windlass not working and how to use it solo?

[sunlover]

are there any switches that I should be aware of? the controller looks weathered but I'll start diagnosing. does the engine need to be on?

Has anyone rigged it to use solo (still looking for a 1st mate)? seems perfect for a cockpit switch for deploying and retrieval so I don't burn out the motor.

 

[JoeWhite]

Yes, I installed wired remote used in the cockpit.
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Yes, the engine should be running since the windlass motor may deplete the battery and not have enough current to start the engine.

 

[Davidasailor26]

The engine probably does need to be running, or at least the “ignition” needs to be on. At least that’s how they wire the new Beneteau’s.

When conditions are calm it should be possible to practice lowering and retrieving the anchor solo from the bow. When it’s breezier it’s a little harder - you might need to motor up a little, retrieve a little, and repeat numerous times.

Some boats do have windlass controls in the cockpit, sometimes with a chain counter so you know how much you’ve put out or taken in. I’d recommend trying from the bow a few times in calm weather before thinking about adding remote switches. We have a splice between the rope and chain that always snags falling into the locker, so we’d need to fix that before a remote control would be possible.

 

[BigEasy]

I just use the corded hand held controller from the bow. Engine on and reving while operating the windlass. Use the windlass intermittently to take the strain off the windlass motor. Have a tapered spice on the nylon/chain with markers in the rhode to indicate amount of line deployed. Works for me without anything fancy or complicated. If the windlass was factory installed, there should be a dedicated windlass breaker switch mounted in the aft berth adjacent to the battery switches.

 

[sunlover]

The windlass had no power so I traced the wires to the back cabin where there was an open circuit breaker. Fixed.

I'll have to check how much chain and rope I have for anchoring.

 

[Hollyberry]

Our anchor locker has a sloping floor and the chain needs to be cleared by hand periodically when retrieving the anchor. Don't think it would work for me solo from the cockpit.

 

[arf145]

Like BigEasy, I use the windlass solo, but I just do it from the bow. A little bit of back and forth during anchoring, but not that bad.

 

[sunlover]

I thought I posted a follow up. Anyways, I threatened the windlass with a volt meter and discovered it was dead/no power. I then traced the wires to the rear berth and discovered an open circuit breaker next to the battery isolation switches. I closed it and the windlass started working. The remote looks badly weather worn, but if it's not broken, don't fix it. At least until I work through my other priorities.

 

[BigEasy]

The remote looks badly weather worn, but if it's not broken, don't fix it.

Not sure of your set up; however, many of those boats were outfitted with a Lewmar concept windlass and a corded hand held remote that attached to a receptacle in the anchor locker. On the boat that I chartered many times, there were issues with novice users breaking or bending the fragile connector pins from misalignment when plugging in, the pins becoming corroded and breaking (lack of lubrication with anti corrosive grease), and the coil cord becoming entangled in the windlass gypsy. With careful use and lubrication of the connector pins, mine has been problem free.

 

[arf145]

The remote looks badly weather worn, but if it's not broken, don't fix it. At least until I work through my other priorities.

A somewhat related anecdote: My windlass remote buttons, which are Momentary On, that is On as long as you hold them, had begun to "stick" a bit, and I'd have to click them a few times to get them to stop. I took the remote apart, but saw that the little switches weren't serviceable. I was thinking about getting a new one, but they weren't cheap, and it was just a small nuisance. Then one very blustery day while on my way to an anchorage, I heard a motor running, causing me to run below in alarm to see why the bilge pump was suddenly pumping. Down below, I quickly saw it wasn't the bilge pump, but, worse, it was the windlass running, and it was dumping anchor and rode at an alarming clip! I ran up the stairs and forward with mental pictures of the anchor finally catching on the bay bottom and then ripping the bow of the boat off. I grabbed the remote and bashed it on the deck a few times and the Down button let go. The Up button still worked fine and soon all the rode was back in the anchor locker where it belonged.
Right after that trip, I happily purchased a new remote, which seemed quite inexpensive now that I thought about it. And I made a note to leave the breaker for the windlass off until right before anchoring

 

[kappykaplan]

Right after that trip, I happily purchased a new remote, which seemed quite inexpensive now that I thought about it.

Sometimes, letting go of a boat unit is a good thing to do.