Lofrans Tigres Horizontal Windlass

[dLj]

I'm going to have to rebuild my windlass, the Lofrans Tigres. It apparently has a "safety feature" where when dropping your anchor, if there is too much force pulling the chain out of the locker, it just spins the gypsy and no chain comes out. This does not happen when weighing anchor - thank god- but this windlass is now not working well when dropping the anchor. This mechanism is not functioning correctly and I'll have to hand pull the anchor chain out of the locker for much of the time while dropping anchor. Rather a pain in the a$$....


I have two questions:

1) Has anybody worked on on of these and do you have any technical manuals. I can only find the installation and users manual on-line, a maintenance kit and a 3D model (a file I'm working on getting the software to open). But I can't find a technical manual that has detailed instruction on this windlass. If anyone has advice on rebuilding one of these, please let me know any concerns or watch-outs - like small parts that like to fall out when taking it apart, or a sequence of disassembly, whatever.

2) When talking with Lofrans, they said there is a way to lock this mechanism so that this "safety feature" no longer exists. Can anybody think of a reason why I should not do this? I'm trying to see what this kind of "safety feature" really does. Why would I not want the windlass to simply pull the chain out of the locker even if there is a lot of resistance?

dj

 

[dlochner]

Why would I not want the windlass to simply pull the chain out of the locker even if there is a lot of resistance?

Off the top of my head, when the bitter end is reached windlass could continue pulling on the rode eventually pulling the attachment for the bitter end off and sending it flying.

If someone had a body part caught in the chain, the windlass would stop pulling thus causing less injury.

If the chain is jammed pressure is taken off the gypsy allowing the motor to run rather than seize and over heat.

It sounds like the gypsy has a clutch of some sort that releases under tension a better system might be a simple pressure switch at some pressure the motor just shuts down.

 

[dLj]

@dlochner All excellent points.

Off the top of my head, when the bitter end is reached windlass could continue pulling on the rode eventually pulling the attachment for the bitter end off and sending it flying.

Yes this one I'd thought about, but specifically in my case, I have the chain attached to the chain locker bottom with a rope rode, and it would come out extending beyond the gypsy and would therefore loose strength and could not pull out the bitter end.

If someone had a body part caught in the chain, the windlass would stop pulling thus causing less injury.

Yeah, I'd thought about this one also. But what I don't understand is the difference between letting the chain down, and bringing the chain up. Bringing the chain up this mechanism is not in play - the windlass needs all it's got to pull the anchor back up. So how would this safety aspect be a concern? Why would there be more of a concern for "body part" safety going down than coming back up?

If the chain is jammed pressure is taken off the gypsy allowing the motor to run rather than seize and over heat.

Yes, I've thought about this one and don't know - retrieving the anchor, you certainly could run this risk. But is there more of a risk dropping the anchor on this point rather than retrieving?

It sounds like the gypsy has a clutch of some sort that releases under tension a better system might be a simple pressure switch at some pressure the motor just shuts down.

This would then give a "safety feature the system does not currently have, which is an over-load safety for going both up and down. Might be a good idea - still leads me to disabling the current load going down part of the windlass.

I'm really having a hard time seeing why I wouldn't just get rid of that safety-as-anchor-is-going-down feature.

More thoughts? this is very helpful.

dj

 

[dlochner]

This would then give a "safety feature the system does not currently have, which is an over-load safety for going both up and down. Might be a good idea - still leads me to disabling the current load going down part of the windlass.

I have a Maxwell windlass and the clutch will work in both directions.

 

[dLj]

I have a Maxwell windlass and the clutch will work in both directions.

Mine only works going down.

dj

 

[capta]

The Tigress is not designed to lower the chain with the motor. The brake is loosened to drop the chain in free fall mode, and the chain is slowed by tightening it (a cone shaped metal piece fitting into a cone shaped receiver).
We completely serviced out Tigress twice a year, paying particular attention to the brake, as it often had a salt build up on the pieces that had burned to the brake from the heat of breaking. If this isn't done frequently enough the build up will become very difficult to remove, not that it is easy even if done several times a year.
Ours was over 30 years old and working perfectly, but we wanted to move up to 1/2" chain, which the Tigress would not have handled well, as we lay on our anchor virtually every night for 8 years.

 

[dLj]

The Tigress is not designed to lower the chain with the motor. The brake is loosened to drop the chain in free fall mode, and the chain is slowed by tightening it (a cone shaped metal piece fitting into a cone shaped receiver).
We completely serviced out Tigress twice a year, paying particular attention to the brake, as it often had a salt build up on the pieces that had burned to the brake from the heat of breaking. If this isn't done frequently enough the build up will become very difficult to remove, not that it is easy even if done several times a year.
Ours was over 30 years old and working perfectly, but we wanted to move up to 1/2" chain, which the Tigress would not have handled well, as we lay on our anchor virtually every night for 8 years.

We must have different models. Mine was new in 2007 - so "only" 17 years old. It uses both up and down functions. Perhaps they changed the functions? I do not have a free release that is needed to use - it's considered a back-up if the down function doesn't work.

dj

 

[artboas]

I'm going to have to rebuild my windlass, the Lofrans Tigres. It apparently has a "safety feature" where when dropping your anchor, if there is too much force pulling the chain out of the locker, it just spins the gypsy and no chain comes out. This does not happen when weighing anchor - thank god- but this windlass is now not working well when dropping the anchor. This mechanism is not functioning correctly and I'll have to hand pull the anchor chain out of the locker for much of the time while dropping anchor. Rather a pain in the a$$....


I have two questions:

1) Has anybody worked on on of these and do you have any technical manuals. I can only find the installation and users manual on-line, a maintenance kit and a 3D model (a file I'm working on getting the software to open). But I can't find a technical manual that has detailed instruction on this windlass. If anyone has advice on rebuilding one of these, please let me know any concerns or watch-outs - like small parts that like to fall out when taking it apart, or a sequence of disassembly, whatever.

2) When talking with Lofrans, they said there is a way to lock this mechanism so that this "safety feature" no longer exists. Can anybody think of a reason why I should not do this? I'm trying to see what this kind of "safety feature" really does. Why would I not want the windlass to simply pull the chain out of the locker even if there is a lot of resistance?

dj

I wouid highly advise putting this unit in a crate, and shipping it to Lofrans.
The job will get done perfectly, and you’ll sleep well at anchor
Last reason…
I had a problem years ago with the horizontal windlass on my 40.5.
Decided to get my hands into the chain locker to remove a “jam up”
That was a very painful experience that landed me in the ER.

if you can have someone professionally repair this, and remove risk….. I’d go that route.

 

[dLj]

I wouid highly advise putting this unit in a crate, and shipping it to Lofrans.
The job will get done perfectly, and you’ll sleep well at anchor
Last reason…
I had a problem years ago with the horizontal windlass on my 40.5.
Decided to get my hands into the chain locker to remove a “jam up”
That was a very painful experience that landed me in the ER.

if you can have someone professionally repair this, and remove risk….. I’d go that route.

I may very well go that route. Thank you.

dj

 

[capta]

We must have different models. Mine was new in 2007 - so "only" 17 years old. It uses both up and down functions. Perhaps they changed the functions? I do not have a free release that is needed to use - it's considered a back-up if the down function doesn't work.

dj

OK, whatever you say.