Best Windlass for 37.5 Legend

[Lee Scott]

Try as I might to be a man amongst men, I am getting tired of pulling the anchor up by hand.

I want an electric windlass! But I don't want to buy one and find out it doesn't really fit my deck and chain locker layout. I have seen pix of a number of 37.5 Legends with windlasses, but everyone seems to have a different layout. I've seen both horizontal and vertical windlasses.

And some where the hatch has been modified and a vertical windlass installed inside the locker. And some where the motor for the vertical windlass ends up exposed inside the v-berth.

Can anyone recommend a windlass and an installation they really like?

 

[Bill Roosa]

There are a couple of reasons a windlass is going to have problems on a 37.5. The drop from the windlass is not big enough to keep the rode engaged. The location of the windlass would seem to favor a vertical axis type but there is not much to mount it to and still have a swig for the handle. An electric would require large cables and there is no direct routing for them (that is easy). If you went the battery forward to get rid of the large cables you don't have much room in the Vee birth for such a battery.
I'd recommend you do something along the following: take the rode back to one of the sheet winches and haul it from there. Alternately use the motor to slack the rode as you pull it then all you have to "haul" is the distance from the bottom to the surface after the inertia of the boat has broken the anchor free. Alternately alternately, you could buy a bigger boat that already has a windlass. I've owned a 37.5 and also found it to be a PITA to weigh anchor. My 40.5 is a real dream with the foot switch operated windlass.

 

[Lee Scott]

Thanks, Bill. Hope your boat survived the hurricane w/o any damage.

Your experience kind of confirms what I was feeling. There's just not a real good solution, which is probably why I've seen pix of so many different configurations.

We went and looked at a 40.5 to see if it might be worth 'upgrading' in size, and I must admit I didn't pay close enough attention to the differences in the chain locker. It looked to me to be about the same size, but was obviously designed to have a windlass. I didn't look at the depth of the locker, and the 37.5 definitely has a shallow one.

That kind of argues for a deck-mounted horizontal windlass just to get the extra height for the chain drop, and maybe make it easier to flake the rode into the locker as it comes in? I wish they were more attractive visually.

Using the cockpit sheet winch is OK, I guess, as a less-than-optimal solution.

 

[Bill Roosa]

The other easy solution is have the cabin boy (i've got three) do it. then all you have to do is clean up the muddy mess when he goes down below and cleans up. Being the captain I can get the first mate to handle that part so ..... :-D

 

[Lee Scott]

The other easy solution is have the cabin boy (i've got three) do it. then all you have to do is clean up the muddy mess when he goes down below and cleans up. Being the captain I can get the first mate to handle that part so ..... :-D

I ain't got no cabin boys, and since my wife (retired. Lt Colonel) out-ranks me, I'm the one who has to do it. :-(

I think the muddy mess is the big drawback to using the sheet winch. It's bad enough when it's limited to the foredeck. I can only imagine having it all along the side deck as well. And, the winch doesn't handle the chain, so I've still got to pull the last 30-40 feet up by hand.

 

[Alan]

There is an easier way than fighting the anchor. Motor forward very slowly while taking in the slack anchor rode. When the line goes vertical snub it off and put the boat in neutral. The boat will break the anchor out without any help from you. After it does you can easily pull it aboard with little effort. Works every time.

 

[Lee Scott]

There is an easier way than fighting the anchor. Motor forward very slowly while taking in the slack anchor rode. When the line goes vertical snub it off and put the boat in neutral. The boat will break the anchor out without any help from you. After it does you can easily pull it aboard with little effort. Works every time.

Yep, that's the way I do it now. There's no way I can break it loose by myself. Even so, I've got 50' of chain and the anchor - usually with a big blob of clay in its claws - to pull in by hand. It's not so bad when we anchor in 10-15 feet. It's a workout when you're anchored in 40' or more.

If it's at all cold outside, I will pull a back muscle and be sore for three days.

 

[Alan]

I hear ya! ...not trying to obstruct your request but I always like to find an easier way than adding more stuff if I can. I'm one of those KISS folks.

 

[davjonLegend]

I have a 37.5 also and really never found a great way to add a windlass -- and I never felt confident if the foredeck was designed strong enough for one. (Maybe discuss with Hunter?)
One thing I have found helpful is to have some "anchor" gloves. That's just work gloves (from Home Depot or wherever) with rubberized palm for a good grip on the rode. Not having to grip the rode so hard does ease the effort. And afterward, I just rinse off the muck from the gloves.
Given your sore back, etc, a suggestion for those cold days in 50' of water, and after you've motored up the anchcor (don't laugh) -- attach a strong hook to a 30' length of rope line. (Similar to an anchor snubber.) Insert the hook into the chain links near the roller and run the rope line back to a winch. Then your partner can winch while you watch (or pull to assist) to bring it up in increments. Once the hook gets far enough back, you can hook a shorter snubber line (attached to the cleat in the anchor locker) to hold the chain while you transfer the first hook back to the roller end again -- and repeat.
Or hook a second 30' hook/line at the roller end and run it to a 2nd winch. Repeat until done.
It ain't pretty, it's slow, and a bit clumsy, but your back won't hurt near as much.

