Bernard
Well-known member
Well - a couple of things come to mind. If you mean, would the boat winch hold up your swing gate/water gap/apparatus, I'd think you could build something that would work that weighs considerably less than 1600 lbs. If you mean would it hold together if the thing gets clogged with water, trash, brush and whaterver else is headed downstream - no.
I'm not completely sure I understand your idea here. Are you're thinking about building a traditional swinging gate that the water pushes out as it rises, adding a winch to it to elevate the cable (and gate) up and out of the way in case of really deep water? I guess that would work, but couldn't you just install the cable higher from the start - with a deeper gate to compensate - and avoid having to come out every time it rained big (or threatened to, especially in the middle of the night)?? Besides, if you raise the cable from one side only, the gate will no longer be centered over the gully/creek/ravine bottem and when the water recedes, the cattle may have a way out just like if the whole shebang went downstream. I think you'll be happier with something a little more traditional (and tested) like Craig and several posters have talked about earlier.
I'm not completely sure I understand your idea here. Are you're thinking about building a traditional swinging gate that the water pushes out as it rises, adding a winch to it to elevate the cable (and gate) up and out of the way in case of really deep water? I guess that would work, but couldn't you just install the cable higher from the start - with a deeper gate to compensate - and avoid having to come out every time it rained big (or threatened to, especially in the middle of the night)?? Besides, if you raise the cable from one side only, the gate will no longer be centered over the gully/creek/ravine bottem and when the water recedes, the cattle may have a way out just like if the whole shebang went downstream. I think you'll be happier with something a little more traditional (and tested) like Craig and several posters have talked about earlier.