Electric Winch

[tommytelford]

Has anybody considered or indeed fitted electric winches to a narrowboat to aid mooring etc. Remote control ones seem to come in at about a £100 and on the face of it would seem a good idea especially if cruising single handed

[BEngo]

I know someone with a manual winch fitted to his tug-deck at the bow. That doesn't seem to get much use. A Tirfor can be an essential piece of kit for a deep-draught boat in the remoter backwaters of the BCN and like places, but an electric winch for mooring?

 

N

[bottle]

Being totally ignorant but what size would the winch need to be.

 

For instance my boat weighs 20 tonne and with a wind behind....

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

 

Yep, I've got a remote operated Electric (12v) Winch,

I don't use it for mooring purposes though, just for Anchoring, Very Handy !. It's a Lofrans Progress 1,& my Boat is 41ft Widebeam & Weighs 12.5 ton, if I breathe in.

It means I haven't got to worry about Pulling in the last 5/6 meters or so of Chain,Stowing the Anchor, & then have to do a Dash from the Bow to the Helm all whilst the boat is Drifting about.

(As I'm single handed,well I got two hands, but you know what I mean)

Edited April 27, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Jim_UK]

Has anybody considered or indeed fitted electric winches to a narrowboat to aid mooring etc. Remote control ones seem to come in at about a £100 and on the face of it would seem a good idea especially if cruising single handed

 

No, but I can see the merit so will watch with interest the replies to this topic :-)

 

Being totally ignorant but what size would the winch need to be.

 

For instance my boat weighs 20 tonne and with a wind behind....

 

Well, a Winch on a boat is pulling at 0 Deg gradient and it is rolling resistance rather than dead weight.

 

Having done a quick google search, the articles say 'multiple by 10 the Rated Load Pull for a rolling resistance on a level surface). IE A 2,000KG RLP Winch will pull a 20t boat (but there are gotchas to how much wire is on the drum etc. So look for the 1st Layer Rated Line Pull figure).

 

Would be sensible to step up the winch rating, perhaps to 4,000KG RLP (of course you could always use a Pulley to half the load). Load of these across the Pond. Looks like the price is £625-£1,500 Ex VAT etc.

 

Bare minimum for a 20t boat (a 2,045KG Winch) seems to be £300-600.

 

Sources:

http://www.grainger.com/tps/material_handling_winch_selection_guide.pdf

http://www.grainger.com/category/electric-winches/winches/material-handling/ecatalog/N-k16?redirect=winch

 

 

 

Yep, I've got a remote operated Electric (12v) Winch,

I don't use it for mooring purposes though, just for Anchoring, Very Handy !. It's a Lofrans Progress 1,& my Boat is 41ft Widebeam & Weighs 12.5 ton, if I breathe in.

It means I haven't got to worry about Pulling in the last 5/6 meters or so of Chain,Stowing the Anchor, & then have to do a Dash from the Bow to the Helm all whilst the boat is Drifting about.

(As I'm single handed,well I got two hands, but you know what I mean)

 

 

Poor mans Anchor Windlass? Interesting.

 

What size Anchor, Chain (grade & length), what spec Winch etc.

 

Was just looking at Windlasses and they aren't cheap! Something to explore I think.

 

Edit: Either I missed it or you've edited it to add. 'Lofrans Progress 1' which is a Windlass, guessing that cost around £600 when new? (seems to be discontinued now).

 

A WIndlass is of course great for Anchor duties but wouldn't multi-task for mooring as per the OP's question, whereas a Winch could do both jobs (perhaps badly, but worth debating!)

Edited April 27, 2014 by Jim_UK

[tommytelford]

I just thought that it would be useful for the odd time when the wind is blowing the boat away from the bank or a side stream is pushing the boat out. Not actually for mooring but to hold the boat in while the ropes are secured.

 

I would not have thought that a particularly big winch would be needed as even in my advanced state of decay I can pull and hold Tommy, after all a horse only weighs a tonne or so and they can pull a fully laden narrowboat

 

 

Edit sorry my question of winch size seems to have been answered very comprehensively

Edited April 27, 2014 by tommytelford

[Jim_UK]

I just thought that it would be useful for the odd time when the wind is blowing the boat away from the bank or a side stream is pushing the boat out. Not actually for mooring but to hold the boat in while the ropes are secured.

