I just pulled the winch apart and my worst fears were confirmed. The large gear was stamped out of 2 pieces of soft steel and the teeth are messed up beyond repair.
I am also looking for an inexpensive 5 to 8 HP long shaft american made outboard that runs. I have a friend that wants the Seagull.
Will a 54# thrust electric motor be strong enough for the PC or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Ed, I would encourage you to purchase a gas motor. You are a big guy and your boat is oversized. I would nudge you towards something in the 3-5 hp range with an electric start. Store the motor battery and a house battery in the forepeak to add weight forward.
Not sure what size winch you are looking for, you can purchase one pretty cheap at Bacon Sails. It is a used place with all sorts of stuff.
Note to self-- top off seagull gas tank for winter.
Ed, do you consider Honda "American" made :lol: :lol: If you do, how about a Honda 7.5 hp. I've owned a couple of them and they are super little motors.
I second Angie regarding a gas motor. The electric is wonderful when there is little to no wind or waves having no smell. However, when the wind is blowing and waves kicking up you want something with more umpf to get her back to dock. Not to mention the batteries for electric motors weigh a heck of a lot and take a lot longer to top off than a tank of gas.
American made is hard to determine. Seems like a lot of American owned companies manufacture outside the US while a lot of foreign companies, like Honda, manufacture inside the US. I know Honda, Subaru, and BMW's are manufactured in the US while a lot of Fords, Chevys, and Chryslers are manufactured in Canada and Mexico. Heck, if our workers are good for Honda they ought to be good enough for our own companies... :x