Manual Windlass

[Stu Jackson]

I tried, I tried

On boats I've owned without windlasses I have rigged a short line with chain hook, like you'd use on an all chain rode for a snubber.

I explained this almost exactly to hermit in the link posted earlier.

 

[Hermit Scott]

Stu-I just want to see different options to find out what will work best for me. I did read your post though and I appriciate it. I will make a snubber and hook it up to the cleat in the bow locker.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Snubbers

-I just want to see different options to find out what will work best for me. ...and hook it up to the cleat in the bow locker.

Thanks, hermit. A cleat IN the bow locker makes little sense, and could be dangerous with the door dropping on your arm. That's why they put cleats ON the deck. Usually the cleat inside the locker is only used to tie off the bitter end of the rode.

In case you may have missed it, we've all been telling you to use something ON deck to snub: cleat, chain hook on a line, manual windlass - you name it. Where did anyone ever suggest using something IN the locker? Where in all the books or links or responses did anyone show you using something inside?

It would really help if you took a few pictures of what you have up at your bow, and posted them for us to help you better.

Regarding that "hump" in the cover of MS's anchor locker, it comes with the boat. In fact, if you'd look at other boats, you'll find that most of the newer ones have that feature. It's useless for anything other than having the chain lead from the anchor shank into the locker. In almost every case you need to open the door to assure a fairlead of rode when deploying and for coiling up the rode when retrieving. Your older C30 may not have that feature. I have a dockmate with an '81 C30 and I don't recall whether or not he has that "hump" opening, but his anchor's shank goes way past the forward end of his anchor locker when it is sitting in his bow roller.

What you'll need to do is determine how you want to arrange your anchor ocker door and your ground tackle. That's why a picture would help us immeasurably.

 

[Hermit Scott]

Thanks, hermit. A cleat IN the bow locker makes little sense, and could be dangerous with the door dropping on your arm. That's why they put cleats ON the deck. Usually the cleat inside the locker is only used to tie off the bitter end of the rode.

In case you may have missed it, we've all been telling you to use something ON deck to snub: cleat, chain hook on a line, manual windlass - you name it. Where did anyone ever suggest using something IN the locker? Where in all the books or links or responses did anyone show you using something inside?

It would really help if you took a few pictures of what you have up at your bow, and posted them for us to help you better.

Regarding that "hump" in the cover of MS's anchor locker, it comes with the boat. In fact, if you'd look at other boats, you'll find that most of the newer ones have that feature. It's useless for anything other than having the chain lead from the anchor shank into the locker. In almost every case you need to open the door to assure a fairlead of rode when deploying and for coiling up the rode when retrieving. Your older C30 may not have that feature. I have a dockmate with an '81 C30 and I don't recall whether or not he has that "hump" opening, but his anchor's shank goes way past the forward end of his anchor locker when it is sitting in his bow roller.

What you'll need to do is determine how you want to arrange your anchor ocker door and your ground tackle. That's why a picture would help us immeasurably.

Maine Sail said he kept a chain snubber in his locker. I guess he took it out used it and then stowed it away.
I have a cleat in the locker. So I guess that it's only purpose is to tie the bitter end there so you don't have to ever go swimming for ground tackle.

I was headed to my boat but it rained the El Nino. I will try for tomorrow or the next day. I finished the bow roller. I am waiting on another gallon of epoxy to pot the holes before I install it. But I will probably dry fit it and take some pictures. I made the bow roller to be structural and support the anchor rode, but it depends on how close I can get the roller to the toe rail and how the support looks for the backing plates.

The "hump" did not come on my boat. I will take the anchor locker cover to my shop and fiberglass one onto it though. Storing a 33 lb. claw on a bowroller and disconnecting the chain from it to stow it is a recipe for going swimming for an anchor. I was handing it to my friend off the boat at the dock and I dropped it in. I had to swim down and tie a line to it to hoist it up.

 

[dreamsailing]

Great info.

Many good points in all this. I do have an issue with the fore deck picture. Was the boat at anchor and if so chaffing would seem a major problem.

