Raising anchor if electric windlass fails

[Dutch01527]

My new to me boat 41 foot boat weights about 15 or 16 tons loaded. It is fitted with a nearly new Quick D3 1500w windlass, foot switches, remote chain counter and controls in cockpit, 33kg Rocna and 50m of 10mm chain. Works like a dream and has been used a lot this summer. What a pleasure.

I decided that I needed to practice raising it manually in case of a motor failure or power issue so dug out the user instructions. Turns out there is no manual option. I can drop it manually but not raise it. I contacted Quick and asked if there was anyway to address this, They said that the only option was to basically buy a new windlass top half and mate it to the existing motor - price of about £1200. That is nearly the price on a new complete unit and not something I want to do if I can avoid it.

Why on earth would a respected windlass manufacturer design a windlass designed for a biggish, heavy boat with no way of manual recovery except using a winch a metre at a time which is the only option I can see to get it in.

Has anyone got any other ideas, all my previous boats had had a manual option so not something I have experience of.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

My windlass is from the mid 70’s, a Francis 400, and it is similar, so not a new problem for electric winches. I also have 10mm chain and used to have a 60 lb CQR. To manually weigh anchor I have sat on the foredeck and hauled in hand over hand, this method allows the chain to drop down the hawse to the anchor locker. I have also used the chain hook on my snubber lead back to the sheet winch, with the gypsy used to hold the chain when transferring the chain hook back to the bow. This leaves a pile of chain along the deck to be stored later.

With a bit of thought it is easy enough to do, albeit slower than the windlass.

 

[Dutch01527]

I can do it by hand in slack / calm water but not possible in flow, blow or with waves. I had thought of using the winch but had not thought about dragging it the whole length of the deck and leaving it on deck. I had been thinking of the chain going straight into the hawse pipe which I can now see was dumb. Not good for the teak but feasible to get it in reasonably quickly. Thanks

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Deleted

 

[Boathook]

I had a couple of chain hooks with rope attached that would reach my main winches. Using each in turn I would be able to get the chain in at 6 ft a time. Never tried though and it would have been slow single handed but doable.

 

[noelex]

I had a couple of chain hooks with rope attached that would reach my main winches. Using each in turn I would be able to get the chain in at 6 ft a time. Never tried though and it would have been slow single handed but doable.

This is invariably the best solution for a yacht, even if your windlass has a manual option.

Sheet and halyard winches are powerful devices designed to operate efficiently with manual operation. They can usually be repurposed to raise even a heavy chain and anchor easily. While it usually just needs a couple of rope lengths with suitable chain hooks or soft shackles, it is sensible to plan this beforehand.

 

[noelex]

Another tip is to have two alternative and independent switching systems for the windlass. For example, a wireless remote and foot switches. Combine this with a spare solenoid (or even better the ability to bypass the solenoid), and you will avoid, or can quickly fix most windlass problems, especially those problems that occur suddenly and unexpectedly.

 

[shanemax]

I have a quick link chain shaped shackle at approx 10 meters so if I have to I can recover the chain and if necessary lose the anchor, this applies if the anchor gets well and truly stuck on the bottom. Don't fancy cutting my chain with a hack saw.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I have a quick link chain shaped shackle at approx 10 meters so if I have to I can recover the chain and if necessary lose the anchor, this applies if the anchor gets well and truly stuck on the bottom. Don't fancy cutting my chain with a hack saw.

Your chain should also be attached at its bitter end with a lashing, specifically so you can cut the whole lot loose easily. Not shackled into the bulkhead or whatever.

 

[mjcoon]

I have a quick link chain shaped shackle at approx 10 meters so if I have to I can recover the chain and if necessary lose the anchor, this applies if the anchor gets well and truly stuck on the bottom. Don't fancy cutting my chain with a hack saw.

Bolt cutters likely to be better than hacksaw. Or, I have a device called a "nut splitter" which I have used just once, but not for cutting a chain link. It might work for that purpose if a link could be slotted into the cutting space, and probably twice to put two cuts in one link. Good luck!

