Our opinion on Antal winches to equip a sailboat
As a reminder, the winch is this mechanical system used on a sailboat which increases the human force exerted on a rope. The rope is wound around the headstock of the winch, then the latter is generally actuated thanks to a removable crank, reducing the number of rotations. The force exerted on the rope is then several times greater than that provided by the crank: this is the interest of a winch. The self-tailing device ensures that there is no overlapping of the rope. The Antal winch brand is known to be a fairly widespread supplier of winches among sailboat equipment dealers, particularly active in terms of innovation, although it may suffer from a certain lack of public recognition. Should we trust the Antal brand? What is our opinion on Antal winches?
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Antal: an Italian brand that has proven itself
Antal is an Italian brand that designs, produces and assembles in its workshops products intended for all types of boats. With more than 40 years of history in the construction of equipment for sailboats, Antal has acquired real expertise in the manufacture of winches.
Traditionally focused on innovation, the Antal company positions itself as a real technical partner, assisting its customers from design offices to the end user, if necessary by offering tailor-made products. In addition, the company holds several international patents, which makes it a major nautical equipment supplier on a global level.
In addition, Antal supplies builders of racing sailboats, luxury yachts and other types of boats, such as classic boats. They manufacture four main types of winches: manual winches (non-self-tailing, cruise self-tailing and self-tailing course), 2 or 3 speed motorized winches, old boat winches, fully chrome, and winches maxi for sailboats over 20 meters, equipped with electric or hydraulic motors.
Why are Antal winches interesting equipment for a sailboat?
Antal offers a wide range of winches, so you can find one for all your needs (manual or automatic, for example) but also all budgets, with varying levels of sophistication and finishes. The brand having originally equipped large boats, is used to supplying winches that meet demanding specifications. Thus, Antal products are known to be strong and last a long time. They are also widely used, since they are distributed on 5 continents in a network of more than twenty distributors.
In addition, Antal winches also have the great advantage of being easy to assemble and disassemble. The same applies to cleaning that must be carried out regularly in order to maintain the winches and watch for signs of wear. Most of them are attached with a few countersunk screws, not included with purchase. Finally, it should be noted that the Antal team is available and responsive.
What should you watch out for when equipping yourself with Antal winches?
More our opinion on Antal winches is somewhat tarnished by the main defects of this mark which are three in number.
• First, despite the fact that it is widespread, it remains less famous than its major competitors (Harken et Lewmar) from the builders, who supply the standard equipment for a larger number of boats, which is a guarantee of confidence for buyers.
• Second, the brand remains younger than its main competitors in the sale of winches with a smaller market of end consumers, mainly present in Northern Europe. Its relative lack of experience compared to other brands can represent a factor of (unjustified) doubt.
• Finally, even if most of the time they are deemed to be of good quality, our opinion on Antal winches cannot be completely favorable since they sometimes disappoint by giving way quickly under wear, in particular winches. first prizes. It is therefore strongly recommended not to buy these second-hand.
Winch Antal: our opinion on this Italian brand of winches
If you want to change your sailboat's winches by opting for self-tailing models or with higher winch power, the Antal models are in our opinion a recommendable solution. As they last relatively long, you can buy used Antal winches on Amazon, Ebay ou CDiscount. However, it is rather recommended to equip yourself with new winches for entry-level models and to avoid first-price winches, as these parts are subject to wear. Despite their inexpensive nature, Antal winches are generally of good quality, the products being manufactured according to European standards, and innovative.
See Antal self-tailing winches:
See Antal non self-tailing winches:
Antal is best known for its small winches with or without the use of a crank.
See Antal winches without handle.
In addition, Antal has a wide range of products with a good range of winches, with several levels of range and many options available. In addition, enjoying a good reputation, the Antal brand of winches is present in many online and off-line distributors, which makes it easy to find.
Find out more about boat winches:
How to choose the best winch for your sailboat?
