Boat trailer winch
Updated: 22 October 2026
The winch retrieves the hull. It is not, by itself, the restraint that holds it on the road. A boat trailer winch in our [winch comparison](/hub/lifting-equipment/winch) is sized to the rolling load up the ramp, with webbing that lies flat and enough strap to reach the bow eye. Vehicle recovery and lifting at work stay off this page except as the wrong tool. Peter F. read these amazon.co.uk listings in October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The winch retrieves the hull. It is not, by itself, the restraint that holds it on the road.
The winch retrieves the hull. It is not, by itself, the restraint that holds it on the road. A boat trailer winch in our winch comparison is sized to the rolling load up the ramp, with webbing that lies flat and enough strap to reach the bow eye. Vehicle recovery and lifting at work stay off this page except as the wrong tool. Peter F. read these amazon.co.uk listings in October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated pull | Line | Mount | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Stealth Winches Stealth 3500 lb 12 V synthetic winch | 3,500 lb | Synthetic, length not stated | 79.5 mm pattern | 8.1 | about £139.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  FreeTec FreeTec 1130 kg hand winch | 1,130 kg (2,500 lb) | 10 m × 50 mm polyester | 4-3/4 × 7-3/4 in base | 8.0 | about £42.74 | View offer |
 Stealth Winches Stealth 4500 lb 12 V synthetic winch | 4,500 lb | Synthetic, length not stated | 168 mm × 76.2 mm | 8.4 | about £169.99 | View offer |
On this page
Size the rolling load, not the brochure weight
Size the pull to roll the boat up your incline, with bunk friction, not the dry weight on a flat floor. UK Winches use a rule of thumb of about twice that rolling load. FreeTec states 1,130 kg (2,500 lb). AKRIXKIP states 1,600 lb. DASBET states 800 lb. BOOMSTART prints 1,130 kg and 270 kg (600 lb). If twice the rolling load beats every hand winch you trust, use a small 12 V winch on a measured post, not the 13,500 lb RUGCEL at about £399.99, whose dimension cell prints 530 x 20 x 20 cm.
Manual strap winches that belong on a post
Most small-boat posts here stay manual, about £19 to £45. The FreeTec at about £42.74 includes 10 m of polyester about 50 mm wide, a base of 4-3/4 by 7-3/4 inch, and 4.5 from 883 reviews. The AKRIXKIP at about £34.71 states 1,600 lb and does not state the hole pattern. The DASBET at about £18.59 states 800 lb and 16 ft, and a bullet also says tow rope. UK reviews report failed stitching and snapped cogs. Do not fit BOOMSTART until one capacity and one line are stated.
A small 12 V winch, if the post and the battery exist
Electric belongs on the post only after the plate and the supply are real. The 3,500 lb Stealth, about £139.99, names boat trailers and a 79.5 mm pattern. The 4,500 lb Stealth, about £169.99, has pulled a boat onto a trailer in UK reviews and uses 168 mm by 76.2 mm. Those plates are not the same, and neither states rope length. The Neilsen at about £69.08 states 2,000 lb and 15 m of steel, with no star aggregate and no fairlead. The lamp-socket limit is electric winch vs manual winch.
Strap on the drum, then a separate hold for the road
The strap should leave the drum flat and meet the bow eye in a straight line. UK Winches want at least five wraps left for rated pull. A strap note treats about four as a floor. Keep the stricter count. FreeTec gives you 10 m. The pawl should click in the pull direction. Where you stand is how to use a winch. For the road, add a bow chain or the trailer bow stop, plus stern straps. The winch is not that hold.
When the boat is too much for these hand winches
Upgrade or stop when twice the rolling load sits above the figure you trust, when the post is bent, or when you cannot finish the crank. The hand-strap best value here is the FreeTec. The 12 V top pick is the Stealth 4,500 lb, if the bolt pattern matches. Both are on best winch. If two capacities still disagree, do not fit that listing. Do not use the winch to hang the hull.
Common questions
What capacity do I need for the ramp?
Start from the pull to roll the boat up your slip, then use about twice that rolling load as the rule of thumb UK Winches publish for a trailer winch. It is not the dry weight, and it is not a vehicle-recovery multiple. A heavier RIB is why the FreeTec states 1,130 kg and 10 m of strap. If the doubled rolling load is still above that, look at a small 12 V winch on a measured plate, not at 13,500 lb.
Should I use a strap or a cable on a bunk trailer?
Use the line the drum was built for. The FreeTec, AKRIXKIP, and DASBET are strap winches, and the webbing has to lie flat. A steel cable belongs with a roller fairlead. Synthetic rope, on the Stealth rows, wants a smooth hawse, and those pages do not state the rope length. Do not put polyester through a roller, and do not put steel across a hawse cut for rope. If the listing names both, as the BOOMSTART page does, do not guess.
How do I fit a new strap on the drum?
Bolt or pin it the way the drum's slot is made, wind it on flat under light tension, and leave several wraps when the hook is at the bow eye on the steepest retrieve you use. Attwood-style guidance treats four wraps as a floor for a strap. UK Winches describe five wraps left for rated pull. Use the higher number under load. Match the strap width to the drum. The FreeTec strap is about 50 mm.
Can the winch hold the boat on the motorway?
Do not rely on it alone. The pawl retrieves the boat and can release if it is worn, loaded backwards, or knocked. A bow chain or the trailer's bow fitting, plus stern straps, are the road hold. The winch strap is allowed to go slack on the road if the chain is doing the holding. That slack is safer than a strap that is the only thing attached.
Manual or electric for a jet-ski trailer?
Manual, unless you have already measured a plate and you will feed a battery properly. A jet ski is the load where the DASBET's 800 lb should have been enough, and UK reviews still report snapped cogs, so the AKRIXKIP's 1,600 lb or the FreeTec's longer strap is the more cautious crank. Choose electric if the slip is steep, you launch often, and the 79.5 mm or 168 mm pattern actually matches. The lighting socket is not the supply.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read for this comparison. Page updated October 2026.
- HSE: LOLER — what lifting equipment is (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- LOLER 1998, regulation 9 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Devon 4x4: winch guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE: arboriculture — ground-level winching (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- BS EN 14492-1:2006+A1:2009 — power-driven winches (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- UK Winches and Hoists: selecting a winch (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- LiftingSafety: vehicle-mounted winches (retrieved 21 October 2026)