Should I run the engine when using the anchor winch

[Jamesuk]

Winch 45A, alternator 80A, battery 2 X 110 Ah. When sailing out of an anchorage I tend not to run the engine. Even when fully charged the battery voltage quickly drop to around 10.8 volts when using the winch. Should I be running the engine to take some load off the battery.

YES!! We have 1000 Amp Hour (500 usable) and we assist using the 150amp alternator. It is just good practice "UNLESS" you are a true Tom Cunliffe (1970's) sail boat in which case you perhaps might consider a conversion back to a manual method of hauling up the anchor. ;-) my advice - start the engine 1500 RPM or what ever is required to make sure you have surplus amps charging when running the windless.

 

[[2574]]

I find the answers above quite extraordinary.

Yes, I'm with JDC on this; I can't see the need for the motor to be running. Assuming it is properly wired there should be no issue. If sensitive electronic equipment is wired on the same circuit as the winch then there may be voltage drop issues causing kit to "reboot". I've recently seen a yacht with a 5KW bow thruster have a problem in this manner, evening though the engine was running the circuit voltage dropped to 9v but at the batteries (Rolls AGM's) voltage never fell below 12.2v. Bad that was poor wiring.

I have 2x255AH Lifelines which each have a CCA >1,000A; there shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Babylon]

Having just today wired the new windlass (700W) to the two 110Ah domestics, rather than the single engine-start battery, it occurs to me that the dedicated domestics don't have the high CCA of the engine battery. Would not repeatedly pulling lots of amps quickly out of the domestics, assuming the engine wasn't running when using the windlass, damage their relatively thinner plates?

 

[jwilson]

Having just today wired the new windlass (700W) to the two 110Ah domestics, rather than the single engine-start battery, it occurs to me that the dedicated domestics don't have the high CCA of the engine battery. Would not repeatedly pulling lots of amps quickly out of the domestics, assuming the engine wasn't running when using the windlass, damage their relatively thinner plates?

Your windlass at 700w is only taking approx 30 amps out of each battery for maybe a minute or two. Two minutes is 1AH from each 110AH battery, and 30 amps is nothing like the 200-500 amps of a typical engine starter motor, depending on engine size and how cold it is.

In any case, I suspect most batteries sold as 'leisure batteries' are actually very little different from starter batteries.

I agree however that usually it is good to run the engine or other charger when using the windlass, but that is to increase the voltage to make the windlass motor run a bit faster, not because of any danger of damaging the batteries. There are times it is useful not to have to run the engine to use the windlass.

 

[Plevier]

Having just today wired the new windlass (700W) to the two 110Ah domestics, rather than the single engine-start battery, it occurs to me that the dedicated domestics don't have the high CCA of the engine battery. Would not repeatedly pulling lots of amps quickly out of the domestics, assuming the engine wasn't running when using the windlass, damage their relatively thinner plates?

No.
You have it back to front.
Starter batteries have thinner plates. High rate current capability is determined largely by plate surface area. Thick plates have lower high rate output because of acid diffusion time. They are more durable for cycling. Leisure batteries usually use truck battery plates typically 1,2-1.5mm thick, car battery plates <=1mm, decent deep cycle batteries e.g. T105 ~3mm, large traction bateries (fork lift, milk float etc) ~6mm.
In any case 700W/60A is trivial for that size battery.

 

[Babylon]

Thanks, I now understand.

 

[LittleSister]

Lofrans windlass manual (for instance) says "If possible, do not carry out anchor recovery operation by relying only on the onboard batteries. Start the motor of the boat (or the generator) to obtain the necessary electromotive force".

 

[KAM]

Is it possible that those boats with an interlock to prevent anchor winch running without the engine running are using the engine start battery for the winch rather than the domestic batteries.

 

[prv]

Is it possible that those boats with an interlock to prevent anchor winch running without the engine running are using the engine start battery for the winch rather than the domestic batteries.

Quite possibly. Always seemed a bizarre way of doing things to me, though.

Pete

 

[[3889]]

Only if some idiot has wired the windlass to the engine-start battery

Pete

Quite possibly. Always seemed a bizarre way of doing things to me, though.

Pete

My 2007 Jeanneau manual states the engine must be running for the windlass to work. However, this is not the case, nor does the ignition need to be on. The original owner denies any intervention to change this and I've no reason to doubt to him. The windlass also runs off the engine start battery as I discovered when its low voltage alarm operated during anchor recovery.
I've taken to manually recovering the anchor in settled conditions as a bit of a work out. The possible problem is that, without faffing about pulling the chain through the windlass which does not allow the cable to be lifted on / off, the chain finishes up outboard of the windlass. I can't think of any issues which may arise from this - in fact it discourages me from from my bad habit of leaving the anchor secured only by the windlass whilst underway. Can anybody see a potential difficulty with this arrangement?

 

[john_morris_uk]

I alas have engine running whilst using windlass for all of the above reasons battery voltage etc. but it is my practice to motor slowly towards anchor whist retrieving anchor chain. This substantially reduces load on the windlass itself.

No ship would use the anchor windlass to 'wind the ship towards the anchor'. IMHO it's pretty poor seamanship to pull the boat towards the anchor using the windlass. Either use the engine to provide some forward force or sail up to the anchor in short tacks, winching in as the chain becomes slack. All I emphasise is IMHO...

 

[st599]

The interlock could simply be turning the ignition on - you don't even need to start the engine!

Ignition?

Dufours have a massive relay which requires alternator spinning to switch the windlass on. Doesn't have an ignition key.

 

[LittleSister]

No ship would use the anchor windlass to 'wind the ship towards the anchor'. IMHO it's pretty poor seamanship to pull the boat towards the anchor using the windlass. Either use the engine to provide some forward force or sail up to the anchor in short tacks, winching in as the chain becomes slack. All I emphasise is IMHO...

It depends how fast you do it. I don't have a windlass (sadly!) and haul the anchor in by hand. I usually just slowly pull the chain in, and the boat starts to move slowly forward (chain still pointing more or less down). There's much less effort involved at this stage than finally breaking the anchor out, so I can't think it's bad for a windlass. Taking it steady, which with an electric windlass probably means doing it in short bursts and letting the catenary settle between each, is the essence of it, I think.

I do motor up to the anchor if there's a strong wind or tide, but that has it's own problems as often the bow (no longer held by the chain) will take off in one direction or another, resulting in the chain pulling at an unfair angle to the bow roller before I've got it all in, at which point I have to wait for the boat to settle to the wind/tide, and then I'm almost back to square one back down wind/tide of the anchor again.

 

[temptress]

I alas have engine running whilst using windlass for all of the above reasons battery voltage etc. but it is my practice to motor slowly towards anchor whist retrieving anchor chain. This substantially reduces load on the windlass itself.

+1 Same here for the same reasons

 

[Robin]

+1 Same here for the same reasons

Me too, motor in tickover towardsthe anchor and lift the chain on the windlass when no load on it, we now have a second up/down switch mounted back at the wheel position to facilitate this too.

 

[gonad]

yes