Lewmar as replacement anchor windlass?

[Cspirit]

It looks like our Lofrans Cayman 1000 windlass is knackered since the alloy casing is now badly corroded. In any event, it’s now ten years old and has given good service, anchoring most nights in the Med. One option is to replace like for like but I’m tempted by the Lewmar Pro Series 1000 8mm which is around 300 pounds cheaper with a case of stainless steel. There is no dedicated warping drum but I can live with that. The boat is a Westerly Corsair, 36ft with 70 metres of calibrated 8mm chain. Does anyone have experience of the Lewmar? Thanks, Bob

 

[JFowler]

We had a Lewmar Pro 1000 windlass from new. After burning out 3 motors and shearing a gear shaft we change to a Lofrans Cayman and are delighted. Much quieter & solidly built. Ours I mounted on a piece of chopping board to stop the base sitting in salt water.
In my opinion the Lewmar isn’t robust enough for regular use.

 

[Tranona]

Stick with the Lofrans. Before installing it take all the screws and studs out and coat the threads with duralec. Paint the bottom face and discard the rubber pad. use a piece of plastic kitchen chopping board instead.

My new boat has a Lewmar (old one had a Lofrans). No comparison. Looks nice and shiny and works OK in light conditions, but does not give the feeling it would stand up to heavy use.

 

[JanZ]

We have the Lewmar but if I were buying again it would without doubt be the Lofrans. Brushes failed halfway through this season and had to get complete new motor as couldn't source any replacements here in Greece.

 

[Kukri]

Lewmar just crossed off my list. Thanks.

 

[Tranona]

Lewmar just crossed off my list. Thanks.

But keep Lofrans on it. My first one (Cayman 88 1000w) lasted 7 years chartering in the Ionian where it is used 2 or three times a day (by mostly inexperienced people) and then another 4 years before the corrosion took its toll. As explained above you can avoid the corrosion by careful installation.

Pity it won't fit the space on my latest boat otherwise I would probably change to one.

 

[AndrewB]

Another bad experience with a Lewmar windlass (a V3). At 15 months old the motor casing rusted through and the motor failed. When I tried to claim under warranty, they told me it was my own fault for having had it installed above a 'damp' anchor locker.

The preceding Simpson-Lawrence 'Pacific' electric windlass had worked in the same place for nearly 20 years. The Lofrans 'Kobra' I bought subsequently has run perfectly for four years.

I now avoid Lewmar products.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Have a 1000w cayman as in posting #3 from new you need to take precaution, our sit on the deck so we also made a canvas cover for it .

 

[sailaboutvic]

I have a lewmar H3 horizontal winch - installed in 2004 on an open foredeck. Hasn't missed a beat in that time - we anchor a lot. 8 m of calibrated 8 mm chain from Brady.

I would concur that annually and certainly on installation dip ALL bolts in duralex and refasten.

See this link for picture
https://www.lewmar.com/node/11622

PS - I never leave the winch without a chain hook on it - you are asking for a bent or bust shaft if you dont.

Where are you these days Chris , we in Samos and will be heading back towards Athens .

 

[Chris_Robb]

Where are you these days Chris , we in Samos and will be heading back towards Athens .

Out of the water in Orie. Won't be back again this year. Managed to delete my last post when I went in to edit it. Should be 80meters not 8m . Now it's gone!

Wish I could spend more time but that ain't going to happen.

 

[Cspirit]

Thanks all. Looks like I will stick with Lofrans. Bob

 

[vyv_cox]

When I first bought a windlass I went to Southampton show to see the various options. I could not even get a Lewmar rep to talk to me, in great contrast to Weir and Maxwell, who were most heplful. Weir was over our budget so we bought Maxwell, a great decision. Now on our second one, used a great deal and never given any trouble other than routine change of the stripper arm. It would have come first in the YM test but was slughtly more expensive than the winner. It was by a wide margin the fastest, a property that we value highly in practice.

I think that Lofrans were not represented at the show.

 

[Tranona]

I think that Lofrans were not represented at the show.

Lofrans were for many years distributed by EC Smith. However in 2011 Lofrans had ended up being owned by Plastimo who went bust so for a couple of years supplies were very difficult. However, now seem to be stable and have been distributed in the UK by Peachment for the last 3 or 4 years.

 

[Kukri]

When I first bought a windlass I went to Southampton show to see the various options. I could not even get a Lewmar rep to talk to me, in great contrast to Weir and Maxwell, who were most heplful. Weir was over our budget so we bought Maxwell, a great decision. Now on our second one, used a great deal and never given any trouble other than routine change of the stripper arm. It would have come first in the YM test but was slughtly more expensive than the winner. It was by a wide margin the fastest, a property that we value highly in practice.

I think that Lofrans were not represented at the show.

This is very interesting, as I will be going to the Southampton show for the first time in my life to find out about windlasses and headsail rollers. I have crossed off Lewmar already, and have Lofrans (but I am not very keen on aluminium bits) Maxwell (probably favourite if only I could understand their website better) Muir (Australian and probably too expensive) and Lighthouse (Californian and look just about perfect, but horribly expensive and don’t make metric gypsies, although Johnathan has given me an idea).

 

[Cspirit]

Just a thought re the discussion above on Lofrans & aluminium. Here is a photo of our windlass which explains why we need a new one and why I need to follow the installation advice above when I fit new.

 

[tenerani]

Lofrans in our current boat since 1993! Never a problem, about 60 anchorages per year.

 

[vyv_cox]

Just a thought re the discussion above on Lofrans & aluminium. Here is a photo of our windlass which explains why we need a new one and why I need to follow the installation advice above when I fit new.

Great pic, which I would like to use, please.

What needs to be understood is that there are various grades of aluminium alloys, some markedly more corrosion resistant than others. Unfortunately some manufacturers do not seem to understand this and select grades that are cheap to cast but do not resist seawater well. The 5000 series Al/Mg alloys are vastly superior to the 2000 series used for most car parts, which I am guessing your casing was made from.

 

[Frank Holden]

Just a thought re the discussion above on Lofrans & aluminium. Here is a photo of our windlass which explains why we need a new one and why I need to follow the installation advice above when I fit new.

Eek! I'm going to be having flashbacks again......

As built my 85 built Westerly came with a manual Vetus windlass.... alloy body....

One day when it was 9 years old I noticed it seemed to be sitting rather oddly... lifted off deck... looked just like that....

A little aside re windlasses... my current one is a 15 y.o. Muir..... needs preventive maintenance on the gear box about every 5 years but I swaddled the motor in Denso tape... that seems to work.

 

[vyv_cox]

A little aside re windlasses... my current one is a 15 y.o. Muir..... needs preventive maintenance on the gear box about every 5 years but I swaddled the motor in Denso tape... that seems to work.

The motor on my Maxwell is also wrapped in Denso tape, with polythene on top of that. Strange choice to provide a carbon steel case on a motor that will be splashed with seawater.

 

[Neeves]

. Strange choice to provide a carbon steel case on a motor that will be splashed with seawater.

+1

Many of them seem to be like that.

Jonathan