 

I would not have thought that a particularly big winch would be needed as even in my advanced state of decay I can pull and hold Tommy, after all a horse only weighs a tonne or so and they can pull a fully laden narrowboat

 

 

Edit sorry my question of winch size seems to have been answered very comprehensively

 

Yeah, counter-intuitive isn't it. That you could physically push a car or pull a boat yet it takes such a 'powerful' Winch to do the same amount of work. Inertia is a bugger but once they get rolling it's easy.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

JIM UK,

 

Yes, I've only got the baby Windlass, The cheaper end of the market.

700w with Both Drum And Gypsy to take the 60 meters of 8mm Chain, and DepenDepending on what Anchor I've got on has a Haul in Speed of about 12 / 15 Meters a Minute,with my set up, (More Like 25 Meters a Minute, if I put Engine in Troll,) so I find it ok.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Jim_UK]

Yes, I've only got the baby Windlass, The cheaper end of the market.

700w with Both Drum And Gypsy to take the 60 meters of 8mm Chain, and DepenDepending on what Anchor I've got on has a Haul in Speed of about 12 / 15 Meters a Minute,with my set up, (More Like 25 Meters a Minute, if I put Engine in Troll,) so I find it ok.

 

At the risk of going slightly off topic (sorry), are you anchoring (or planning on the contingency of doing so at least) on Tidal Rivers?

Edited April 27, 2014 by Jim_UK

[ditchcrawler]

 

Yeah, counter-intuitive isn't it. That you could physically push a car or pull a boat yet it takes such a 'powerful' Winch to do the same amount of work. Inertia is a bugger but once they get rolling it's easy.

Well me and the missus can move ours backwards and that weights about 18 ton

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

 

At the risk of going slightly off topic (sorry), are you anchoring (or planning on the contingency of doing so at least) on Tidal Rivers?

As a Livaboard CCr, for the last 20 odd years (Last 7 on my current boat), Ive always preferred to Anchor, and Hardly ever (until recently) gone into marinas.

My preferred Anchorages are in Mainly

Estuarys, Then Rivers, Occasionally in Settled Weather The Sea, But have just put my boat up for sale on the Forums For Sale and Wanted Board, so am in a Marina at the moment

Edited April 27, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[bottle]

Jim UK

 

Thank you I think I understand . I had no intention of fitting one, it was just to get an idea.

 

Tommy Telford

 

I to can hold and pull in my boat, so can the wife but recently when the boat came adrift and there was a high wind slap into the side, we struggled and only just made it, with the help of a tree.

 

Now obviously this is not a regular occurrence, would a winch have helped, possibly but a bit like bow thrusters (tongue in cheek) its a lot of money to pay out for something that will be hardly ever used.

[Paul C]

I don't see how a winch could have helped - by the time you'd rigged it up the boat would have drifted even more. And also, presumably you'd need something solid to anchor the other end of the winch wire to - on the towpath/bank. So why not simply tie the middle rope to this secure anchoring point, as quick as possible, then you have the luxury of more time to figure out how to get the boat back to the bank.

 

For example (I don't know the details of your situation):

 

1. Secure middle rope to something

2. Pull in bow letting stern come out ie pivoting around the taut middle rope

3. Secure bow rope

4. Using the engine to help, pull in the stern.

[tommytelford]

Thanks for your comments I think bottle summed it up, may possibly be of occasional use but an expensive luxury and like a bow thruster a bit woosy

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Thanks for your comments I think bottle summed it up, may possibly be of occasional use but an expensive luxury and like a bow thruster a bit woosy

Well I'm a Triple Woosy-

 

Electric Windlass

Bow Thruster

Stern Thruster

 

I don't believe in struggling !.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[FadeToScarlet]

I cart think of how it would be useful mooring up. If I'm single handed and the wind is swinging the fore end away from the bank, I hop off with a centre rope, put it on something solid (decent pin I've left in for the purpose on my own mooring, bollard, or an Armco hook if on the canals), put the boat in gear, and that will swing the bow in and hold the boat against the bank.

