Fitting a electronic anchor windless Halmatic 30

[billybiltong]

I have a Halmatic 30 long keel, with a manual anchor windless and would like advice from the forum which electrical unit to fit. The choice is daunting??? Any advice would be greatly appreciated ???

 

[Boathook]

I would try to work out which ones will fit. The more powerful the motor the better but a minimum of 1000 watts and if possible more. Don't forget to think about how to supply power to it. Big diameter cables from the main batteries or a dedicated battery near the windlass with a way of charging the battery.

 

[billybiltong]

Is it better to have a separate battery supply or to feed it off the domestic battery supply? It will be the best part of 20m of cable from the bow to the stern if I run it back to the main batteries??

 

[Tranona]

When you get down to it the choice is often very simple determined by space and the relationship between the location of the windlass to the anchor locker and bow roller. The first thing to decide is horizontal or vertical axis. The former has the motor below decks and the latter above size boats to yours I have had a Lewmar Pro 1000W horizontal and now a Lofrans Kobra vertical. Pros and cons of each but choice is usually determined by what fits best. When siting the key is to get the best fall into the anchor locker and use all chain. Make sure you specify the right gypsy for your chain which I guess will be 8mm, but might be 6mm. Makers have installation instructions on their sites and templates for mounting to help you see what will work for you.

There is no best way of providing power as it depends on your current or planned electrical system. Broadly the choice is rub from the house bank assuming it is big enough but needs heavy cables. However if your house bank is well forward in the boat and the boat is relatively small and the run is under 7m for example with a Lewmar Pro this is probably the easiest way. Having its own battery up front adds weight forward and takes up space, but means you only need 6mmsq cables to charge using a B2B charger from the start battery. This is what I have on my current boat. This is right for me because the same battery powers the bow thruster. On the other hand boat before last had a Lofrans Cayman 88 powered from the house bank. That was a charter boat in the Med and the windlass was probably used at least 4 times a day for 150 days a year!

Are your batteries really that far back as the boat is only 10m long? If so then a dedicated battery is probably the way to go, but in many boats under 10m the run is short enough to use the house bank which is usually in the saloon.

 

[Neeves]

If your yacht is a '30' that suggests its 9m long and it is difficult to believe the batteries are in the transom. Your engine, that charges the batteries, will be quite far forward and usually the battery bank will be forward of the engine. This gives you a run of maybe 5m from battery bank to windlass, assuming your windlass is about 1m aft of the bow. The cable run for a new windlass will not then be 20m but a manageable 5m. If your house battery bank is big enough then use the house bank, buying a new battery and installing a charging system just adds cost and complexity. If your battery bank is not big enough - then maybe think of having a bigger house bank. A dedicated battery simply for a windlass seems, to me, to be a waste of an electrical storage facility.

The key to installing a totally new windlass is location and the fall of the chain from the new windlass to its storage space is the key - you want plenty of 'drop' or the chain will tower.

I'd sort out the location first - maybe send some pictures of your bow and the lockers already in the bow and we should be able to give you better advice.

You are correct there are a bewildering number of options for you. Take your time, step by step. Once you have determined the best location that will determine whether you need a new battery, whether you need a vertical or horizontal windlass and what size the windlass should be. Currently we are guessing as we don't have enough information.

Jonathan

 

[billybiltong]

This is my current set up. I have added the anchor well as this I’d not a standard fit for Halmatic’s. The drop is over 18” My battery bank is at the back of my engine, so my guess would be a 7m run, if I can make a straight run? Can anyone identify my current manual windless as it has no markings? Thank you for all your advice it is greatly appreciated ???️

View attachment 142509View attachment 142509View attachment 142510View attachment 142511

 

[vas]

just note that a cable "run" is back and forth (or V+ and V- if you wish), so if it's 7m (doubt it once you have to navigate a thick cable around bulkheads...) that makes it a 14m run. That's needed to measure voltage drop and decide on the appropriate thickness of the cable for the amps that are going to go through it. It will be THICK at 12V

 

[vas]

The first thing to decide is horizontal or vertical axis. The former has the motor below decks and the latter above size boats to yours I have had a Lewmar Pro 1000W horizontal and now a Lofrans Kobra vertical. Pros and cons of each but choice is usually determined by what fits best.

