Winches for slipways

Folk’s
Do you have the same issue I have?
A number of the slipways I use are unsuitable to take a car down them, 1 is very broken up on the sides, another is just that little bit steep and stony to be 100% sure each time for my Renault Megane.
It doesn’t tend to be a problem when there is another adult with me as we can attach a rope to the hitch and pull it up bit by bit, the issue is when I only have my 13yr old son with me, these slipways are not safe to use.
I was thinking if I could get my hands on a winch that would just drop over the hitch of my car and attach to the trailer, then I could it on down slowly, all the while leaving the car at the top of the slipway.
Does anyone out there use one of these winches to overcome the same or a similar issue?
The two types I see on the market (mainly looking on EBay) are hand or electric winches and both have their advantages
The hand winch is a lot cheaper while the electric appears to come with a bracket for the hitch.
Any for me advice before I make up my mind?

Hi mate

We have done somethnig similar but have taken a slightly different tack. what we have done it to attach a second winch to the front of the boat trailer. this means we can attach the winch clip to the tow hook on our car, then unhitch the trailer and use the winch to let the boat down/up bit by bit.

i find have the winch on the trailer rather than on the car means that we have better control and can walk up/down with the trailer as we lower or retrieve the boat. this means we can direct it better and see cracks or holes in the slip that need to be avoided. i would advise getting a good strong winch if you are looking at this option

Sound advice there Adam.
Many of the cheaper winches are just that, cheap winches. Many lack the pulling power and speed.

“Superwinch” are the daddy but they come at a premium. I’d chance the manual and see how you go from there. The young lad will be driving before you know it!:D

Thanks Adam,
Sound advice, just been out looking at my trailer, might need to weld a plate on to take the second winch but it makes a lot more sense than trying to fit something onto the hitch of the car.

On the stony beach can you go at an angle rather than square on the the waterline? it makes a good difference when you don't have 4wd

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It's surprising what you can do with a rope, managed to waddle mine down the slip at lw last time out and that was a bit lumpy further down, that was on my tod.

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Some nice epics there Sean. Just wondering why you find the angle better on the stony beaches? I've never had to bother with them before.

Nice use of the rope there as well. Have tried the same setup many times with a previous lake boat of mine.

Have to admit, some time next year I'll be fitting the second winch as Adam S has. Looks to be an excellent option that also offers a great deal of control for those difficult slips. But to be honest, not having as 4x4 I tend to avoid the difficult slips either way

Kev

Just wondering why you find the angle better on the stony beaches? I've never had to bother with them before.

Kev

That stony slope there Kev I would never manage pulling straight up with the van, it would soon start to spin, starting with a sort of jack knife angle seems to just give you that initial clear start really to get you moving, something we learned to do launching on a sandy beach with a fwd/fastliner. Going up the slope at an angle just lessens the severity of the slope really.

Not the best of diagrams, if leaving the trailer hooked up you are better the other way around really, easier seeing the trailer wheels go in looking out of the drivers door

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Let's not forget the SeanP's "one man launching system". Much viewed

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kTYCLGVPzUc

Let's not forget the SeanP's "one man launching system". Much viewed

Oh no wasn't going to mention that one been watchin this guy to many times


http://youtube.com/watch?v=2Cc6koI0fDo

Let's not forget the SeanP's "one man launching system". Much viewed

Oh no wasn't going to mention that one been watchin this guy to many times


http://youtube.com/watch?v=2Cc6koI0fDo

Let's not forget the SeanP's "one man launching system". Much viewed

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kTYCLGVPzUc

Great vids lads

one note of caution whenever you are winching anything it is a wise precaution to trow a heavy blanket or tarp ontop of the winch wire, this is to stop the winch wire springing back at you should it snap

I have a length of box section steel about a metre long with a ball hitch at one end and a winch at the other. If I cant tow the boat out on a rope I park on the dry bit of the slip hitch up the winch and use the weight of the car as an anchor point.

I only do this if I am stuck though and much prefer to tow the boat out on a rope but sometimes at low tide there is not enough space at the top of the slip and using a winch means that you dont have to drag the boat part way chock the trailer and then reverse back to shorten the rope