[George94]

As a Livaboard CCr, for the last 20 odd years (Last 7 on my current boat), Ive always preferred to Anchor, and Hardly ever (until recently) gone into marinas.

My preferred Anchorages are in Mainly

Estuarys, Then Rivers, Occasionally in Settled Weather The Sea, But have just put my boat up for sale on the Forums For Sale and Wanted Board, so am in a Marina at the moment

 

This sounds like a major change, Paul. Are you replacing the boat, or coming ashore? Whatever the reasons, I hope all is well.

Thanks for your comments I think bottle summed it up, may possibly be of occasional use but an expensive luxury and like a bow thruster a bit woosy

 

Bow thrusters are definitely woosy on the cut. But on a tidal river, rather less so.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Thank you George,

 

Definitely Can't see myself going back into Bricks and Morter anytime soon !. Not after 27years afloat, 20 ish as a CCr. And 100% not coming onto the inland Waterways, from what I've seen and learned on this Forum, That would Scare me to death, and I like a easy comfortable life. .

No, I'm Changing my boat, as I need a different Type for the next phase of my life and the trips

I've got planned.

Slightly further afield, pastures new and all that sort of stuff, if it all comes about, there are 3 Boats that i have got to know over the last 8 ish years while CCing, and between us, we are

organizing a bit of a trip, and are going in company so who knows.

 

Although my current boat will do the first 2 years of the Destinations & stuff we got planned just fine, it would be Stretching it's capabilities

to see out the last 3 years of the total 5 year plans. So wait n see as they say.

[George94]

Thank you George,

 

Definitely Can't see myself going back into Bricks and Morter anytime soon !. Not after 27years afloat, 20 ish as a CCr. And 100% not coming onto the inland Waterways, from what I've seen and learned on this Forum, That would Scare me to death, and I like a easy comfortable life. .

No, I'm Changing my boat, as I need a different Type for the next phase of my life and the trips

I've got planned.

Slightly further afield, pastures new and all that sort of stuff, if it all comes about, there are 3 Boats that i have got to know over the last 8 ish years while CCing, and between us, we are

organizing a bit of a trip, and are going in company so who knows.

 

Although my current boat will do the first 2 years of the Destinations & stuff we got planned just fine, it would be Stretching it's capabilities

to see out the last 3 years of the total 5 year plans. So wait n see as they say.

 

Glad it's for good reasons, not bad. It sounds as though what you need is a Bristol Channel pilot cutter, but a good one is probably hard to find nowadays.

 

ETA: Hang on, here we are. A real go-anywhere boat, and bags of character.

 

http://www.woodenships.co.uk/sailing-yachts/bristol-channel-pilot-cutter/

Edited April 28, 2014 by George94

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

What a gorgeous Boat !.

But am actually after More a Moter Sailor,

Choices so far, Dutch Barge, Stentor 13meter Aft Cabin, or Mainship 390 if money is tight !.

 

Have even thought of talking to my original Boat builder to see the feezability of a few Alterations being done and re Categories My current boat as A 'Category B' together with a few other bits n bobs.I've come up with,

[Robbo]

Thanks for your comments I think bottle summed it up, may possibly be of occasional use but an expensive luxury and like a bow thruster a bit woosy

 

What about using a rope pulley for the times when you need the extra help?

[George94]

I wouldn't want a Cat B barge. Lumpy stuff and flat bottoms don't mix well.

 

Look forward to hearing your plans. Sounds interesting.

[magnetman]

I didn't realise there were cc'ers on the salty bits I thought it was just ditch adventurers that used the term

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Yes, I know what you mean George,

But if you think about it,, Rafts like the Kontiki, Viking Long Boats, Thames Barges, Hell Even Oil Tankers and Some ground breaking Trips on NBs like Progress, and ?? May of Carcason fame, all had 'Relativity' Flat Bottoms, ish.

Just a foot note, my current boat is more a rounded 'V' Bottomed ,and has got a bit of a Keel.

 

Hi ya Magnetman.

just my interpretation, sort of self classification. Don't know what else to classify The Cruising people and boats as, in the circles we tend to Live and Cruise in !.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[George94]

 

What about using a rope pulley for the times when you need the extra help?

 

A Handy Billy, in fact.