What type windlass do I have ?

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On my newly bought second-hand 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 331 Clipper, I have an electrical windlass of an unknown type. Does anyone recognize this type/brand or can anyone help me to the manual, please ? At the moment I can only use the windlass when the engine is on and I am looking for a way to lower the anchor manually eg. during engine failure. Unscrewing the lid on top with a winch handle does not do anything.

https://zeilersforum.nl/media/kunena/attachments/16787/lier-2.jpg
 
HCA said:
On my newly bought second-hand 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 331 Clipper, I have an electrical windlass of an unknown type. Does anyone recognize this type/brand or can anyone help me to the manual, please ? At the moment I can only use the windlass when the engine is on and I am looking for a way to lower the anchor manually eg. during engine failure. Unscrewing the lid on top with a winch handle does not do anything.

https://zeilersforum.nl/media/kunena/attachments/16787/lier-2.jpg
Click to expand...

It's normal to only be able to operate the windlass when the engine is running. All the boats we have chartered over the years and our own boat is like that.

Perhaps the clutch is seized if you loosen the top and cannot pull the chain to start the anchor dropping. Tie the anchor in place and completely unscrew the top and see if you can remove the clutch and grease it. Perhaps that model of windlass does not incorporate a gravity drop but they usually do.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
It's normal to only be able to operate the windlass when the engine is running.
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I'd disagree - the windlass is wired to the batteries, which are operational whether or not the engine is running. There might be a recommendation that the engine should be on when the windlass is used, but it's not vital.
 
pvb said:
I'd disagree - the windlass is wired to the batteries, which are operational whether or not the engine is running. There might be a recommendation that the engine should be on when the windlass is used, but it's not vital.
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As I said, it's been absolutely vital on every boat I've ever chartered and on our boat ..... because there is a relay in the circuit and until the running engine closes the relay there isn't any leccy going to the windlass. Obviously, I can't speak from personal experience about other boats but I seem to recall that others on here have mentioned that their boat is the same.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
As I said, it's been absolutely vital on every boat I've ever chartered and on our boat ..... because there is a relay in the circuit and until the running engine closes the relay there isn't any leccy going to the windlass.
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Maybe some charter companies do that to prevent feckless charterers running the batteries down. But I see it as a safety issue that the windlass should be operational whether or not the engine is running.

And maybe the OP's boat is ex-charter, and he's already worried about the way the windlass operates. If it's wired so that it only operates when the engine is running, he can easily change that.
 
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Thanks a lot for tha answer. Apparently it is a Leroy Somer. I had never even heard of this brand.
 
I can certainly operate my (Lofrans Tigres) windlass without the engine running. On a sailing yacht, I wouldn't have it any other way. What would you do if you had to SAIL away from anchor, which I sometimes choose to do?
 
NormanS said:
What would you do if you had to SAIL away from anchor, which I sometimes choose to do?
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There's nothing to stop you sailing away from an anchorage with the engine running -- other than an inner sense of raggy purity, of course.
That said, I agree that it's daft to have a windlass which can only be used with the engine running. Although I can see the reason for such a set-up on charter boats, it's not difficult to envisage reasons why that's unwise. If skippers wishes to have a policy of generally not using the windlass on battery alone, there's nothing to stop them. Why hard-wire it in?
 
macd said:
There's nothing to stop you sailing away from an anchorage with the engine running -- other than an inner sense of raggy purity, of course.
That said, I agree that it's daft to have a windlass which can only be used with the engine running. Although I can see the reason for such a set-up on charter boats, it's not difficult to envisage reasons why that's unwise. If skippers wishes to have a policy of generally not using the windlass on battery alone, there's nothing to stop them. Why hard-wire it in?
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"There's nothing to stop you......." Oh yeah. I had an occasion a few years ago, when anchored off an uninhabited island (I nearly said desert island), and found that my engine was completely inoperable. (Long story and irrelevant).
OK, I COULD have lifted the anchor using the hand lever, if I was willing to take half an hour and a lot of effort over it, but with a sensible installation, I used the power available from the batteries. It makes sense to me. Maybe not to the aforementioned charter skippers.

