In a previous blog, we examined the manual winch range from Italian manufacturer Antal. Antal also offer an excellent selection of electric winches for cruising sailors, which we’ll take a look at in this blog.
Electric winches have long been a hot topic of debate at Upffront.com. On the one hand, they are a considerable financial investment and are often stigmatised for not being ‘real’ sailing. On the other hand, electric winches undeniably make sailing more accessible, with the winch motor taking the strain of trimming and hoisting sails.
Antal have two ranges of electric winches: the XT range and the Maxi range.
XT Range
Antal’s XT Electric range is an extension of their XT Manual Cruise range. Due to this, the product line benefits from a lot of the same core features.
All XT Electric winches are self-tailing, with spring-load jaws that automatically adapt to a wide range of rope diameters. The line is automatically released if overloading occurs.
The XT Electric range is available in both two or three speed models, with each winch possessing the same number of speeds in manual or electric use. To engage electric use, sailors simply press the control button. For manual use, just insert the handle, inverting the direction of rotation to change speeds. As expected, in electric mode
the speeds are higher than in manual use.
To guarantee safety, inserting the handle for manual use disconnects the winch motor,
ensuring the motor cannot turn. This feature also reduces unwanted friction, increasing efficiency.
Antal’s electric winches are available in either a
horizontal or vertical motor configuration. As the names suggest, the horizontal motor placement sits below deck at a horizontal angle, whilst the vertical motor remains upright.
This decision on horizontal vs vertical motor configuration is often based on the layout of your boat and the space available in the cabin headroom or storage locker. However, unlike other manufacturer’s such as Andersen, Antal restricts the vertical motor placement to larger models only.
The XT Electric winches are available in two finishes: hard black aluminium (anodised, scratch-proof and hardwearing) or chrome (highly polished, thickly nickel-plated and finished in chrome).
Available Range – Horizontal:
Black Aluminium & Chrome
Available Range - Vertical:
Black Aluminium & Chrome
Maxi Range
Antal also offer a Maxi range of electric winches, built for boats longer than 20M. Theseself-tailing winches are built differently to the XT range, utilising roller bearings on the gears and drum. The Maxi range is designed for boats with a 24V electrical supply and is only available in Chrome finish.
Available Range – Horizontal:
Chrome
Available Range – Vertical:
Chrome
If you have any questions about Antal electric winches, please feel free to email us at support@upffront.com, or click the link below to see our full range: