Simpson Lawrence (Sprint 1000) Windlass
Yeah, they don't make these anymore so it's hard (=impossible?) to get parts (e.g. manual retrieval fitting). The windlass (gears, housing, and gypsy) itself is great; the electric motor [British made] that drives it is a joke, however. I think the Sprint is designed so the motor would not actually be in the locker with the incoming rode/chain--i.e., protected from any contact with seawater by a partition, bulkhead, or special enclosure. In my anchor locker, which does not provide that protection, water seeps into the motor and corrodes the armature, brushes, and the internal bearings, particularly the one at the bottom of the motor assembly [when the windlass is vertically installed], that allow the armature to spin. The end cap is made of some kind of pot-metal that degrades over time making repairs but a hopeful exercise in not breaking it somewhere, especially at the screw caps that give access to the electric brushes. I'm on my third motor (= $500 each) since I bought the boat 10 yr ago. And, this third one I "rebuilt" in June of this year instead of buying another new one [still hard to get]. New internal bearings and new brushes. This is in spite of my attempt to seal the motor much better than as it arrives from the factory.
