Neeves
Well-known member
But they will not be looking at the Cayman, which is for 8mm/10mm chain, but a smaller model in the first place
Last edited:
Electric windlass
- Thread starter richardh10
- Start date
But they will not be looking at the Cayman, which is for 8mm/10mm chain, but a smaller model in the first place
Tranona
Well-known member
Cayman is available with a 6mm gypsy as well.
jdc
Well-known member
I agree with this, (and have a 1000W one myself) but I thought your original statement was a bit too strongly worded. By all means advise the OP that once one has gone electric and is buying new then one might as well go for the bigger model, but supposing he found an 800W one it would still be transformative compared to life without!
Tranona
Well-known member
The boat is 11.5m and displaces 12.5 tons so 1000W is minimum - as I said. Obviously an 800 would be better than hand hauling but one would get very frustrated with the lack of power. An underpowered windlass would have to be very cheap secondhand to be worth considering. Don't forget installation and cabling is a fixed cost.
Sneaky Pete
Member
I sail single handed a lot and don’t have problems lowering or lifting the anchor. One problem of not being next to the windlass, in the cockpit, is that when lifting the anchor you won’t see any snagging or debris on the chain. Chain goes into locker it builds up and unless the pile is cleared you have a problem. There are more benefits to being at the bow roller end of the boat when anchoring.
Another consideration would be to have a quick release free spool on the gypsy, but you cannot do this remotely. Very quick to deploy and no power required.
Tranona
Well-known member
I handle the windlass in the same way, but still find the remote better. The alternative is a wired handset, but the wiring is vulnerable (guess how I know) or foot switches which apart from being unreliable and prone to corrosion and are very restrictive. Very rarely operate from the cockpit except when I had a boat in Greece where it is useful for controlling the anchor when backing onto a quay.
Suggest you try one - pretty sure you won't go back to a fixed control.
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
The cheap remote you can buy of eBay are great the only thing you need to be awhere off is that once you et go of the button they do tend to go on for a little longer .well both mind did any way You just dont want to get anything caught in the chain or gypsy .
Neeves
Well-known member
We operate our windlass with foot switches which have been pretty trouble free. I do need to stretch to retrieve, with my foot, and look at the actual retrieval below the bow roller. The number of people who have remote control of the winch and their low cost suggest they work and they merit purchase. There is a rather wide choice of remotes on eBay - are there any recommendations or any to steer clear of?
Jonathan
Jonathan
geem
Well-known member
We also use foot switches. These have proved to be reliable and we use them 95% of the time. We have a cheap wireless remote that I use to lift the rib each night using the windlass rope drum. This allows me to be next to the rib rather than by the windlass
richardh10
Active member
Ok, so although it has taken a little time, I am now ready to run the cabling for a lofrans Cayman windlass. The question I have is does it matter where the solenoid is situated? I have an ideal spot for the breaker near the battery at the stern, but should the solenoid be nearer the windlass, or could it be next to the breaker
Thanks
Thanks
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
Richard all the boats I gave own and I own quite a few in my time the solenoid had always been close to the windlass ,
Someone will be along shortly to say why .
Graham_Wright
Well-known member
Make sure you think through the access for maintenance for a vertical winch. I can just enter my chain locker but the winch motor is heavy and working on your back supporting it while securing it is hard work.
Last edited:
PaulRainbow
N/A
Voltage drop is the main issue with windlass cabling, but provided appropriate cables are used it makes no difference where the solenoid pack is located, in terms of voltage loss.
The Cayman has the negative going straight to the motor and the positive going to tto the solenoid, then tow positive cables going to the motor. Mounting the solenoid aft means another boat length of cable. Of no consequence to voltage drop as it only uses two at a time (forward/reverse), just the issue of cost. Depending how long your boat is, could add £150 to the fitting bill.
The Cayman has the negative going straight to the motor and the positive going to tto the solenoid, then tow positive cables going to the motor. Mounting the solenoid aft means another boat length of cable. Of no consequence to voltage drop as it only uses two at a time (forward/reverse), just the issue of cost. Depending how long your boat is, could add £150 to the fitting bill.
Last edited:
neil1967
Well-known member
Unless you have a reversing windlass, there will be one heavy +ve cable from the battery to the solenoid and 2+ve cables from the solenoid to the windlass. Putting the solenoid near the windlass reduces the amount of cable you have to buy.
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
If the motor has 3 connections one negative and 2 positive (one for each direction) it is better to have the solenoid as close to the motor as possible as you will use less cable.
If the motor only has 2 connections it does not matter as you will use the same amount of cable either way.
Cables from the battery to the solenoid and the solenoid to the motors must be the same size.
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
On the Cayman there is am neg and a plus that goes all the way to the solenoid then three cables coming from the windlass to the solenoid as Paul said
neil1967
Well-known member
On my Lofrans the heavy neg cable goes direct to the windlass, with a light neg cable being used to operate the solenoid - one less join in the heavy neg cable. Irrespective the end result is the same in terms of heavy cable lengths which ever way it is wired.
PaulRainbow
N/A
Apologies, my post was badly worded. The negative does go to the windlass, i'm sure we all mean the same thing, one less cable with the solenoid forward
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
The mix up maybe because the cables on a Cayman are build in the motor and not bolted on , so the three cables that came from the windlass two poss and a neg , the neg is joined to the Neg that come from the battery and the two red poss go to the solenoid, up and down
kalanka
Active member
I have been happy with a Quick Hector 1000 W on a 34 foot 8 ton boat. I often am singlehanded and find that being able to lower chain by controlling with the cockpit remote is invaluable when anchoring alone. I would not like to have less power.
Due to a poor design on the chain lead (if the boat swung whilst hauling in the chain jammed rigidly in a V shaped gap by the bow roller) I stripped the main pinion in the windlass when in the Canaries. Quick in Italy gave excellent technical support in English and, at a price, shipped out a replacement to me very efficiently.
Due to a poor design on the chain lead (if the boat swung whilst hauling in the chain jammed rigidly in a V shaped gap by the bow roller) I stripped the main pinion in the windlass when in the Canaries. Quick in Italy gave excellent technical support in English and, at a price, shipped out a replacement to me very efficiently.