 

[penberth3]

I have a quick link chain shaped shackle at approx 10 meters so if I have to I can recover the chain and if necessary lose the anchor, this applies if the anchor gets well and truly stuck on the bottom. Don't fancy cutting my chain with a hack saw.

That really isn't a problem. No different to cutting a bolt. Use a new blade and grip and support the chain properly.

 

[shanemax]

Your chain should also be attached at its bitter end with a lashing, specifically so you can cut the whole lot loose easily. Not shackled into the bulkhead or whatever.

Quite correct, something that can be sawed through with a blunt bread knife

Your chain should also be attached at its bitter end with a lashing, specifically so you can cut the whole lot loose easily. Not shackled into the bulkhead or whatever.

Quite correct, something that can be sawed through with a blunt bread knife.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

You can motor up to a position vertically above the anchor while pulling in the chain, two handed it's easy enough even with a bit of wind. If you then can't break it out manually or by just motoring around on it a bit, then a jib halyard tied or shackled to the chain will give you a vertical pull and a winch for the height of your mast which should be enough to break it out.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

You can motor up to a position vertically above the anchor while pulling in the chain, two handed it's easy enough even with a bit of wind. If you then can't break it out manually or by just motoring around on it a bit, then a jib halyard tied or shackled to the chain will give you a vertical pull and a winch for the height of your mast which should be enough to break it out.

If it won’t break out, and motoring doesn’t break out, then tying a halyard to it and healing the boat over won’t work. It’s a daft idea to use a Halyard. When faced with a stuck Bruce in a clay seabed, I used a sheet winch to haul the bow down and then sat and waited. The bow popped up and the Bruce was recovered with the biggest clay ball ever.

 

[lektran]

We recently had our windlass fail, the motor had turned into a rusted blob. While awaiting a replacement motor on anchor, we started dragging in 30kts. Our retrieval method involved snubbing the chain at the roller, then attaching a sheet to the chain and hauling in a few metres, reattach the snubber, relocate the sheet and repeat. Straightforward enough, except that it is very slow and keeping the bow into wind in gusty conditions while also operating a winch is challenging to say the least.

Next chance I get we'll install a chain stopper between the windlass and the roller, which will allow the chain to be hauled in by hand without risk of the chain suddenly running out if it loads up.

 

[shanemax]

That really isn't a problem. No different to cutting a bolt. Use a new blade and grip and support the chain properly.

These things don't normally happen on a calm sunny day, usually the opposite. I will install a vice to the bows of my boat so I can grip and support the chain as you suggest., and make sure my hack saw blades are bathed in grease so they do not go rusty.

 

[Blueboatman]

We recently had our windlass fail, the motor had turned into a rusted blob. While awaiting a replacement motor on anchor, we started dragging in 30kts. Our retrieval method involved snubbing the chain at the roller, then attaching a sheet to the chain and hauling in a few metres, reattach the snubber, relocate the sheet and repeat. Straightforward enough, except that it is very slow and keeping the bow into wind in gusty conditions while also operating a winch is challenging to say the least.

Next chance I get we'll install a chain stopper between the windlass and the roller, which will allow the chain to be hauled in by hand without risk of the chain suddenly running out if it loads up.

Chainstoppers are brilliant

The humble block and tackle with a snatch hook can be pressed into albeit slow service too, especially if led back to one of the primary winches.

 

[Stemar]

and make sure my hack saw blades are bathed in grease so they do not go rusty

This is what you need - for all your tools

Not cheap, but it does work, and keeps on working, unlike WD40

 

[Boathook]

Thanks for the reminded @Stemar. Added to my ebay list.

 

[Sea Change]

I hadn't realised how fortunate I am, both electric windlasses I've had were Lofrans Tigres, which have a perfectly usable manual option. In fact I have spent several months using the Tigres in manual mode when I had a problem with the motor brushes.