Windlass cable connectors

[TiggerToo]

Time has come to replace Tigger's windlass.

I am not entirely happy with the existing arrangement for the connections between the windlass cables and the cables running to the power supply.

What sort of connectors would you recommend? They should be waterproof, as they will be in the anchor locker under the windlass shelf.

Would anything like this be any good?

Brass Cable Connector With Heat Shrinkable Sleeve - For Cables Up To 40mm²

 

[TSB240]

Time has come to replace Tigger's windlass.

I am not entirely happy with the existing arrangement for the connections between the windlass cables and the cables running to the power supply.

What sort of connectors would you recommend? They should be waterproof, as they will be in the anchor locker under the windlass shelf.

Would anything like this be any good?

Brass Cable Connector With Heat Shrinkable Sleeve - For Cables Up To 40mm²

I don't understand the need to make connections in the damp environment of an anchor locker.
I don't know your windlass model but the majority can be connected directly to the main power switching relay best located in a dry IP rated enclosure in the bow area usually protected by the boats front watertight crash bulkhead.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Time has come to replace Tigger's windlass.

I am not entirely happy with the existing arrangement for the connections between the windlass cables and the cables running to the power supply.

What sort of connectors would you recommend? They should be waterproof, as they will be in the anchor locker under the windlass shelf.

Would anything like this be any good?

Brass Cable Connector With Heat Shrinkable Sleeve - For Cables Up To 40mm²

It would be helpful to know what the cable arrangements are, before offering any specific suggestions, but, those connectors are crap, don't use them.

 

[Stemar]

Considering the current, I'd want as few connections as possible. Crimped connections with heatshrink to the windlass itself, and direct cables to the relay, which should be somewhere dry, and use the same crimped connectors, something like this

I got something like this to do the crimping

The photo is a Draper from Machine Mart, the linked one is a Chinese job that's half the price, but I'd expect it to be up to doing as many crimps as you're likely to need.

 

[TiggerToo]

It would be helpful to know what the cable arrangements are, before offering any specific suggestions, but, those connectors are crap, don't use them.

The windlass is/will be a Cayman 88/1000W.

The cables (3: +/+/-) are routed from a solenoid ~2m away in a dry box in the forepeak cabin.
They should connect to the windlass cables (6mm diameter on the outer sleeves) that run into the windlass itself (~50cm).

The original, factory arrangement, was a set of 3 independent connectors that had all but corroded away (in a waterproof box).

Thanks for directing be away from the "screws in pipe" arrangement. What are the alternatives you recommend?

Would you, like Stemar, recommend rerouting new cables from the windlass to the solenoid?

 

[dansaskip]

don't understand the need to make connections in the damp environment of an anchor locker.
I don't know your windlass model but the majority can be connected directly to the main power switching relay best located in a dry IP rated enclosure in the bow area usually protected by the boats front watertight crash bulkhead.

This post puzzles me in my experience there are terminals on the windlass motor that you connect to the battery cables. How on earth could these terminals be located on a dry IP enclosure?? Also most boats about do not have a front watertight crash bulkhead.
A picture of my windlass mother to clarify - I don't see how you can waterproof these connections - my answer is to shield these from water and use one of the many products designed to protect electrical connections from corrosion. The other important thing of course is yearly maintenance to clean up and recoat the connections. So many ignore this annual task.

 

[Tranona]

This post puzzles me in my experience there are terminals on the windlass motor that you connect to the battery cables. How on earth could these terminals be located on a dry IP enclosure?? Also most boats about do not have a front watertight crash bulkhead.
A picture of my windlass mother to clarify - I don't see how you can waterproof these connections - my answer is to shield these from water and use one of the many products designed to protect electrical connections from corrosion. The other important thing of course is yearly maintenance to clean up and recoat the connections. So many ignore this annual task.

The Cayman 88 has the motor inside the casing as it it is surface mounted on deck. As the OP describes it has 2 cable "tails" rather than terminals as shown in your photo.

I had one on a previous boat on a shelf in the anchor locker and the connections were up under the deck using M8 nuts and bolts wrapped in insulating tape. A bit crude but worked OK in the 15 years i had the boat. If starting from scratch I would try and take the tails through waterproof grommets into the cabin, or if not long enough use posts and crimped terminals with covers.

 

[TiggerToo]

The Cayman 88 has the motor inside the casing as it it is surface mounted on deck. As the OP describes it has 2 cable "tails" rather than terminals as shown in your photo.

I had one on a previous boat on a shelf in the anchor locker and the connections were up under the deck using M8 nuts and bolts wrapped in insulating tape. A bit crude but worked OK in the 15 years i had the boat. If starting from scratch I would try and take the tails through waterproof grommets into the cabin, or if not long enough use posts and crimped terminals with covers.

That's it. But there are 3 cables, rather than 2.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the "covers" of the terminals?

