What Is The Difference Between Marine Capstan And A Winch?

If you are deciding on the best way to add a winch to your boat, you may also want to consider installing a capstan. There are many marine capstans that are available, some of which are better than a marine winch. To understand which would be better for your boat, you need to first comprehend the difference between the two. They are each designed in different ways. They are also capable of doing many different things based on the way they are configured. Here is the difference between a marine capstan winch and a standard winch.

Marine Capstan

An Overview Of The Marine Winch

A winch is a simple device that uses a drum around which you will place a rope or a cable. When the machine is activated, it will extend the cable, until you bring it to a stop. Once the line is secured to the object that you want to bring toward you, you can then retract the line.

An Overview Of The Marine Capstan

The main difference between a capstan and a standard winch marine is the orientation of the drum. With the winch, it is positioned horizontally. With the capstan, it is positioned on a vertical axis. The logistics of this are often based upon available space. The functionality of both of these units is very similar. However, on a capstan, these can be run by steam, electricity, or hydraulics, and you can also use a cable, rope, or a chain.

Marine Capstan Winch

Which One Would You Use For Your Ship

If you are using a smaller vessel, such as a fishing boat, a winch would be appropriate. However, if you are installing this on a large vessel, such as a sailing ship, or a ship designed for bringing cargo, a capstan would be the best one to choose. It is because of the vertical axle rotation of the electric capstan winch, allowing multiple people to use it manually if need be. This is something you could not do with a winch that is installed horizontally.

Which One Should You Choose For Your Boat?

The one that you should choose should be based upon three factors. First of all, there is practicality. Which one is going to fit most efficiently on your boat and will be easy to install? Second, consider the price that you will pay for the capstan will winch. Finally, consider its capabilities. If you need one that is more robust, with the long line, you may want to choose the capstan over the winch depending upon its configuration and the size of the drum that it is using.

There are practical reasons for choosing a capstan over a winch. It just depends on what you would prefer to have. In most cases, these will not require any form of physical intervention. Therefore, either one will work fine on both large and small ships. Even a small boat can benefit from a winch which you can install in a matter of minutes. However, if you have the means to, you should consider using a hydraulic capstan winch for a large ocean vessel that is designed for pulling large amounts of weight and will fit perfectly on the deck of the ship.