winch motor

[lst]

I am planning a winch/rope to tiller implementation for a 17 foot sail boat.  The notion of a wiper motor seems good, and I am hoping to get some recommendations of ones that have worked for people in the past.  Looking at the options, many of them have gearing that causes them to go back and forth but not rotate a full 360 degrees.  I assume i would need to operate on the motor to change the gear or get one that goes 360 degrees without modification.  It would be great to know which ones are good for that.

I'm also open to using a different motor if people have found alternatives to the wiper that are better.  It does have to be a winch though.  A linear servo doesnt work well for my layout.

Thanks,
Lee

[seandepagnier]

Are you sure? Most windshield wiper motors rotate continuously.

The biggest disadvantage with a winch drive is having play in the system. It is 'ok' for slower speeds and if you dont demand tight heading control. It is good enough to keep the sails full but if you have a racing type boat it may be a disadvantage.

[lst]

Are you sure?   Most windshield wiper motors rotate continuously.

The biggest disadvantage with a winch drive is having play in the system.   It is 'ok' for slower speeds and if you dont demand tight heading control.   It is good enough to keep the sails full but if you have a racing type boat it may be a disadvantage.

I have seen videos on converting the back and forth type, so I assume there are motors out there that do that, but I don't know how many.  Its good to know that most are continuous,
that improves my chances for getting one I can use if I have to guess.

my main use for the system will be to steer while I do sail changes, or leave the helm briefly.  I'm not looking to keep a course without human intervention for hours at a time.  Hopefully the
winch system will be good enough for that. Better than just locking down the tiller in a static position in any event.

[seandepagnier]

The mechanical linkage from the motor is what produces the reciprocating motion of the wiper usually. I'm not saying that all motors work this way, but I have never seen a windshield wiper motor that does not rotate continuously and I have tried 5 or 6 different ones.