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
I found the winch on the winch stand is adequate for the H 26 and 260. As a former dealer, I only replaced with the same type of winch. If going with another, as pointed out make sure the handle will not interfere hitting the boat, keep the same bolt pattern and so on. I fell I have some experience here having sold nearly a quarter of the each of the two lines. One other thing, the handle that is bolted on vs. being removable was best as too many of those handles were lost.
 
Jun 1, 2004
243
Hunter 26 Lake Pueblo Colorado
I agree Dave I don't think I need to go bigger. I am just trying to find out what size or pulling power the original winch was. Do you have any suggestions as to make/model the original winch was. Thanks Chris
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
It has been a long time but look at the response from Rick Webb as it may be one of the two he mentioned. Thank you Rick for the referrals. The older I get, I cannot remember everything even though I am modeling my 2000 square foot basement with one other person. Now that is a job.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
Here is one off of a Hunter 26 trailer at our club

Can't say it is original but it should give you a clue. Every trailer I remember seeing came with a Dutton - Lainson winch but I only have seen a dozen or so. The Bolt pattern looked to be a spread of about 2 3/4" across the front and a single bolt in the middle at the rear
 

Attachments

Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
My original Mac 26D trailer from 1988 had a single gear driving a ring gear on the drum (no jackshaft.)
That makes it a lighter winch than The one Rick Webb photographed. Having said all that, a heavier winch won't hurt.
Ken
 
Jun 1, 2004
243
Hunter 26 Lake Pueblo Colorado
Was able to get down to the boat this weekend and I am pretty sure this is the original winch.
The winch is a T2625 two speed Trailer winch made by Fulton with a max line pull of 2600lbs
Now hopefully i can get some parts and rebuild it. Thanks for everyone's help. Chris