 

[Maine Sail]

Many good points in all this. I do have an issue with the fore deck picture. Was the boat at anchor and if so chaffing would seem a major problem.

Yes boat was at anchor. Chafing has been an absolute non issue. That double braid rode is five+ years old and has well over 300 anchorings on it. It shows zero wear & tear and no signs of chafe.

Those closed chocks on the stainless stem head fitting are very smooth and large enough to provide plenty of room for two rodes if necessary. In calm winds I rarely even use the chafe protection but when the wind pipes up the chafe sleeve, located on the port side of the bow pulpit, in the photo, goes on. I have seen more chafe issues with the edges of the anchor roller than I do with those sealed chocks..

 

[Ken Tempelmeyer]

Anyone have experience with manual windlasses? I believe one draw back is that they are slow but they are less expensive and easier to install. Just a thought. Any opinions would be welcome.

Also, any advise on marking braided anchor line? I bought the anchor rode markers from SBO and ended up using them for my back up anchor with a 3 strand nylon rode. My primary anchor uses double braided nylon and I tried using white electrical tape every 30' but it didn't stand up to well.

Thanks Bob

I installed a manual windlass on my Hunter 33.5 several years ago. I was told by the boat yard that I would probably replace it with an electric windlass in a short time because it would be easier to use at my age. I have never had any desire to replace it. It is easy to use and doesn't require great strength. However, trying to dislodge the anchor with the windlass can damage it. Always motor the boat forward with the anchorline cleated to dislodge it.

 

[dottiek]

Hand signals

Hand signals are great when you have one hand available but not so good when you need two hands and the wind is howling. We solved the problem with headset walkie talkies. Now we can communicate without hands, yelling or other issues. I think the wife who sold them to me at the boat show called them marriage savers

 

[rickmorel]

Use only in "special" condidtions? We use our Simpson Laurance 2-speed manual windless every time we weigh anchor, from start to finish. It's faster than the electric ones we've seen on high speed, and very powerful on low speed. I don't know if it comes that way, but our gypsy will take any size chain and rope. It has a kind of 4-way taper and you can even mix different size chains with no problem.

By hand? I don't think so with a 65 lb. anchor and 130 ft. of heavy chain, hooked to a 24,000 lb boat. Maybe with a little boat...

I much prefer a manual one over electric. A lot simplier and uses no battery power.

 

[dlmiller]

Manual vs Electric Windless

I’ve had my 37’ for 28 years. I first started with 5/8” 3 strand with 12’ chain. After 20 years of using plastic markers and grunt power to lift the 33lb Bruce I opted for an electric windless over a manual because we typically anchor in 30’ – 40’ depths with the rare 100’ evening anchorage. Pro, the electric provides a quick lift from deep water. The electric saved my aging shoulders. The electric allows my wife to quickly raise me up the mast using snatch blocks and a slightly longer halyard. Con, the motor quit once. This required a line with a rolling hitch on the chain run back to the primary winch as an alternate lift. This took a good 10 minutes in calm weather. A deck mounted chain stop saves having two lines run to the primary for this operation.

When I had my chain re-plated recently the proprietor suggested marking the chain with colored nylon ties. I expected the ties to last one turn around the gypsy, but after 2 years they are, amazingly, still holding. Just to be safe I also marked them with stainless ties. Given galvanic corrosion, I am unsure if this was a good idea.

For breaking an anchor from the bottom, remember: No anchor will hold with a 1:1 scope. Bringing the anchor chain/rode vertical and waiting a minute with tension on will generally allow the auxiliary motor to gently break the anchor free.

 

[Randyonr3]

Much of what you need as a windless comes from the type of area you sail and what your ground tackle is made up of.
For us, I wouldnt think of using a manual unit, as I store two lockers with 400 feet of 5/16 ht. in each or a total of 800 feet of chain. the rocks of the north-west or coral reefs of the south pacific play hell with anything but chain. and I have droped anchor in 130 feet of water in the inland passage..
Also, contrary to popular belief, an electric windless is not designed to break an anchor lose from the bottom, and its the best way to burn one up. An electric unit is designed for "dead pull" and not for surge and uasally measured in weight... Ours has a dead pull of 1200 lbs.
What I like best about our electric windless is it can be operated from the cockpit

 

[Barry Needalman]

One way to mark chain is with plastic ties straps. Put the strap through a link, pull it tight, cut it short. Keep the lock bit on the outside of the link. Nylon ties are strong enought and flat enough to withstand the windless.