Anchored in an open bay, with no close hazards, why wouldn't you want to be able to sail away from your anchor? I don't think it has to be "raggy purity", but on the other hand........?
 
If I couldn't start my engine in order to raise my anchor, there's no way I'd be even thinking about raising the anchor as all my attention would be focused on fixing the engine.

But, then again, I'm primarily an "engineer" and secondarily a "sailor", so the above simply reflects my priorities in life. ;)

Richard
 
RichardS said:
If I couldn't start my engine in order to raise my anchor, there's no way I'd be even thinking about raising the anchor as all my attention would be focused on fixing the engine.

But, then again, I'm primarily an "engineer" and secondarily a "sailor", so the above simply reflects my priorities in life. ;)

Richard
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I doubt if even you, could fashion a piston out of a piece of floorboard.:rolleyes:

PS. I am also a mechanical engineer (rtd).
 
NormanS said:
"There's nothing to stop you......." Oh yeah. I had an occasion a few years ago, when anchored off an uninhabited island (I nearly said desert island), and found that my engine was completely inoperable. (Long story and irrelevant).
OK, I COULD have lifted the anchor using the hand lever, if I was willing to take half an hour and a lot of effort over it, but with a sensible installation, I used the power available from the batteries. It makes sense to me. Maybe not to the aforementioned charter skippers.

Anchored in an open bay, with no close hazards, why wouldn't you want to be able to sail away from your anchor? I don't think it has to be "raggy purity", but on the other hand........?
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I was agreeing with you, Norman, in almost every way, bar the "nothing to stop you" bit. I equally agree that there a few sailing pleasures greater than leaving an anchorage serenely under sail alone on a lovely morning.


RichardS said:
If I couldn't start my engine in order to raise my anchor, there's no way I'd be even thinking about raising the anchor as all my attention would be focused on fixing the engine.
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Fair enough, unless the engine's not starting coincides with the boat's dragging into danger.
 
NormanS said:
I doubt if even you, could fashion a piston out of a piece of floorboard.:rolleyes:
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macd said:
Fair enough, unless the engine's not starting coincides with the boat's dragging into danger.
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I guess so. It's also a possibility that you're peacefully anchored in a lovely little bay ....... when you suddenly come under alien attack and those little green fellas have an EMP weapon which stuffs your engine. ;)

Richard
 
NormanS said:
What would you do if you had to SAIL away from anchor, which I sometimes choose to do?
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Pull it up by hand, as I generally do on my own boats.

Obviously no good on bigger boats (mine is a 35 foot Westerly), or if you don't have the strength.

Another emergency alternative might be to use a sheet winch.
 
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HCA said:
On my newly bought second-hand 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 331 Clipper, I have an electrical windlass of an unknown type. Does anyone recognize this type/brand or can anyone help me to the manual, please ? At the moment I can only use the windlass when the engine is on and I am looking for a way to lower the anchor manually eg. during engine failure. Unscrewing the lid on top with a winch handle does not do anything.

https://zeilersforum.nl/media/kunena/attachments/16787/lier-2.jpg
Click to expand...

It's easy to lower it manually: just take the chain off the gypsy.

Be very careful of your fingers as the chain runs out.

It's often worth pulling out the length of chain you need, laying it out on deck, and making it off to a cleat (again, make absolutely sure that no body parts can possibly get caught up in the chain).
 
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RichardS said:
It's also a possibility that you're peacefully anchored in a lovely little bay ....... when you suddenly come under alien attack and those little green fellas have an EMP weapon which stuffs your engine. ;)
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I think you'll find the typical yacht diesel is pretty robust so far as EMP attack is concerned, Richard. You might be more at risk from the gods, notably Nemesis.
 
NealB said:
It's easy to lower it manually: just take the chain off the gypsy.

Be very careful of your fingers as the chain runs out.

It's often worth pulling out the length of chain you need, laying it out on deck, and making it off to a cleat (again, make absolutely sure that no body parts can possibly get caught up in the chain).
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An excellent method for removing cleats.:rolleyes:
 
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