Quick Windlasses

catmandoo

Active member
Joined
21 Aug 2003
Messages
1,803
Location
The Earth but normally in the place of the high st
Visit site
I notice from the Compass catalogue recently received that they are selling Quick windlasses . Not being familiarwith the design and usage and considering installing a windlass up to 1000 watts has anybody got any good experience of using them ie operation , value for money , reliability and ease of maintenance including availability of spare parts
 

HenryB

New member
Joined
17 Jul 2001
Messages
360
Location
Cornwall.
www.ballgate.com
I fitted an Aries 700 watt unit last year. It seems to be well engineered, and works perfectly. Too early to know about reliability. Very little routine maintenance needed - just a wash down, clean and oil at end of season. They are produced in Italy, the company has a well organised web site and answered my queries prior to purchase so I would guess that spares won't be a problem.
 

pvb

Well-known member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
45,603
Location
UK East Coast
Visit site
Interesting pics on their website...

This one features a lady sailor who's obviously strayed into a tattoo parlour once or twice. Is she recommending the horizontal or vertical models, I wonder? And is that a piercing in her lip? Whatever next!
salp1new.jpg
 

winchservicing

New member
Joined
1 Feb 2005
Messages
41
Location
Emsworth Hants.
www.winchservicing.com
They are all pretty much the same in operation.
There’s nothing complicated about an electric windlass, it’s a motor with a chain gypsy on it.

They are expensive so I would concentrate on getting the correct windlass for the boat. By that I mean, would you be better of with a vertical model (vertical drive shaft Like Lewmar V range) or Horizontal. What do you have at the moment? Is it working ok?

A vertical unit needs to be mounted as far back as possible to allow the chain to drop freely into the locker without backing up into the windlass.
The lead angle of the chain from the bow roller is also important, the chain should be within 5 degrees of the gypsy centre line-otherwise the chain will tend to jump out.

A Horizontal needs to be higher than the bow roller to give the chain more engagement with the gypsy-otherwise it jumps out. You should aim to get at least 90 degrees of engagement. If mounted in a locker with the chain coming down to the gypsy it’s not going too work!

All this would be the same for a manual windlass.

Personally. I would favour the Horizontal. Mainly because the electric motor is inside the unit and dry-away from the damp and condensation of the anchor locker. Unlike the vertical unit which has the motor below deck. If you have the motor in the locker either box it in to protect it, or take it off and paint it every year-if you want it to last any length of time. Make sure you have good drain holes in the locker.

Also important, is to get the correct chain for the gypsy. Had so many complaints about windlasses not holding the load, only to find out they don't have the correct chain for the gypsy!

Having spent 15 years at Lewmar (6 in product management-the Anchor windlass division) I’m going to be bias-just a little!
I would go for Lewmar every time! And the factory is in the UK-buy British!

I’ve not had any problems getting Lewmar spares and the Lofrans people in italy were very quick and helpful!
I've not had to ask for Quick spares as yet, so cannot comment on them.

Hope this helps?
Feel free to contact me. I’m always happy to help where I can!
My contact details are on my Homepage/web-site, which is listed in my profile-I hope!

Cliff.
 

duncan

Active member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
9,443
Location
Home mid Kent - Boat @ Poole
Visit site
Re: Interesting pics on their website...

I have an Aries 700 and have had to get some 'spares' - my fault - such as screws and a new splitter thingy which I bent badly. UK distributor was ace about it all, sorted in a few days easy to communicate with etc.

I use it a fair amount in the winter when fishing - last Sunday for example anchored 3 times in 30m of water. I find it's happy to recover against up to a knot of tide and a little wind but I motor up to ease the strain if I have more. Given that I have 100m of chain and warp out each time it's doing a fair amount of work.
Overall happy with the unit and support and the rating seems about right too - ie the 700w one recomended for my boat handles it well.
Hope this helps.
 

philip_stevens

Active member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
3,854
Location
live near Saint Ives, Cornwall.
www.celticwebdesign.net
I've got the Quick 1000 horizontal windlass fitted, and I use it whenever, or should I say, wherever we anchor. It is far quicker in recovering the anchor than I am. I only bought the boat in '03, so cannot say how old it is, but it was fitted a few years ago, and has had a good bit of use. I have had no problems with it.
 
Top