 

[jimford2158]

My plow anchor weighs about 40? pounds plus the chain and has an eyelet on it that I would assume is so a line can be tied to it and probably a float, so that the anchor could be pulled straight up if it was stuck. The bow would have to be approximately over the anchor for this to work. Does this sound correct, as I am just guessing? I only have a manual windlass but it is froze and is very difficult to turn. I have added penetrant but it is still hard to turn at this time. I was informed as to using the winch for hauling anchor but wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Thank you for the great info.

 

[Stu Jackson]

This kinda continues

at "hermit's hump" http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=112740

 

[gandalf]

Seems like the missing factor is where and what kind of sailing you will do. Summers in NE or most anywhere where you probably won't go out in bad weather or stay on the hook would allow most of the ideas mentioned as options. If you plan major cruising it would be likely you will have heavier anchors and more chain. You also will be anchoring in situations where things get diceyer. Requiring anchor watches and retrieving draging anchors with high winds and waves etc. When I bought my boat the previous owner(who solo circumnavigated twice in this boat) and my sailing mentor both recommended I replace the manuel SL with a power windless. I didn't and my fears of being caught alone on a lee shore as the winds shifted were a part of my returning to New England from the Med. I had pulled myself off twice with a dragging anchor with my Manuel but if conditions had been slightly worse I would have been in trouble. Trouble that might have been mitigated by a power windless and a remote control. Sorry to ramble so long. Good luck on your decision. Pax Steve SV Gandalf

 

[gettinthere]

we have the S-L 555 tiger manual windlass. I thought for sure I would replace it, first thing, when we bought the boat. Tried it out and it is pretty easy. I have a 45lb Manson Supreme and 200' of 5/16" HT chain. I've handled 100' out on many occasions and it's not bad at all. I'm mid 50's and not exactly a gorilla.

 

[Brian la Bute]

both have merit

I've had both and both have merit. There is nothing nicer than wrapping a halyard around an electric and using it to put someone up the mast rather than grinding them up. But the electric sure give you grief with corrosion. I recently installed a Lofrans manual on my beneteau 375 and it is slower but works great. The idea of using the boat to break-out an anchor is fine but it doesn't work to retrieve it. After it's brokenout , it's nice to have mechanical advantage to dead-lift a 45 pound Bruce and a pile of chain.

Anyone have experience with manual windlasses? I believe one draw back is that they are slow but they are less expensive and easier to install. Just a thought. Any opinions would be welcome.

Also, any advise on marking braided anchor line? I bought the anchor rode markers from SBO and ended up using them for my back up anchor with a 3 strand nylon rode. My primary anchor uses double braided nylon and I tried using white electrical tape every 30' but it didn't stand up to well.

Thanks Bob

 

[tomfoolery]

I use black UV resistant zip ties at 30' intervals to mark my chain and rode: 1 zip, 2 zip, 3 zip, repeat - works for me I can see them, feel them and even hear them when they go over the chain gypsy. I use a lewmar 700 proseries.

 

[Franklin]

Easy Way To Mark Rode

I've had difficulty in keeping those tape markers on the rode as the windlass would rip them off and at night they were hard to read, so when I got my new rode, I used paint. I laid out the rode on the dock in lengths of 50' going back and forth. I then measured out 25' and put a towel under it and marked the rode with the following schema:

one strip for each 25' up to four strips, then changed color and started over again (each color was 100'). So the first 25' was one black strip, 50' was two black strips, 75' was three black strips, 125' was one yellow strip....275' was 3 red strips.

easy to remember....black...starting out, yellow means I'm in the middle and red means I'm near the end. The paint is still on after 4 years of use.

Materials was just 3 cans of spray paint from Home Depot and it took no time at all.