37C Windlass

[Ventuse]

Hi guys,
I have been slowly upgrading my '81 37c while also enjoying sailing it each season. This year I have been looking at the anchor and rode. I have yet to try out the anchor since purchasing it. (I have a good marina, and we have been doing day sails since purchasing) Before haul out last year I did peek again into the anchor locker and saw a very old danforth anchor, some rusted chain, and some old nylon braid. I would like to upgrade anchor, rode and add a windlass. I know there is a lot of discussion about TYPE of anchor, which I had been looking at a Rocna, but what size? What size chain and what size/type windlass have people been using on a 37c?

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I have a 15Kb Bruce (similar to the Rocna) and a Fortress FX-16 (10lb) as a backup --
I have 30' chain and 200' of lewmar 8 plait rode. Love the way the 8-plait stores in the locker and pulls

you size the chain to fit you windlass - length will vary from 100% to 20-30'. depends on how much anchoring and expected weather while anchored

 

[Ventuse]

Thanks for the info. What size/model windlass would be adequate?

 

[Michael Davis]

What ever anchor you decide on go one size up from recommended. Minimum of one boat length of chain to rode. Spent over 100 nights on a 20Kg Bruce last summer and slept very well.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Regardless of anchor you will need to do something about the original bow roller if you add a windlass. I extended the bow roller, installed hawse pipe down to the keel, and installed a manual windlass. You can see all of that in the Owner's Modifications for the 37C.
https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=38&aid=7223&mn=37-cutter

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I have a Lewmar Ocean 2 - what you choose is often very boat specific. I'll defer to Hunter owners.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Can you send a photo of the interior of your anchor locker ? The type of windlass is pretty much dictated by your locker setup.

 

[Ventuse]

It's going to be a week or two before I can get down to it, but yeah I can take a picture of the locker interior. It is the stock 37 cutter interior.

 

[Ed Schenck]

His locker is identical to the one in my link above. You do not need a hawse pipe unless you want the chain to go to the keel as I did. You can just have it go the level below. But that's forward of the v-berth and I use that for storage. If you keep the rode in the locker then you have to put the windlass on the deck. Somewhere there is a post where the locker door was cut in half and the windlass was mounted on the front half of the locker hatch.

You should also check out the master of H37C projects, Gene Gruender on Rainbow Chaser. Scroll down and see "Upgrades and Repairs".
http://www.oocities.org/rainbow_chaser.geo/index.html

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

If you can photo the anchor roller as well would be a help. Deployment can be a problem with different anchors. The more photos the better. I recently added a windlass to my '99 H-310 but not familiar with the anchor locker of a H-37.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

His locker is identical to the one in my link above.

OUCH ! ! ! That doesn't look too easy. Mine has a pedestal for the windlass to sit on and then a drop for the rode of several feet into the locker for storage.

Nice thing about this setup is that the 12V motor sits in the V berth and away from corrosion in the anchor locker

Ventuse ................. bring on the pictures and I'm sure we can come up with a solution as Ed has shown. I believe many of the later model Hunters have the pedestal arrangements which makes life a little easier.

 

[Bill McKinney]

When we bought our 37c 7 years ago I couldn't believe the 22 pound rocna would do the trick. Ten thousand miles and many hundreds of anchorings later we've drug twice. Both in 40 plus knots. That's on 200 ft of chain. But I'll still go up a size when we get a power windlass.
Bill McKinney
Klickitat II

 

[Alctel]

I'd go for one of the 'new' generation anchors (Mason, Mantus, Spade, Rocna etc etc). They are all very good anchors and any would work well. I'd get whichever one fits on your anchor roller and whichever one you can get a deal on, in that order.

For my H36, I use a 45 pound Mantus with 60' of 5/16 G4 chain and the rest rode.

Much like the 37c, the 36 has a terrible anchor locker for a windless. In my case, I'm able to pull it up by hand (running a chain hook to a winch if it's really stuck) so I haven't actually put one in yet.

In any case, enjoy anchoring and get a decent anchor alarm app for your phone.