Manual marine winch with safety loading handle and integrated locking dog release

A manual marine winch comprising:

• a winch housing;
• a rotating drum assembly supported on the winch housing;
• and
• a manually actuated control assembly engaged with the drum assembly for spooling and un-spooling a winch line on the drum assembly, wherein the manually actuated control includes
• i) a handle for selectively tensioning the drum assembly and moveable between a position engaged with the drum assembly through the control assembly for tensioning of the winch line on the drum assembly and at least one stowed position wherein the handle is not engaged with the drum assembly for tensioning the drum assembly;
• ii) a tension holding mechanism on the winch comprising at least one tension holding ratchet gear coupled to the drum assembly and at least one locking dog pawl selectively engaged with said at least one tension holding ratchet gear to hold tension on the winch line on the drum assembly, and
• iii) a knockout member carried on the handle and configured to selectively disengage each of said at least one locking dog pawl from the tension ratchet gears to allow for release of tension on the winch, wherein the knockout member is positioned on the handle to disengage each of said at least one locking dog pawl from the tension holding ratchet gears only when the handle is disengaged from the drum assembly.