Seldom any load
on the windlass. I guess the pictures don't show it but the original massive mooring cleat was left untouched. Once the4 anchor is deployed, I take a chain hook which has spliced to it a goodly length of 5/8" three-strand nylon. The hook goes into the chain and the line comes thrugh the chock to the cleat. So the cleat and the nylon line take all the load. The chain above the hook is actually slack. If the winsd pipes up I hjust let out more chain and line, always keep the strain on the line, not the chain or windlass. On retrieval, I use the engine to move up on the anchor while the windlass brings in the rode. I have up/down controls in the cockpit for just that reason. The windlass does not pull the boat to the anchor though it could. As for the mounting of the windlass, it is indeed solid. If you note the deck locker rim, there is a recessed groove all around it. I cut a piece of 3/4" marine plywood to fit inside the locker rim with an inch of overlap all around. I set the wood panel with epoxy putty and held it in place while I drilled bolt holes on 1/2" centers. The wood and the locker rim were then bolted together with machine screws, washers and lock washers all set in epoxy putty. It ain't going nowhere! The locker lid is slightly crowned. So I yook another piece of plywood and contoured it to match the inside contour of the lid. Then I set the lid in place with epoxy putty. There is no load on the lid at all. Any load from the windlass is on the double layer of plywood and well distributed around the rim of the locker. I have not seen any signs of relative movement of the various pieces and it has seen some pretty windy days. I also put a gasket around the rest of the locker that does open and a positive latch. Does a good job of keeping the water out. The original had no latch, just abungee cord to hold it closed.
