Raising and trimming the sails on your cruiser without a winch can tax your strength and patience to the limit. A winch provides mechanical advantage, magnifying “people power” and making light work of a difficult task.

Harken’s most popular cruising winches are self-tailing. They are easy to operate and hold the line at all times so one person can easily adjust sail trim and halyard tension. They come in many sizes and finishes to suit taste and sailing style.

Harken’s low-friction winch handles have ball bearing grips that efficiently transmit your power into the winch. A 10 inch (254 mm) winch handle is the most comfortable length for most cruising sailors.

Harken Radial® winches are designed for minimal maintenance. Frequent hosing with clean water, and lubricating gears at the end of the season is all it takes. Radials® are super easy to take apart. The top lifts off as a unit and the roller bearings are captive and won’t get lost overboard, making reassembly quick and mistake-free.

If you sail under jib alone because the main is too hard to hoist, tame that main and put safety and fun back into your cruising. Harken Battcar systems let you easily raise, lower, or reef your sail at any wind angle. The full-length battens eliminate flogging during maneuvers, making handling easier and dramatically increasing the life of your sail. A Harken Lazy Jack system neatly contains the main on the boom during reefs and drops.

A Harken Battcar system is simpler to install than in-mast or in-boom furling and offers better performance at a drastically lower cost. You don’t have to cut down your sail into a less efficient shape, or in the case of in-mast furling, replace the mast, boom, rigging, and mainsail.

Switch T-Track Battcar systems cut stack height in half by flaking the sail alternately to port and starboard of the boom. Larger headboard cars articulate, allowing the cars to pass through the switch. This reduces stack height even further and simplifies sail handling, not to mention putting on a sail cover. The switch system makes it easy to remove the cars and mainsail together for storage. These systems fit boats from approximately 37 ft (11.3 m) to 145 ft (44 m).

If you don’t have a mainsheet traveler, or your existing system is full of friction and a trial to adjust, installing a Harken ball bearing traveler will transform your mainsail control.

When the wind is light, power up by bringing the traveler to weather. When the wind blows, depower by easing the traveler to leeward to spill wind and reduce heel—all from the security of the cockpit.

Like every sailor, each boat is different. Our modular systems allow you to mix and match to suit your sailing style. They come in a variety of sizes with a choice of controls to reduce friction, often eliminating the need for the holding power of a winch. Harken traveler systems can be tailored for end-boom or mid-boom configurations, mounted on the bridge deck, or used with track risers and high-profile track to get the traveler out of the cockpit.
 

If you cruise with a hanked-on jib, or your furler is hard to operate or provides a poor sail shape, a free-running furling system makes all the difference in headsail control. This is especially important when sailing shorthanded or with inexperienced crew. The installation of outboard lead blocks (we offer a kit with everything you need) allows the furling line to travel outboard of the stanchions, keeping sidedecks clear.

Harken furling systems let you trim safely from the cockpit when it blows and unfurl instead of motoring when it’s light. When entering a crowded harbor, a furling headsail makes it easy to reduce speed and gain visibility off the bow. As an added bonus, your sail stores on the headstay so you’re not filling up the cabin with extra sail bags.
 

After trimming the headsail or reefing with a roller furler, it’s important to move the genoa lead car to maximize your sail’s effectiveness. Harken ball bearing genoa lead cars and track are the solution, allowing you to adjust a loaded sail to a better shape without first going head-to-wind to release air pressure. The carrier on the car pivots to align with the load, and ball bearings make moving the car easy, without ever leaving the cockpit!

Bigger boats have many advantages, but also hold greater challenges. It’s easy to tell your crew that raising and trimming sails is good exercise, but powered systems let you do this by simply pushing a button. Your crew can kick back in the cockpit and enjoy the ride—and so can you.

Electric Reefing & Furling
Electric reefing and furling systems let you quickly and comfortably reef, furl and set sails from the cockpit with the push of a button. Electric furling installation and upgrades are straightforward, with the wiring on most boats already in place.

Harken electric furling units use a small, efficient motor that gives off very little heat, preventing moisture buildup from causing electrical shorts. The motor mounts vertically into pulpits, clearing anchor tackle and providing low windage. When reefed, the reversible drive uses a gear set to prevent sails from unfurling under load.

To upgrade from your manual system, a Harken Upgrade Kit easily converts a Unit 2 Cruising or MKIV Unit 3 to electric operation. Seasonal maintenance is no different than your manual unit. Periodically check your connections and battery.

Electric Winches
Electric winches allow crew to trim any size sail with the push of a button. All Harken electric winches have two speeds; the low-power first gear for fast trimming, and the higher-power second gear for fine-tuning loaded sheets. The result is reduced battery drain, allowing more efficient use of the motor. Seasonal maintenance is no different than your manual winch. Periodically check your connections and battery.

Hydraulic
Hydraulic-powered systems are becoming more and more popular on midsize cruising boats. With hydraulic power, you can run winches, furlers, anchor windlasses, bow thrusters, cylinders—basically any function on the boat. Harken Hydraulics use many off-the-shelf components that can be bought anywhere on the planet. Seasonal maintenance is straightforward. Check your connections, filters, and oil levels.