 

[colind3782]

I used two waterproof circuit breakers, similar to these and a single pole busbar for the negative, all mounted on a section of HDPE board. No issues so far.
30-300Amp Waterproof Car Circuit Breaker Fuse Reset for Boat Auto DC 12V-48V UK | eBay

 

[Boathook]

My windlass has 2 cables coming from so I put crimp fittings on and then bolted the cables to these. The connection is in a weatherproof box in the chain locker but under the deck. I coated it all in AFC50 on assembly and so far no problems with this.
Same old problem on a boat, a compromise between the ideal and practicable, bearing in mind working upside down in a small area !

 

[wonkywinch]

On almost every AWB I've sailed, there has been a Quick windlass remote hanging in the anchor locker. They have a 4/5 pin connector which always seems to corrode leaving a pin snapped off and a faulty controller.

Easy fix is a hard wire. I'd crimp the wires and seal the joint with a heatshrink sleeve.

I know that's not the exact issue here but very similar subject.

 

[PaulRainbow]

That's it. But there are 3 cables, rather than 2.

That'll be a negative and two positives, one for up, one for down.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the "covers" of the terminals?

You could crimp terminals on the ends of the tails and on a length of cable to reach from the ends of the tails to the contactor. Bolt the terminals together and insulate with self amalgamating tape, or you could connect them to power posts.

You could also look into removing the back cover on the windlass and replacing the tails with cables long enough to reach the controller.

In either case, the tails are small diameter and should only be extended with the cable sizes specified in the fitting instructions.

Use the style of connectors from Stemars post (#4), but i'd use a hydraulic crimper, you can pick one up for £19.99 16 Ton Hydraulic Crimper Crimping Tool Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal+8 Dies UK | eBay

 

[TiggerToo]

....bearing in mind working upside down in a small area !

I had a VERY USEFUL mate (XXS) whom I held upside down in the anchor locker... so I know about the challenges of that. It made a bit of a funny thing to look at, unless you knew what we were really up to ;-)

 

[TiggerToo]

That'll be a negative and two positives, one for up, one for down.

You could crimp terminals on the ends of the tails and on a length of cable to reach from the ends of the tails to the contactor. Bolt the terminals together and insulate with self amalgamating tape, or you could connect them to power posts.

You could also look into removing the back cover on the windlass and replacing the tails with cables long enough to reach the controller.

In either case, the tails are small diameter and should only be extended with the cable sizes specified in the fitting instructions.

Use the style of connectors from Stemars post (#4), but i'd use a hydraulic crimper, you can pick one up for £19.99 16 Ton Hydraulic Crimper Crimping Tool Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal+8 Dies UK | eBay

Yes, to all of that (I have exactly that crimper). If the original cables running back to the solenoid are OK (i.e. not corroded) I will use those, or replace them with the same diameter new cable. In fact, I may consider putting new cables in anyhow (tinned)

 

[TiggerToo]

On almost every AWB I've sailed, there has been a Quick windlass remote hanging in the anchor locker. They have a 4/5 pin connector which always seems to corrode leaving a pin snapped off and a faulty controller.

Easy fix is a hard wire. I'd crimp the wires and seal the joint with a heatshrink sleeve.

I know that's not the exact issue here but very similar subject.

View attachment 186674

as you say, these are *rubbish*: expensive and the pins corrode/break.
I went through two of them at the start of my boat ownership.

I then got an "industrial" winch controller, heavy duty, which was *cheaper* and has lasted for years.

 

[Stemar]

i'd use a hydraulic crimper, you can pick one up for £19.99 16 Ton Hydraulic Crimper Crimping Tool Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal+8 Dies UK | eBay

I wish I'd known about that when I was doing mine!

 

[colind3782]

Use the style of connectors from Stemars post (#4), but i'd use a hydraulic crimper, you can pick one up for £19.99 16 Ton Hydraulic Crimper Crimping Tool Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal+8 Dies UK | eBay

One of the most useful tools I've ever bought for the boat.

 

[Sandy]

I don't understand the need to make connections in the damp environment of an anchor locker.
I don't know your windlass model but the majority can be connected directly to the main power switching relay best located in a dry IP rated enclosure in the bow area usually protected by the boats front watertight crash bulkhead.

Sounds like @TiggerToo has the same issue as me. A new windlass with very, very short leads meaning that you need to join the cables in the chain locker.

 

[[203264]]

Butt Splice Connectors - 1.5 - 120mm² Cable

Use a couple of layers of glue lined heatshrink sleeving that will waterproof the connector. It has to be the glue lined stuff to be effective. 4:1 is best as you get a good thick insulation if you choose a size that is close to the cable size when fully shrunk. Lots of goopy glue is then able to build up the thickness.

Be careful of extending and voltage drop.

The £20 crimper that Paul suggests should do a fine job.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Butt Splice Connectors - 1.5 - 120mm² Cable

Use a couple of layers of glue lined heatshrink sleeving that will waterproof the connector. It has to be the glue lined stuff to be effective. 4:1 is best as you get a good thick insulation if you choose a size that is close to the cable size when fully shrunk. Lots of goopy glue is then able to build up the thickness.

Be careful of extending and voltage drop.

The £20 crimper that Paul suggests should do a fine job.

Those will not be suitable. The windlass tails are small diameter (but short, so no voltage drop issues), to extend them 2m to the controller you'd need to use at least 35mm cable, the butt connectors don't cater for different sized cables.