Fitting An Electric Windlass to my MF755/Remote Control Kit

[beejay190]

My new to me MF755 has a bow thruster but no windlass. I am now considering getting an expert to fit a Lewmar V700 windlass.
I am having nightmares ( perhaps wrongly) about the work involved in wiring it back to the helm. Basically pulling the boat apart to wire it up.
One alternative would be to fit a LewMar Wireless RF Remote Control Kit which would avoid all the wiring work.
Has anyone got such a kit on their boat and how have you got on with it.
Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[CLB]

My new to me MF755 has a bow thruster but no windlass. I am now considering getting an expert to fit a Lewmar V700 windlass.
I am having nightmares ( perhaps wrongly) about the work involved in wiring it back to the helm. Basically pulling the boat apart to wire it up.
One alternative would be to fit a LewMar Wireless RF Remote Control Kit which would avoid all the wiring work.
Has anyone got such a kit on their boat and how have you got on with it.
Thanks in advance for any replies.

Personally, I wouldn't want a wireless remote to be the only way to operate it. Too many opportunities for things to go wrong. If you don't want to run wires back to the helm, how about some foot mounted deck switches at the bow?

 

[jrudge]

Agree.

I assume you are going to power it from the thruster supply?

The wires will be a pain, but if you ask the MF dealer ( or someone who genuinely knows the boat) to do it they will know how the conduits are arranged and are likely to do it faster than anyone else.

Looking at pics on line it is a fairly short distance from the stbd helm to the front. In the absence of a better way of doing it there are probably removable panels held on with dual lock (assuming MF make boats the same way as all the ones i have owned ) in the fwd cabin, and if you take these off you will be able to run the wire ( which is not very thick) and from there through the bulkhead to the helm.

You could self fit. The only hard bit will be drilling the relatively large hole which will require a specialist drill ( but drilling and a jig saw will do the same thing).

 

[beejay190]

Agree.

I assume you are going to power it from the thruster supply?

The wires will be a pain, but if you ask the MF dealer ( or someone who genuinely knows the boat) to do it they will know how the conduits are arranged and are likely to do it faster than anyone else.

Looking at pics on line it is a fairly short distance from the stbd helm to the front. In the absence of a better way of doing it there are probably removable panels held on with dual lock (assuming MF make boats the same way as all the ones i have owned ) in the fwd cabin, and if you take these off you will be able to run the wire ( which is not very thick) and from there through the bulkhead to the helm.

You could self fit. The only hard bit will be drilling the relatively large hole which will require a specialist drill ( but drilling and a jig saw will do the same thing).

Thanks for that , I hadn’t thought of seeking advice from an MF dealer - but rather local people where the boat is berthed in Weymouth. I will now talk to Sea Ventures based at Swanwick.