I have a 200 36CC purchased 2 yrs ago. The anchor windlass didn't work when I bought it and the previous owner said he never used it but told me that the engine needs to be running to work the windlass. I checked wiring diagrams for my boat and other Beneteaus and they all indicated a relay in the circuit was needed to operate the windlass. For 18 months, and a lot of advice from Beneteau dealers on where to look for the relay, I never found it. This past summer I broke down and paid someone to troubleshoot, locate and repair the windlass. He found that the ground that's required to operate the windlass solenoids was NEVER connected, to anything. The ground wire was run into the engine compartment and then routed under some wire harnesses, basically hidden. He connected the ground wire directly to ground, no relay and the windlass works. Because the windlass controls are on deck (no remote) I could possibly see why a relay "might " be a good idea. It could prevent accidental deployment of the anchor if you would happen to be walking on deck either at the dock or under sail.
Do you have a blower in your engine compartment? He found the blower wires were also disconnected. Does your blower run whenever the engine is running or is ot switched for temporary use when starting. I didn't think a blower was necessary with a diesel engine.
