WHICH WINCH?
There is a huge choice of winches on the market — many offer similar models with some slight differences
HARKEN 40 SELFTAILING RADIAL WINCH — 2 SPEED
Harken's Radial winches feature a ribbed gripping surface, which is shaped for the winch size and drum material — thus the chrome version comes with many more ridges than this aluminium version. The ribs are diagonal to prevent the line riding up and only the upper portion is textured to maximize gripping power and greatly reduce line wear. The winch can be up-specced to three-speed should you wish and is available as electric but can also be easily retrofitted to electric at a later date.
We take a look at the options across the brands for self-tailing winches with a power ratio of 40, as these would typically serve as primary sheet winches on a mid-size cruiser.
ANDERSSEN 40 ST FS
Andersen's winches all feature their Power Rib surface with vertical ribs in pressed metal running up the drum. They claim that this combination of vertical ribs and smooth polished stainless steel gives maximum grip and minimum wear on ropes, reducing the replacement costs of sheets and halyards. The polished surface means sheets can be gently eased out without snatching and the risks of overrides and jammed sheets are reduced.
LEWMAR EVO 40ST
The Lewmar EVO Self Tailing winch is a development of the company's Ocean Winch, which they claim is the most popular winch ever made. EVO winches are available in black or grey alloy and chrome bronze. Than can also be purchased in either single or two-speed. From size 40 and up they can be purchased as electric winches or changed to electric.