Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is the Warranty of Nilsson Products?

Our winches are covered by a three year return to factory warranty against defective materials or workmanship, except motors and seals which are covered by a one year warranty. Warranty does not cover damage due to improper use or poor maintenance. If a fault develops during the warranty period DO NOT remove any parts or attempt a repair. Remove the winch/motor assembly in one piece from the boat and return it to your supplier or the manufacturer with evidence of purchase, a description of the installation and problem experienced.
 

Who are Nilsson Winches & Engineering?

New Zealand's longest established winch manufacturer started in the business in the mid 60's. Many of our winches dating back to the 70's and 80's are still in service. Read about us here.

 

Capstans

C400 Questions

What size boat is it good for?

The C400 was developed for pleasure craft up to around 7m - 23ft and for this duty, it has more than enough power.
 

What will it pull?

The C400 will pull 36kg or 80lbs (nearly the weight of a bag of cement) at 24 metre / 75 ft per minute. It is capable of a "snatch" pull up to 5 times greater if necessary.
 

Is that enough power?

Too much power on a small boat can be dangerous and the C400 has plenty for all normal operations. If the anchor gets stuck, you should use the weight of the boat to break it out. In this event, slowly power the boat to a position directly over the anchor, winching in the line as you go. Then snub the line (or hold the line tail on the winch) and power backwards slowly until the anchor breaks free. And then finish hauling in with the winch.
 

Will the winch drain my battery?

Typical current draw is around 35 Amps. To give safe boat control, your engine will normally be running while lifting the anchor. The alternator will pick up a substantial amount of the winch load. The winch load of 35 Amps for (say) 5 minutes for a 120 metre (400ft) recovery in any case only draws down a small percentage of the total battery reserve in most boat installations.
 

Will the winch run backwards under load?

Definitely not! The C400 does not put fingers at risk. Simply by easing the pull on the "tail" of the line, you can back off or drop the load if say a sudden swell catches you unawares. The C400 is fitted with a robust roller clutch brake to hold the load under all conditions. If a specific customer wants a winch which will run backwards, we can remove the brake to special order - but we do not recommend the practice.
 

How well is the C400 protected against water ingress?

If sealed to the deck using soft sealant or a good gasket, the C400 will not leak water into the gearbox or under deck areas. The C400 will run under water, deck side, without harm- a recent trial over several months and three boat shows, proved the point well.
 

Will the C400 handle long or deep pulls?

The secret to a good winch is the motor quality. C400 uses a top quality European motor built specifically for winching duties. The same supplier also makes heavy duty fork hoist drives. The C400 has been tested on long line recoveries up to 500 metre with no sign of stress on the motor.
 

What materials is the C400 made of?

The drum is chrome plated high tensile bronze (same as propeller bronze). Yes, the chrome will wear in due course but the under lying material is very tough and will last for many years.

The deck plate is LM25 marine alloy with a high grade hard anodised and sealed finish. We use the same materials and processes on super yacht winches.

The painted IP54 motor is steel and must be looked after. (See maintenance).
 

What controls and wiring do I need?

A foot switch is supplied with every winch. This can be installed in the floor, on a pad, under the squab of a berth or in a position where it can be operated with your knee. The foot switch is of the "deadman" type. The winch will stop as soon as pressure is released on the switch. For safety reasons, we do not recommend switches that can allow the winch to run on uncontrolled. A battery isolator should be fitted and this can be combined in a slow reaction 50Amp breaker available as an extra.

The main winch cables should be 10 square mm for boats to 4.25m -14ft
12 square mm for boats to 5m -16ft
16 square mm for boats to 7m -23ft
 

Where on the boat is the C400 installed?

In a position that allows the anchor line to pass freely from stem head to the winch, to the operator. The line should pass on to the drum at 90 degrees or a little more to the vertical axis of the winch. The winch can be mounted vertically or with up to 45 degrees of tilt. If horizontal mounting is required, a kit can be factory fitted at a small extra cost. (Ref.: 436094)
The motor will frequently be hanging down into a dry area of the boat and should always be weather protected. If the motor hangs into the anchor locker, a higher level of under deck inspection and maintenance will be required to motor, terminals and wiring .
 

Why the "in line" design?

Pioneered by Nilsson Winches & Engineering, the in line, 2 stage epicyclic, gearbox is more efficient than a worm drive box . The winch is easily installed or removed for service in a few minutes. If required, a packer above or below deck will adjust the motor protrusion without modification to the winch.
 

What maintenance is required?

After installation and testing, we recommend that the underside of the winch, all of the motor and the terminals are sprayed with a good coating of "CRC Softseal" or similar. The motor is steel and is subject to corrosion if not looked after. Regularly inspect the motor and re spray as necessary.

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