 

[Bill Roosa]

If you can't get the anchor to break free try this
after motoring over the anchor just cleat off the rode. The motion of the boat and the vertical angle of the rode will pull all but the completely fouled anchor.
As for the backache, I find that positioning myself in seated position and pulling by bending at the waist and not using my arms to prevent backache. Keep your back straight and only bend at the waist.

 

[Lee Scott]

If you can't get the anchor to break free try this
after motoring over the anchor just cleat off the rode. The motion of the boat and the vertical angle of the rode will pull all but the completely fouled anchor.
As for the backache, I find that positioning myself in seated position and pulling by bending at the waist and not using my arms to prevent backache. Keep your back straight and only bend at the waist.

Yes, I usually sit with my feet stradling the anchor locker and pull with my back. My problem is that I used to row competiively in high school and first half of college, and had too many pulled muscles in my lower back. Now, any time the weather is cold and rainy, my back will tighten up and cripple me for a few days if I'm not fully warmed up before I do anything physical. Doesn't make for fun sailing!

 

[stuart.hamer]

I have a windlass on my '94 35.5. Not sure if the locker is any deeper on the 37.5 but it is a bit of a pain on my 35.5, having to position the chain or rope while pulling it in.

It's a Maxwell 800 and it looks almost like a factory install but not sure on that. There is a cover in the V-birth for the assembly.

I'd be happy to take pictures if interested. I'd say it was a little easier than not having one. I have 100 feet of chain and pulling the whole lot in by hand would be a pain. It doesn't have a lot of torque but if you're motoring slowly while pulling in and positioning the rope/chain it works OK.

Stuart

 

[Lee Scott]

I have a windlass on my '94 35.5. Not sure if the locker is any deeper on the 37.5 but it is a bit of a pain on my 35.5, having to position the chain or rope while pulling it in.

It's a Maxwell 800 and it looks almost like a factory install but not sure on that. There is a cover in the V-birth for the assembly.

I'd be happy to take pictures if interested. I'd say it was a little easier than not having one. I have 100 feet of chain and pulling the whole lot in by hand would be a pain. It doesn't have a lot of torque but if you're motoring slowly while pulling in and positioning the rope/chain it works OK.

Stuart

Stuart,

Thanks. Pictures would be greatly appreciated. I'm guessing there's not much difference between the 35.5 and the 37.5, so your setup should be similar to what I'm facing. The Maxwell 800 does look to be a little underpowered.

I'm thinking of something like the VW1500 vertical windlass with capstan.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|29596|321926|649413&id=1057227
It looks like it does not have a built-in hawse pipe, so that might make it easier to flake the rode into the locker as it comes off the gypsy. Might have to put it on a stainless pad to help protect the fiberglass.

What do you think?

 

[stuart.hamer]

Will take pictures when I'm back in town this weekend.

 

[JustDucky]

We also had a Maxwell 800 installed on our 91' 37.5. The anchor locker was lowered and a locker was added in the V-berth to hold a battery.

 

[Lee Scott]

We also had a Maxwell 800 installed on our 91' 37.5. The anchor locker was lowered and a locker was added in the V-berth to hold a battery.

That's a nice looking setup. Is that the factory hatch for a '91 Legend, or did you have it cut in half to make a solid surface for the windlass? If that's a custom job, they sure made it look like it came that way from the factory.

What does the v-berth look like, and where did you put the battery?

 

[Van737]

We also had a Maxwell 800 installed on our 91' 37.5. The anchor locker was lowered and a locker was added in the V-berth to hold a battery.

Sorry for the long delay in replying. We had a Simpson-lawrence Sprint 1000 vertical windlass installed in our 1994 37.5. The windlass was installed aft of the anchor locker. A water-tight wooden box, about 12X12", slanted at the bottom, fiberglassed in the inside, and with a stainless steel plaque at the bottom, was installed at the V-berth. The front of the box is open to the anchor locker.
It works very well. We have to help shoving the chain forward. We have a rode comprised of 200 ft of chain and 200 ft of line. In the Pacific the anchorages are often 40 to 60ft deep.
I vaguely remember adding the pictures to this forum. I could send them again.

 

[JustDucky]

I don't have a photo of the "V" berth. Maybe I can remember to get one next time at the boat. But essentialy it was shortened to the end of the anchor locker, the anchor locker was lowered some (not sure how much) and the battery was installed below the locker. This was then covered with a removable cover to service the battery. My wife and I sleep in the aft berth but we have had some 6' footers sleeping in the "V" berth with no problem.

 

[stuart.hamer]

FWIW here are pics of the Maxwell 800 installation on my 35.5