Baggy
Well-Known Member
Would a 1000 Watt electric Windlass be powerful enough
to winch a man up a mast ?
to winch a man up a mast ?
Windlass Question
- Thread starter Baggy
- Start date
Skipper_Christoph
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure the windlass will be powerful enough.
DickieT
Well-Known Member
Yes, regularly hoist my average weight adult son up the mast using a similar size winch. I use a spinnaker halyard and another halyard as a safety line. To reduce friction I do not go through a turning block at the base of the mast. But just check that if you do pull vertically upwards from the winch, that the fastenings and backing pad structure of the foredeck can take this upward force rather than the sideways load they were originally designed for. I would hate to see lumps of foredeck and winch hurtling skywards! Might sound a little extreme but surprising how springy some modern decks can be!
jwilson
Well-Known Member
Yes. Done it several times with a 1000 watt windlass. Re-routed halyard forward from base of mast, round bow roller and back to windlass.
Dougal
Well-Known Member
Yes, I do it all the time. However, I would STRONGLY advise that you either have the engine running at FAST idle, or a high output mains battery charger running during the lift.
jdc
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I can't see the point of this. It's 1kW so only 80A at maximum. But the load from a man is way less than maximum.
Say 850N force x 0.3 ms-1 = 255W or 21A. There's no problem with any domestic battery delivering this sort of current (which is about an Ebberspacher start-up load to put it in perspective).
The mast is maybe 15m high, so that's 15/0.3 = 50 seconds of use, so 21 x 50 / 60 / 60 = 0.3 Ahr, again tiny compared to the puniest battery.
Dougal
Well-Known Member
Regardless of these facts... I have a huge battery bank, BUT my windlass (1200watt) does MUCH better with engine running. Nor do the supply cables get warm when doing it this way. Mathematical theory does not always translate into the real world;-)
prv
Well-Known Member
Sounds like maybe the cables are a tad undersized, so running at 13.8v at the battery end covers the volt-drop. Whatever works...
Pete
DickieT
Well-Known Member
Yes, +1. Clue here is the cables "run warm". Simple ohms law means there is an appreciable voltage loss compensated by upping the input voltage into the cable. Never even consider running engine in this scenario, battery and winch never even pause to catch breath!
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
We've done it but we feel it needs three folks to do the job: one up the mast, one to control the line hauling the bloke up the mast and the winch and the third one to control the second halyard or safety line. The person operating the winch also needs to understand how to dump the line if the winch won't stop when required so the bloke up the mast doesn't get hauled too high......
As regards the battery, never even given it a thought. Plenty of juice in the bank to do the job.
As regards the battery, never even given it a thought. Plenty of juice in the bank to do the job.
Baggy
Well-Known Member
Well spotted Duncan
I was waiting for somebody to come up with that scenario
so maybe a fourth person required so sit next to the battery switch
( with no headphones on, or loud music or a bit mutton jeff )
Billjratt
Well-Known Member
A 1kW windlass will work for yonks on a 110AH battery situated nearby without the engine running or any other charger active.
The line should be led forward then back to the capstan to avoid riding turns as mentioned above.
My wife regularly hoists me (12 stone -ish) without help.
The line should be led forward then back to the capstan to avoid riding turns as mentioned above.
My wife regularly hoists me (12 stone -ish) without help.
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
We also manage with just SWMBO tailing and operating switches but I do prefer it with an extra pair of hands. Don't bother with a safety line as dyneema main halyard goes over sheave and down the inside of the mast. Wouldn't use anything on a block without safety line.