Lofrans Clipper windlass help

[alienzdive]

I have a Lofrans windlass fitted on my boat with the additional rope drum, there is also a cockpit switch. I have been on boats before where the anchor can be easily lifted and dropped from teh cockpit at the flick of a switch.

I am having difficulty seeing how the cross over from rope to chain happens in the current configuration. However to make things even stranger, where there is a bulge/shackle/knot, for instance between the rope and the chain, it will not fit into the hole that passes the line through into the anchor locker. The bulge is just to big and this includes a tightly spliced join, which would be the narrowest option.

Any one know what I am doing wrong, or is this a poor design feature??

 

[homa]

You need a chain splice, Sorry I don't know how to add a link to this post. I'm sure someone will post a diagram soon. Or just try googling for chain splice.
Cheers
homa

 

[poter]

If you go to Jimmy Green they can help you with your problem with anchor chain/rope splice.......

 

[gettingready]

I also have a windlass that can handle chain and rope but there has to be manual intervention at the windlass. This means when weighing anchor, some deft work is needed to get the chain into the chain pulling part (this probably has a technical name but I don't know what it is) once the capstan has dealt with the rope. I have a chain to rope splice that does allow the join to pass through into / out of the chain locker but it is still fiddly and sometimes difficult when anchoring in strong winds.

I think the real answer is to only use chain and I intend to replace my chain / rope combo with all chain and also fit a counter so I know how much chain I have put out which isn't possible with my rope / chain.

 

[alienzdive]

The splice in the link is what I have and this does not fit through the hull, I think I will have to take your advice and do away with the rope and go to all chain. Unfortunately I thought that this was the only option, but I thought that posting here someone would have had a brilliant idea beyond the obvious to assist with a solution. Not this time, thanks anyway.

 

[GMac]

You don't automatically change from the rope to the chain by going from the rope capstan to the chain gypsy. That is a manual thing.

You may have a chain only gypsy with a rope capstan on top winch but are thinking of the newer Auto rope to chain winches where the rope and chain go thru the gypsy. The gypsies are quite differant.

While there is a big differance they can look very similar to the untrained eye.

A Auto rope to chain gypsy looks like a chain only gypsy but usually has small ribs running from the core of the gypsy out towards the edge, this is the rope grabbing bit. A Auto R2C (rope to chain) gyspy will also have a spring loaded pressure finger of some sort which sits in the gypsy and hold a bit of pressure on the rope. All chain gypsys don't have this.