Drum windlass

[billyfish]

While still contemplating my Scandinavian bow locker and fitting a windlass I've come across the drum windlass, which could be fitted under the bunk in the bow. It would be dry, keep the deck clear, what's not to like ? Anyone use one ? What's the downside. Less chain by the look of them. But you could have bigger chain.

 

[Tranona]

Do you have a link?

 

[Stemar]

Would he chain storage be deep enough for the whole length of the chain to fall without piling up and jamming? I've known several boats where the chain would pile up and have to be given a poke now and again, which would be a right faff if it's under a bed in the forepeak.

As for less chain, but bigger, I'd far rather have more chain but smaller, for a given weight/space.

We have a Quick windlass, which is pretty compact and takes up little room in the locker and on deck.

Alternatively, why not put the drum windlass on the foredeck? I'm sure it'll be a lot more weatherproof than you are

 

[billyfish]

South Pacific DW700 Drum Winch

 

[Tranona]

Never seen one in use and suspect the "popularity" is a figment of imagination. It says the capacity is limited by its size but gives no details except that the drum is 200mm in diameter. Not sure I would fancy tightly wound wet and muddy chain/rope under the front bunk!

 

[benjenbav]

Never seen one in use and suspect the "popularity" is a figment of imagination. It says the capacity is limited by its size but gives no details except that the drum is 200mm in diameter. Not sure I would fancy tightly wound wet and muddy chain/rope under the front bunk!

I think your final sentence hits the nail pretty squarely on its head.

 

[billyfish]

I think your final sentence hits the nail pretty squarely on its head.

but if I have a ordinary windlass the warp will end up there anyway as the chain locker won't have enough fall

 

[Tranona]

but if I have a ordinary windlass the warp will end up there anyway as the chain locker won't have enough fall

Even if that is acceptable, suspect you won't get a long rode on the drum. Those South Pacific products are made in China and I can see applications for them there with light all rope rodes, for example for small fishing boats in rivers. Just never seen them on yachts, but maybe because nobody has promoted them before. They do not give enough information to determine if the drum would take your 10m of 8mm chain and 30m of 12mm rope.

 

[dunedin]

Never seen one in use and suspect the "popularity" is a figment of imagination. It says the capacity is limited by its size but gives no details except that the drum is 200mm in diameter. Not sure I would fancy tightly wound wet and muddy chain/rope under the front bunk!

Agree. And can’t see how rolling chain on something like that won’t jamb fairly frequently - and winching up under load the jamb could be very tricky to unlock.
There is probably a reason why 99.99% of yachts with a mechanical system use a conventional windlass with a gypsy.

 

[mjcoon]

Like other comments, I cannot see how that design is intended other than just for winding up for storage, with virtually zero tension while winding. Compare with the drum on a roller furling jib. The more tension it is wound up with, the more likely the drum is to jam. And the length of rope being wound in that case, and the ratio of maximum to minimum diameter, is much less than the windlass.

 

[boomerangben]

Lofrans do them too….

Lofrans Drum winch

70m of warp and 8m of chain and 900kg - 220kg maximum pull and much more compact than I imagined.

You would have to ensure you wind the rode in under tension to prevent it jamming but drum winches are in general a far more popular means of winching cables than capstans. Eg every single crane for a start

 

[dunedin]

Lofrans do them too….

Lofrans Drum winch

70m of warp and 8m of chain and 900kg - 220kg maximum pull and much more compact than I imagined.

You would have to ensure you wind the rode in under tension to prevent it jamming but drum winches are in general a far more popular means of winching cables than capstans. Eg every single crane for a start

Fine perhaps or wire cable or good quality rope - but chain is very different proposition.

 

[boomerangben]

Fine perhaps or wire cable or good quality rope - but chain is very different proposition.

True, you won’t want to use one for an all chain rode