How to Replace a Boat Winch or Lift Cable

Hey everyone, it’s The Dockman here! I want to take a moment to walk you through a winch cable repair we recently filmed out on Fonda Lake in Brighton. Whether you call it a winch cable or a lift cable, this is an essential part of any boat lift system, and knowing how to replace it can save you a lot of time and trouble down the road.

We got Nate in the water with the floats, which helps take pressure off the cradle while we work on the cable. Typically, when people call us for this kind of repair, the cable has already snapped, but this time we got ahead of it—it was showing signs of fatigue, so we replaced it before it broke. A quick tip here: always check the cable for wear and don’t wait until it’s too late!

Nate’s been doing this for a long time, so he had some great insights to share. One of his key pieces of advice? Be careful of burrs on the cable. Trust me, you don’t want one of those sharp metal strands poking into your hand. Gloves are a good idea here, especially with cables that have been in the water and could be full of bacteria.

The process is pretty straightforward once you understand how the cable is routed. We pulled the old cable through the cradle, around the pulleys, and up to the winch box. Once it was out, we fed the new cable through. Nate had another great tip here: when pushing the new cable through, if it gets stuck at the pulley, start twisting and pushing it gently. This helps it find its way under the pulley without too much trouble.

Once the new cable was in place, Nate tightened the set bolts and made sure everything was stacked properly in the winch drum. This step is crucial because if the cable doesn’t wrap evenly, the cradle can drop or cause other issues down the line.

After everything was in place, we tested it by floating the boat over and lifting it with the new cable. Everything went smoothly, and the boat was sitting just right on the bunks. It’s always a good feeling when a job goes off without a hitch.

So there you have it—an easy and effective way to replace a winch cable. Make sure you’re inspecting your cables regularly, and don’t forget the little details like keeping everything greased to prevent corrosion.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to see the full process in action, check out the video we filmed on-site. Until next time, stay safe out there on the water!

– The Dockman