rope for winch?

[Dougan]

Just got a boat & trailer, and the winch on the trailer was in pretty rough shape (crank connection was stripped out) so I replaced the winch. The old winch used a strap instead of a rope but my new winch doesn't have the apparatus to attach that-- gotta use a rope or metal cable.

I'll go to the store later today... what kind of rope should I be looking for? Is there a special kind for this?

My boat's a 14' lund rebel, i'd say it's 750 lb max with the motor on it, probably more like 500/600.

 

[109jb]

Re: rope for winch?

What kind of winch did you buy?? Most just use a 1/4" bolt to retain the strap. This bolt is not included normally and you have to buy it separate.

 

[robert graham]

Re: rope for winch?

A strap would be better, but a 3/8"nylon braided rope would work fine.

 

[Dougan]

Re: rope for winch?

What kind of winch did you buy?? Most just use a 1/4" bolt to retain the strap. This bolt is not included normally and you have to buy it separate.

The winch had a spot for the strap bolt but the one on the old winch would not fit, and like you said, not included. I'll hold on to the strap in case I end up needing it.

I just went for the rope. So I'm good now.

Thanks for the help!

 

[rwidman]

Re: rope for winch?

Just got a boat & trailer, and the winch on the trailer was in pretty rough shape (crank connection was stripped out) so I replaced the winch. The old winch used a strap instead of a rope but my new winch doesn't have the apparatus to attach that-- gotta use a rope or metal cable.

I'll go to the store later today... what kind of rope should I be looking for? Is there a special kind for this?

My boat's a 14' lund rebel, i'd say it's 750 lb max with the motor on it, probably more like 500/600.

The winches (for boat trailers) that I have seen come with a strap or a metal cable. In my opinion, a strap is better.

Did your winch come with instructions? They should say what sort of strap or cable to use and where to get it.

 

[crackedglass]

Re: rope for winch?

I've had rope, cables and straps on my aluminum boats, I must say that I prefer the rope, it's easier to handle, it don't get folded over on itself like a strap can, it don't rust, it don't cut your hands, and its also cheaper to replace.
I use a poly rope on mine, its got little to no stretch, will probably never rot, and its easy on the hands. It's not cheap rope, its good US made rope from a local hardware store. That Chinese stuff is garbage and won't last. I think the pound/test rating was something like 1440lb for 3/8" rope if I remember right. I tie the bow clip on with a bowline knot and secure the tab back with a stainless hog ring so it can't come undone.

Another issue with a strap is that your limited to how long it can be, most straps are 20 or 25', which isn't always enough at some ramps.

 

[Kara_B_N]

Re: rope for winch?

I would stick with the strap. Poly ropes tend to degrade over time especially if stored outside and exposed to the sun. UV rays break down the polymerover time.
Also be sure to secure the bow with bow tie-down strap or chain. I have helped a couple of people in the past re-load their boat on their trailer after the rope broke and and dropped their boat on the ramp due to rope degradation and lack of bow tie-down. Do not rely on your winch to secure the boat to the trailer.

 

[109jb]

Re: rope for winch?

I'll take the strap. I have never needed more than 10' of strap and besides that you can make it as long as you want at 43 cents per foot.

http://www.cargogear.com/OneItemInfo.aspx?partnum=TWWEBG2

 

[reelfishin]

Re: rope for winch?

I would say that it would depend on the size of the boat.
On a light open aluminum boat, then you don't need anything more than a piece of rope. I have one winch with what appears to be parachute cord on it, it's only about 1/8" in diameter yet has no stretch at all and it pulls my 15' boat on with no issues.

I use rope on pretty much anything under 800 or so lbs, after that I now tend to go with a cable. I've been slowly giving up on straps for several reasons.
I don't like how they tend to slip or need to be wound super tight to remain tight.
I don't like the fact that I'm limited to 25' of strap, my 18' cuddy has a 25' strap, that means that even with the strap pulled fully out, I have only about 6' of strap beyond the back of the trailer, which in deep water, isn't enough to reach the boat to connect from the dock, and in shallow water, its not often long enough to reach the boat out beyond the trailer.
Straps can be a real pain to winch in, if it's not a perfectly straight pull, they tend to fold over on themselves and get out of shape. Try dealing with this on a windy day in strong cross current.

With rope, you can wind on a full spool of rope, often well over 40' on some winches, the same with cable.

The downside to cable is that it does rust and fray eventually, a broken strand can be painful to say the least.

The rope on several of my smaller boats is over 8 years old, I see no UV damage, fading, or other effects from the sun. I do of course keep the boats and winch covered when not in use.

 

[rwidman]

Re: rope for winch?

I would say that it would depend on the size of the boat.
On a light open aluminum boat, then you don't need anything more than a piece of rope. I have one winch with what appears to be parachute cord on it, it's only about 1/8" in diameter yet has no stretch at all and it pulls my 15' boat on with no issues.

I use rope on pretty much anything under 800 or so lbs, after that I now tend to go with a cable. I've been slowly giving up on straps for several reasons.
I don't like how they tend to slip or need to be wound super tight to remain tight.
I don't like the fact that I'm limited to 25' of strap, my 18' cuddy has a 25' strap, that means that even with the strap pulled fully out, I have only about 6' of strap beyond the back of the trailer, which in deep water, isn't enough to reach the boat to connect from the dock, and in shallow water, its not often long enough to reach the boat out beyond the trailer.
Straps can be a real pain to winch in, if it's not a perfectly straight pull, they tend to fold over on themselves and get out of shape. Try dealing with this on a windy day in strong cross current.

With rope, you can wind on a full spool of rope, often well over 40' on some winches, the same with cable.

The downside to cable is that it does rust and fray eventually, a broken strand can be painful to say the least.

The rope on several of my smaller boats is over 8 years old, I see no UV damage, fading, or other effects from the sun. I do of course keep the boats and winch covered when not in use.

My experience with a steel cable is that it coils itself loosely and tangles on the reel. Also, I had to let out much more cable than the distance from the winch to the bow eye because of this coiling. Then I had to crank in the slack while trying to keep it from tangling.

I bought a winch with a strap and never had a bit of problems with it.

That's my personal experience.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: rope for winch?

Every strap I've every had either folded or creased on the pulley if not guided on carefully or it just wasn't long enough. This makes for a real pain if your fighting wind and current and trying to align your boat and keep the strap straight on the winch.

The rope on my trailer is long enough where I can pull out enough rope to attach the bow eye at the courtesy dock, then walk back down and around to the winch and pull the boat in between the guide posts by hand, all while cranking in the excess rope. I can't do that with a 20 strap, (25' won't fit on the winch), and a cable is just too hard on the hands and trailer, or what ever else it abrades.
On larger boat, I do use a cable, but only where a rope just wouldn't hold the weight. Ropes work well with small aluminum boats, straps do OK with small bass boats, and cables are for heavier boats, at least that's the way I tend to look at it.