I think it's a safe bet to consider vertical axis winlasses to have the motor below deck and a fairly small footprint on deck.
Horizontal ones are split between those that have the motor above deck (Lofrans Tigress fe) or below deck (Lofrans Cobra)

btw, cannot see the pic posted by OP so cannot help on suggesting something

 

[billybiltong]

I have tried again with pictures. Thanks for feedback ??️?

 

[Neeves]

It is not obvious but you appear to have an anchor in THE locker, a Rocna - if this is because you don't have a bow roller (on which to store the anchor) or because the shank of the anchor fouls the locker hatch - then you might want to consider a protruding bow roller.

Can you define the weight of the yacht - I'm guessing not a twitchy vessel as you mention 'long keel'.

It does not matter whether you power from a house bank (behind the engine) or a dedicated windlass battery - you need to get power to the bow to either power the windlass or charge the battery, so note post 7.

Jonathan

 

[billybiltong]

Hi Johnathan,
Thank you for your input. I have a bow roller but when I go offshore I stow the Rocna in the well as it fits no problem with all the chain (30m) plus rode (30m). Hope the picture explains it ?️?

 

[billybiltong]

Sorry meant to add
HALMATIC 30 ; Beam: 9.50 ft / 2.90 m ; S.A. (reported):. 430.00 ft2 / 39.95 m ; Draft (max):. 4.50 ft / 1.37 m ; Displacement: 9,000 lb / 4,082 kg ?️?

 

[doug748]

Would anyone care to hazard a guess to what size and type of battery would be adequate to mount forward? I think this might aid the decision making process.

Lets assume, for the sake of the exercise, he is fitting a 1000W unit, maybe like this:




.

 

[Blue Drifter]

Your windlass is a S-L Anchorman Manual Vertical Windlass, I have the same unit on my Halmatic 30.

 

[Tranona]

That is a Simpson Lawrence Anchorman windlass - excellent bit of kit!

Suggest a vertical axis as horizontal ones have the exit for the chain at the rear. most have the chain dropping straight through the deck, but I think that the Lofrans SX 1 has the chain coming off the windlass forward . Check that you have enough room under the deck for the motor. You will need to mount it so that you get a straight run to the bow roller. Not an ideal set up with the chain running over the locker lid if you want to have the anchor stowed on the roller for easy deployment.

Given the location of the batteries and the difficulty of running heavy cables a bow battery would probably be the way to go.

 

[Tranona]

Would anyone care to hazard a guess to what size and type of battery would be adequate to mount forward? I think this might aid the decision making process.

Lets assume, for the sake of the exercise, he is fitting a 1000W unit, maybe like this:

View attachment 142520


.

A leisure or AGM of around 100Ah. My Bavaria had a 95Ah AGM which ran the windlass and bow thruster (not at the same time!) charged via a splitter from the engine and my GH has a 105Ah Numax leisure again rining both charged by a B2B from the start battery.

 

[billybiltong]

As advise by Tranona a min of 1000 watt. Thank you for all the help. Please keep it coming as I really want to go to the SBS with a good idea as I am after a good deal for my needs rather than meeting the salesman needs ??

 

[billybiltong]

That is a Simpson Lawrence Anchorman windlass - excellent bit of kit!

Suggest a vertical axis as horizontal ones have the exit for the chain at the rear. most have the chain dropping straight through the deck, but I think that the Lofrans SX 1 has the chain coming off the windlass forward . Check that you have enough room under the deck for the motor. You will need to mount it so that you get a straight run to the bow roller. Not an ideal set up with the chain running over the locker lid if you want to have the anchor stowed on the roller for easy deployment.

Given the location of the batteries and the difficulty of running heavy cables a bow battery would probably be the way to go.

Fitting the anchor locker was a bit of needs must as I had to cut is out with the space available. I also wanted to stow the anchor in the locker. I am a singlehanded sailor and like my desk clear of moving things. Hope that makes sense???

 

[billybiltong]

Your windlass is a S-L Anchorman Manual Vertical Windlass, I have the same unit on my Halmatic 30.

Thank for your help in identifying it. King Regards

 

[billybiltong]

I have drop of at least 18 inches