bowthruster and windlass batteries whats going on?

[Mike k]

I always thought the windlass and bowthruster was operated by a forward located battery.Last week I replaced the battery and tested that both items were working. Bowthruster operated no problem but windlass must have had some power because I could hear a clicking noise at the trip switch however it only functioned properly when the earth and live were connected at my two main batteries in the engine bay.Any ideas why this should be ?

 

[rogerthebodger]

I always thought the windlass and bowthruster was operated by a forward located battery.Last week I replaced the battery and tested that both items were working. Bowthruster operated no problem but windlass must have had some power because I could hear a clicking noise at the trip switch however it only functioned properly when the earth and live were connected at my two main batteries in the engine bay.Any ideas why this should be ?

If you connected the main battery directly to the windlass motor it could be the control contactor (relay) what had burnt contacts. The contactor clicks to show its closing but the current in not flowing to the motor.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

The windlass' heavy current is supplied by the forward battery and switched by a solenoid, but I'm guessing that you have the facility to operate the windlass from the cockpit and that the (lighter) power which operates the solenoid is supplied by the main batteries.

 

[Mistroma]

The windlass' heavy current is supplied by the forward battery and switched by a solenoid, but I'm guessing that you have the facility to operate the windlass from the cockpit and that the (lighter) power which operates the solenoid is supplied by the main batteries.

Sounds like a reasonable explanation but worth checking a little further to confirm.

I also have a forward battery for the bowthruster and initially assumed it would also supply power for the windlass. I had looked at the wiring diagram and spotted that the standard wiring supplied power from the start battery. I assumed it would be modified when fitting the bowthruster option. However, it didn't take long to spot the trip in the aft. cabin and a quick check showed a large current draw from the aft. batteries.

I imagine it is possible that the OP has a similar setup but that doesn't explain power to the solenoid when aft. batteries aren't connected. I suppose the solenoid could still be getting power from the forward battery but that doesn't make a lot of sense unless the circuit path is more accidental than intentional. I'd suggest OP checks current draw (or at least looks for a Voltage drop) at the main batteries to check if they are supplying the windlass motor. Position of the trip would also be a good indicator. I imagine it would be near the bows if the forward battery was supplying the windlass. Mine is located in the aft. cabin and that immediately made me think it must be connected to the domestic or start batteries.

 

[ratbag]

i had a similar problem, the relay was powered by the start battery, my assumption is that its done so that you have to run the engine while using the bowthruster to keep the charge up,

 

[Mike k]

yes there is a windlass switch in the cockpit from where I tested it from and the trip switch is indeed in the forward compartment where the battery is located. I normally never use the switch in the cockpit ( there is not enough room in the anchor locker so needs the chain to be swept back by hand on retrieval to avoid piling up and clogging up the windlass) but rather I use a remote that plugs into a socket on the front of the bow adjacent to the windlass .I didn't check that functionality using the remote. Does that info give any more clues?

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

yes there is a windlass switch in the cockpit from where I tested it from and the trip switch is indeed in the forward compartment where the battery is located. I normally never use the switch in the cockpit ( there is not enough room in the anchor locker so needs the chain to be swept back by hand on retrieval to avoid piling up and clogging up the windlass) but rather I use a remote that plugs into a socket on the front of the bow adjacent to the windlass .I didn't check that functionality using the remote. Does that info give any more clues?

Just to be clear - with the fwd battery disconnected, if the windlass doesn't work but the solenoid clicks AND with the fwd battery connected and the main batteries off nothing happens at all, then I'm pretty sure my first answer is right.

 

[Mike k]

what happened was, the forward battery was fully connected but not the 2 engine bay ones, the bowthruster worked but when I operated the windlass from the cockpit ,clicking could be heard from the windlass trip switch . Once I connected the engine bay batteries the windlass functioned normally.I was wondering if the windlass shared an earth with the main batteries and the bowthruster had its own earth???

 

[PaulRainbow]

what happened was, the forward battery was fully connected but not the 2 engine bay ones, the bowthruster worked but when I operated the windlass from the cockpit ,clicking could be heard from the windlass trip switch . Once I connected the engine bay batteries the windlass functioned normally.I was wondering if the windlass shared an earth with the main batteries and the bowthruster had its own earth???

Not a trip switch Mike, that's the contactor.

Sounds like the bow thruster is full operating from the bow battery, the windlass is being controlled by the bow battery, but the actual power to operate the motor is coming from the engine battery. Check the engine battery or engine isolator switch for an additional cable.

If this is the case, i would make a couple of changes. Connect the windlass to the thruster battery. Connect the now redundant cables from the engine battery to the windlass battery too. Make sure both ends of the cable from the engine battery to the windlass battery are fitted with fuses/circuit breakers. This will allow the windlass to use the bow battery, which should make it work a little better as the voltage drop will be less. The bow battery will be charged by the engine battery.

Note, there must already be a method of charging the bow battery, so that may or may not be better than using the existing cables. Let us know what's there now, as you'll likely only want to use one other method.

 

[Mike k]

thanks Paul I will look closely when I am down at weekend. As a matter of interest the 'Contactor ' switch looks like the usual Quick up down button in the cockpit. Once or twice under load it needed to be flipped down to restore power. I took that as a trip - can you explain pls?

 

[PaulRainbow]

thanks Paul I will look closely when I am down at weekend. As a matter of interest the 'Contactor ' switch looks like the usual Quick up down button in the cockpit. Once or twice under load it needed to be flipped down to restore power. I took that as a trip - can you explain pls?

That sounds like circuit breaker Mike, but it shouldn't be clicking, the clicking comes from the contactor (relay pack), which is usually close to the windlass, it will have the battery cables, windlass cables and controller wires (thin wires from the switches) going to it. This is where you'd make any cabling changes, take the battery cables off and move them to the bow battery and fit new cables from here to the bow battery. You would also need to look into how the battery is currently being charged.

 

[Mike k]

thanks very much Paul, ah that explains the clicking source - I had assumed it was from the CB but things are close proximity so that explains its origins. The bow battery does indeed charge when the alternator is working and from memory one ( the earth) if not two leads come from the engine bay. On a separate issue your kind advice a couple years ago about using silicone grease on a tap washer has worked again this time on a different tap.Thanks again!!

 

[PaulRainbow]

thanks very much Paul, ah that explains the clicking source - I had assumed it was from the CB but things are close proximity so that explains its origins. The bow battery does indeed charge when the alternator is working and from memory one ( the earth) if not two leads come from the engine bay. On a separate issue your kind advice a couple years ago about using silicone grease on a tap washer has worked again this time on a different tap.Thanks again!!

You're welcome Mike.