Manual crab winches are used for the purpose of hauling and lowering crab pots in crabbing operations. These winches are basically a pulley system, with a drum and a cable wrapped around it. The cable runs from the winch to a crab pot, and when the winch is operated, it spools up the cable, pulling the pot up out of the water. Manual crab winches are usually powered by a hand crank and can be used in both deep and shallow waters.