Sam Holmes Sailingvideo
How to turn a manual winch into an electric winch. With SailForce!
July 18, 2025 · 9 min · 64K views
What this video covers
Sam Holmes installs a SailForce (by ewincher) electric motor kit on a Harken 50 two-speed winch aboard his boat, converting it from manual to electric for under half the price of Harken's own motorization kit, which he estimates at $4,000–$5,000.▶ 1:10 The SailForce kit runs a 1,250-watt motor and draws only 5–6 amps, allowing it to tap an existing breaker box rather than running heavy battery cables to the main bank.▶ 2:02 Installation requires drilling one additional hole through a four-layer marine-plywood core, replacing a lip seal, fitting an adapter plate (one hiccup: recessing nuts to clear the adapter), and configuring the motor via Wi-Fi by entering an IP address.▶ 5:14 The premium kit includes a display screen showing load data and a second remote control panel; Holmes mounts both, finding the portable second panel especially useful for walking to the mast to watch sail shape while raising the mainsail.▶ 7:28 Programmable load limits by speed — lower on fast, higher on slow — stop the winch before it damages a batten caught in a lazy jack or a sheet snagged on a hatch.▶ 7:42 After a month of use, Holmes reports the winch performs well, with one fast-speed issue resolved by the manufacturer.▶ 8:22 The safety-button requirement can be disabled in the menu; triple-clicking either panel toggles full-capacity mode.▶ 9:21
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