windlass

[Bill1565]

I pulled the windlass out of my anchor locker today. I had not adequately caulked two of the hold down bolts, got water and mildew in my clothes storage. Good thing it was not the Admiral's storage. Not going to put it back right away, it didn't work well anyway as the bow and the sampson post kep the chain up so high that it skipped on the chain wheel. Don't have much room to put it on deck.
Anybody out there with a 37c have a windlass setup they like?

 

[jorgefife]

Could I use it on my H33 (82) ?
Someone I know installed one, and is very happy
Let me knoiw what you want for it, and I will decide if it is something I could use now or later down the road
Thanks

 

[zeehag]

i have a flush mount lofrans electric i would love to trade for a burlier windlass...

 

[Ed Schenck]

Hard to see why it isn't working for you. Are you saying the rode goes OVER the sampson post? Or is it a problem of the chain coming off the gypsy? Maybe both. In your picture I cannot see where the rode goes coming off the windlass. Mine is in the locker and works great. But I have the all chain rode going all the way down to the keel.

 

[Bill1565]

It's a manual windlass guys. a Lofrans Royal . Defender priced at $1015. Yours for $500 plus shipping.

I built a platform in the locker for the windlass, even ground a spot out of the wood backing for the winch handle emergency fitting to raise the winch as high in the locker as possible. Chain runs over base of sampson post as bow rollers are really small and close to centerline. With winch as hi as possible to allow for chainfall, chain still jumps out of wheel (wildcat?).

I hope that next summer I get around to removing the forestay chainplate and the hokey roller setup welded to it and replacing with a big beefy anchor roller and 2 large cleats that lets me get back to my CQR 45.

Don't yet know exactly what I will do, but I just turned 70 and I know that the final solution does not involve a manual winch. I have a lofrans 1000w winch that I may install on deck with a tube into the bilge.

My hope for this post was a look at windlass intallations that people are happy with.

Meanwhile I am using an XYZ anchor that only weighs 18# with a Fortress FX37 as backup. I have no trouble pulling either by hand as the water here in SW florida is only 20' deep in the holes, 5 to 10 in the anchorages.

 

[smittyssi]

Windlass vs Winch

Has anyone tried a low cost 12 volt winch instead of an expensive windlass? This one at Harbor Freight rated for 2,000 lbs is only $50.

Description of Haul-Master 39997
Recover vehicles, trailer your boat, and pull stumps.

• Heavy duty winch gives you up to 6000 lbs. of pulling capacity for rolling stock, 2000 lbs. for straight pulling
• No load line speed: 3 ft. 6" per minute
• Max. load line speed: 1 ft. 10-5/8" per minute
• Power in, manual out
• Corrosion-resistant housing for long life
• Convenient carrying handle for maximum portability

Includes 30 ft. of 3/16" galvanized steel cable, 3/4" drop forged hook and remote switch with 10 ft. lead 5 ft. per minute with full loadShipping Weight: 25.85 lbs.

If so what did you buy and how is it working?

 

[zeehag]

i have a lofrans 1000 electric windlass i am willing to trade for a manual windlass if reasonable size for a 41 ft heavy displacement cruiser. mine has owner manual with it. works great but is a tad light for my tackle and boat.

 

[Ed Schenck]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I'm much younger than you Bill, just 69. But my manual windlass has never been a problem with my CQR35. I also have an FX37 that I had to buy for the hurricane holes while down south. I think the solution is more about where the windlass is mounted, where the rode leads, and the bow roller. Pictured are all of my very inexpensive components. The windlass sits on a glassed in piece of 3/8" plywood so water doesn't run down the hawse pipe. I made the bow roller just long enough to get the CQR shackle right next to the sampson post. Then another picture from I cannot remember who.[/FONT]

 

[Bill1565]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I'm much younger than you Bill, just 69. But my manual windlass has never been a problem with my CQR35.[/FONT]

Ed, I hope to get older and still boat. While I'm tearing up the bow, I will install an electric windlass of one sort or another. Back in my mid 50's I had a manual windlass like yours. worked great back then on my 41 footer with the CQR 45 and all 3/8 BBB.

Sat an anchor watch once in Lake Worth while boats dragged all around me in a bad storm. If I had electric back then, I'd have pulled anchor and gone further north in the lake This Lofrans is rated at 400+ pounds of pull. I suspect yours pulls harder.

 

[Bill1565]

i have a lofrans 1000 electric windlass i am willing to trade for a manual windlass if reasonable size for a 41 ft heavy displacement cruiser. mine has owner manual with it. works great but is a tad light for my tackle and boat.

If memory serves and that's a big IF what Ed has pictures of is a two speed "Tiger" Tigress? In low gear it will take a long time but you can pull the foundation out from under a house.

 

[Jim Legere]

Bill,

I have a Simpson Lawrence 1500 mounted in the anchor locker with 175' of 3/8 bbb chain rode. I have the original bow rollers and carry a 45 lb plow on the starboard one. The chain feeds over the base of the sampson post and onto the windlass gypsy. I have never had a problem with the chain jumping out, but you might consider a roller to give your chain a better lead, as this owner did: http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...&cat_id=38&aid=7004&page=article&mn=37-cutter
I wouldn't consider cruising without my electric anchor windlass and all chain rode - it makes anchoring a pleasure!

 

[Bill1565]

Thanks Jim, I may try something similar to that, but my anchor locker has been modified by a PO to be apparently both deeper and longer. Question, does the chain in in the bilge cause a bad odor? The sea weed? the sand?

 

[Ed Schenck]

My 100' chain plus 100' of rope rode has been in the bilge for six or seven years I guess. It has never gone down there dirty. Maybe not real clean either! It is only the last ten or twenty feet that needs cleaned. I use a long handled brush to scrub it as it comes up. I can do about five feet at a time reaching over the pulpit. There was the time when the mud was so thick that I just dragged it on deck to scrub the last ten feet. Not a problem with the 35# but 45# might be a different matter. Anyway never any odors.

A wash down has been under consideration for years. Problem is I am no fan of electric motors running the batteries down. And long wiring going to the bow is an issue. Since you guys have power windlasses you already have wiring that you could splice into.

 

[Bill1565]

Thanks Ed. Wash down was already on the list as we cruise with a large dog.

 

[Johnb]

My hurt seems to come after the anchor has reached the bow roller. Getting 40 pounds of steel covered in clay through the pulpit without beating on the roller furling is the challenge. How do y'all store your anchors?

For short stops I am thinking about an FX-37 with all rope rode. There used to be rental houseboats on the delta that were supplied with all polypropelene (yes floating! ) anchor lines and they worked well. I was told they did it that way so when renters put the anchor down without tieing it on they could be recovered.

 

[zeehag]

i scrape mine of as i bring it on board or just after depending on which boat i am sailing. is easy to quickly scrape the thick mud off the flukes of the anchors --if i have to hand pull anchor, as i do on my ericson, i dunk the anchor into the water before i bring it on board my boat. havent done this as yet on my formosa-- we still finishing refit...