We have a Maxwell Freedom 500 anchor windlass installed on our boat. This weekend I determined that it's dedicated 80A circuit breaker is connected directly to the house battery. Is this better to be connected to the starting battery? Or should it be connected to both? Or does it make any difference at all? My sense is that it should be connected to the starting battery since the windlass load would would be short duration, high amperage (like the engine starter), vs house loads which are low amperage, long duration (like lights, radio etc). I have yet to use the windlass but I imagine the engine would be running while raising anchor as we would motor slowly forward to reduce the raising load on the windlass. The windlass can be operated manually as well so being able to raise the anchor in the event of discharged batteries is not an issue.
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Most systems like this are wired to protect
your starting battery from being discharged. Even if sailing off your anchor (quite tricky, very salty) you would probably have the engine running just in case. Most of us motor off so the windless drain is not generally a problem. I'd leave it like it is, should work out fine. Some windlasses "power down" as opposed to freefall so you could theoretically drain your starting battery dropping the hook if so wired with one like this. BTW you motor slowly forward while bringing in rode till approaching "straight up" when the hook breaks free (hopefully) and you carefully bring in the rest of the rode and secure the hook without dinging the boat.
your starting battery from being discharged. Even if sailing off your anchor (quite tricky, very salty) you would probably have the engine running just in case. Most of us motor off so the windless drain is not generally a problem. I'd leave it like it is, should work out fine. Some windlasses "power down" as opposed to freefall so you could theoretically drain your starting battery dropping the hook if so wired with one like this. BTW you motor slowly forward while bringing in rode till approaching "straight up" when the hook breaks free (hopefully) and you carefully bring in the rest of the rode and secure the hook without dinging the boat.
Mine Too
David, Your surmise about the Engine battery is quite correct. I recently tested a windlass which was supplied with a 90 Amp thermal breaker. At stall it drew 247 amps for about a second before the breaker tripped. The chain tension was 550 Kg or 1200 lbs. Regarding discharging your battery, a one minute lowering plus a 1 minute weighing each day will require 2.3 ampere hours whilst running your VHF radio for 12 hours requires 4.2 amp hours. Nevertheless its always best to start the engine FIRST just in case you cannot and so are in double jeopardy.
David, Your surmise about the Engine battery is quite correct. I recently tested a windlass which was supplied with a 90 Amp thermal breaker. At stall it drew 247 amps for about a second before the breaker tripped. The chain tension was 550 Kg or 1200 lbs. Regarding discharging your battery, a one minute lowering plus a 1 minute weighing each day will require 2.3 ampere hours whilst running your VHF radio for 12 hours requires 4.2 amp hours. Nevertheless its always best to start the engine FIRST just in case you cannot and so are in double jeopardy.
everyone is wronge
Just kidding
~ everyone is absolutely right in their opinion and reasoning! Now I'm worried, as I always reconsider my position when the majority agrees with me (or I /w them). Gord
Just kidding
~ everyone is absolutely right in their opinion and reasoning! Now I'm worried, as I always reconsider my position when the majority agrees with me (or I /w them). Gord
Don't Touch my Startin' Batttery!
David, I am so paranoid about ending up with a dead start battery that there ain't nothin' hooked to it ceptin' the iron sail. I even turn off the frig when I leave the dock and dare anyone to open the lid until I'm ready for a cold one. Jon
David, I am so paranoid about ending up with a dead start battery that there ain't nothin' hooked to it ceptin' the iron sail. I even turn off the frig when I leave the dock and dare anyone to open the lid until I'm ready for a cold one. Jon
If you run your engine
it really doesn't matter, because the amps in from the alternator offset the windlass electrical load. You're putting in more than you take out. Anyway, you shouldn't be running your windlass without your engine running, because you should be moving the boat over the anchor with the engine, and not using the windlass to pull you there. I agree with Jon that it should be tied to the house bank, and kept separate from the start battery. Deep cycle house banks CAN withstand short heavy loads. In fact, many people ONLY keep their start batteries for emergencies, and deep cycle house banks can be used to start the engine normally. The start battery is there ONLY IF the house bank fails, so one school of thought says: normally start your engine with the house bank, and only use the start battery as a backup if you've spent too many days at anchor and have depleted your house bank (or for any other reason that the house bank is a goner). A lot of it has to do with how your boat is wired, too. Many have separated their start bank and wired it so that, unless the crossover switch is engaged, ONLY the start bank is connected to the engine starter, and only the house bank works the house loads. Especially in that case, I'd use the house bank. This is the three switch West Marine suggestion. We haven't done that separation and still use the 1-2-B switch. Most of the time I start the engine with the house bank, and leave it on 2 (my house bank). We have a combiner that combines the banks when charging (shorepower or alternator and solar). All charging devices are connected to the house bank PDP (positive distribution post), and the combiner charges the start battery. If I start on 1, the start battery, the charging goes to the house bank first, then through the combiner to the start bank, BUT the DC loads, like the fridge, instruments, lights if on, end up being drawn off the start battery (because the switch is on 1), and not the deep cycle house bank, which isn't too good for the start battery (although more's going in than is coming out). That's why some people make that 3 - switch modification to their wiring. One could also argue that the windlass on the deep cycle house bank is no different than the fridge on the start bank! Some people also put in a separate battery for just the windlass, sometimes for space and wiring reasons, but the life expectancy of any smaller bank is less than one larger bank, so it makes sense to maximize your house bank and run bigger wires to the windlass (if you physically can). Stu PS - I also always agree with Gord ;D
it really doesn't matter, because the amps in from the alternator offset the windlass electrical load. You're putting in more than you take out. Anyway, you shouldn't be running your windlass without your engine running, because you should be moving the boat over the anchor with the engine, and not using the windlass to pull you there. I agree with Jon that it should be tied to the house bank, and kept separate from the start battery. Deep cycle house banks CAN withstand short heavy loads. In fact, many people ONLY keep their start batteries for emergencies, and deep cycle house banks can be used to start the engine normally. The start battery is there ONLY IF the house bank fails, so one school of thought says: normally start your engine with the house bank, and only use the start battery as a backup if you've spent too many days at anchor and have depleted your house bank (or for any other reason that the house bank is a goner). A lot of it has to do with how your boat is wired, too. Many have separated their start bank and wired it so that, unless the crossover switch is engaged, ONLY the start bank is connected to the engine starter, and only the house bank works the house loads. Especially in that case, I'd use the house bank. This is the three switch West Marine suggestion. We haven't done that separation and still use the 1-2-B switch. Most of the time I start the engine with the house bank, and leave it on 2 (my house bank). We have a combiner that combines the banks when charging (shorepower or alternator and solar). All charging devices are connected to the house bank PDP (positive distribution post), and the combiner charges the start battery. If I start on 1, the start battery, the charging goes to the house bank first, then through the combiner to the start bank, BUT the DC loads, like the fridge, instruments, lights if on, end up being drawn off the start battery (because the switch is on 1), and not the deep cycle house bank, which isn't too good for the start battery (although more's going in than is coming out). That's why some people make that 3 - switch modification to their wiring. One could also argue that the windlass on the deep cycle house bank is no different than the fridge on the start bank! Some people also put in a separate battery for just the windlass, sometimes for space and wiring reasons, but the life expectancy of any smaller bank is less than one larger bank, so it makes sense to maximize your house bank and run bigger wires to the windlass (if you physically can). Stu PS - I also always agree with Gord ;D
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