How much pull capacity does your anchor winch need?

An anchor winch does not just lift the anchor. It lifts the anchor plus the chain, plus the wet rope, plus the mud that clings to the flukes and, in the worst moments, plus the drag of the current pulling the boat the other way. That is why pull capacity matters more than the anchor's nominal weight.

Our workshop rule is simple: pick a winch that pulls at least three times the weight of your anchor. A 5 kg DREAM anchor with a short chain comfortably wants a model that lifts 15 kg or more, and for a 9.8 kg anchor on muddy ground you want the margin of a higher Steel Hands model.

Boat length and wind exposure change the math. On a closed 4 metre boat in calm coves, a Steel Hands 10 or 20 covers daily needs. On a 6 to 7 metre boat with high freeboard and a large wind-caught surface, step up to the 35 or 35 PRO, because you anchor often in current and you do not want the winch motor working at its limit.

Bottom type is the third factor. Sand and gravel release the anchor easily. The thick mud of the Delta and submerged roots hold it, and breaking it free needs a force peak an undersized winch simply does not have. Better a model with headroom than one that stalls with the anchor half-raised.

Every Steel Hands model runs on 12V and mounts concealed or on the console, with a remote. Tell us your boat length, your anchor weight and the waters you fish, and we will tell you exactly which model to pick, without paying for pull you do not need.