Windlass why electric

[billyfish]

I'm thinking of putting a windlass to pull the anchor up on my modest 28 footer , it yaws about in both wind and tide making it difficult if on the bow with controls at the stern. My current one if manual which works fine if someone is with me and I can stear . But why is the leasure industry flooded with electric ones it seams mad to me to put a electric item right on the bow in all the weather. Why not hydraulic ? I worked with tractors and mowers all my life all hydraulic , tiny motors and pumps , small pipes , easy to control the flow rate. A manufacturer did bring out a electric greens mower and guess what water got in when you washed it off. Maybe there is such a thing but all I can find is fishing boat ones.

 

[Rappey]

You can get a hydraulic windlass, just as you can get a hydraulic head sail furler but your pockets need to be very deep !

 

[vyv_cox]

I can only say that my electric windlass has been on my bow, with forward and aft control, for about 25 years now. I did suffer a corroded earth terminal inside the chain locker two years ago, my fault for inadequate waterproofing, but otherwise total reliability.

 

[ean_p]

I'm thinking of putting a windlass to pull the anchor up on my modest 28 footer , it yaws about in both wind and tide making it difficult if on the bow with controls at the stern. My current one if manual which works fine if someone is with me and I can stear . But why is the leasure industry flooded with electric ones it seams mad to me to put a electric item right on the bow in all the weather. Why not hydraulic ? I worked with tractors and mowers all my life all hydraulic , tiny motors and pumps , small pipes , easy to control the flow rate. A manufacturer did bring out a electric greens mower and guess what water got in when you washed it off. Maybe there is such a thing but all I can find is fishing boat ones.

Amongst other things try cost, size and convenience........on a 28ft electric is the way.......on a 48 foot mmmmm then hydraulic maybe, and beyond then no questions......!

 

[geem]

Hydraulic works very nicely on the 67 tonne motor boat next to us. The PTOs from the twin gensets provide the power for the hydraulics. The large engine room has plenty of space for the gensets and hydraulic oil tank and pumps. Where are you going to get the drive for hydraulics on your 28ft boat? You could have an electric/hydraulic pump but you would need more power to run it than a direct drive electric motor since hydraulics are not super energy efficient.
My own 44 ft boat has a 4.4L Perkins with the option for hydraulic power take off from the gearbox. It's seriously expensive going that route. The big Lofrans electric windlass as been running great for the last 12 years

 

[Stemar]

it seams mad to me to put a electric item right on the bow in all the weather.

All I can say is that the electric item right on the bow on Jazzcat is 40 years old and still functioning. I took it apart to grease it a year or two ago, changed the relay and fitted a remote from eBay, and I reckon it's probably good for more years than I am. On a 28 footer, I reckon the alternative is a manual one, and most of them seem to be so slow I'd only bother if the anchor was stuck.

 

[KompetentKrew]

All I can say is that the electric item right on the bow on Jazzcat is 40 years old and still functioning. I took it apart to grease it a year or two ago, changed the relay and fitted a remote from eBay, and I reckon it's probably good for more years than I am. On a 28 footer, I reckon the alternative is a manual one, and most of them seem to be so slow I'd only bother if the anchor was stuck.

I'm not sure they make 'em like that anymore. I'm sure I've seen numerous complaints on here about the aluminium casings and stainless steel bolts of electric windlasses made in the last 25 years or so.

 

[westernman]

You don't find any hydraulic stuff any more on normal size boats (<20 m/65 feet).

Hydraulics can be even more difficult to maintain than high current electrics. Pipes become brittle, and get pin holes in them, hoses slip off joints, pump seals leak, hydraulic motor seals leak and you can end up spraying flammable hydraulic fluid eveywhere.

Electrics are generally seen as simpler and more reliable. For high power stuff for big boats you want to go to 48V rather than 12V, on super yachts to mains AC voltages.

 

[billyfish]

Ok,OK, I see, so which electric one ? Sooooo many

 

[westernman]

Ok,OK, I see, so which electric one ? Sooooo many

A baby 12V one.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I do have several hydraulic items on my boat but driven by electric motors driven pump operating cylinder actuators for lifting heavy stern hatch

The main advantage of hydraulic windlass is that the windlass can operate continuously where as the heating of the electric motor limits the duty cycle and if operated continuously could burn out the motor due to over heating

 

[Tranona]

I'm not sure they make 'em like that anymore. I'm sure I've seen numerous complaints on here about the aluminium casings and stainless steel bolts of electric windlasses made in the last 25 years or so.

That is really only on Lofrans which are mechanically the best of the mainstream and can easily be avoided by careful use of a protective coating on the fastenings and painting the base before assembly. You hear about it because there are a lot of them about.

 

[Stemar]

Ok,OK, I see, so which electric one ? Sooooo many

One with the electrical gubbins below deck if you can fit it.

Something like this from Quick:

If you have a mixed rode, get a dual-purpose gypsy that can grip chain and rope.

 

[Tranona]

Ok,OK, I see, so which electric one ? Sooooo many

Depends whether you want a vertical or horizontal axis, above deck or below deck, but the most commonly available for your size boat are Lofrans and Lewmar. Biggest challenges are finding a suitable place to mount it and providing power to drive it.

 

[geem]

One with the electrical gubbins below deck if you can fit it.

Something like this from Quick:

If you have a mixed rode, get a dual-purpose gypsy that can grip chain and rope.

The windlasses with vertical shafts seem to have a higher failure rate than horizontal shaft types. Water ingress down the shafts seems to be an issue.
Two friends recently changed Quick windlasses on a 14 year old Jeanneau and a 10 year old Beneteau. Water ingress on the Jeanneau and the oil from the gearbox was all in the motor case on the Ben!

 

[vyv_cox]

The windlasses with vertical shafts seem to have a higher failure rate than horizontal shaft types. Water ingress down the shafts seems to be an issue.
Two friends recently changed Quick windlasses on a 14 year old Jeanneau and a 10 year old Beneteau. Water ingress on the Jeanneau and the oil from the gearbox was all in the motor case on the Ben!

Not the case with my Maxwell. The first one we had failed in that way but the replacement gearbox casing had extra perforations surrounding the shaft which drained water away quickly. The later Maxwell (purchased because we needed a capstan) had the modified gearbox top casting and has been perfectly dry inside.

Naturally I would recommend Maxwell!

 

[thinwater]

Bear in mind that even electric windlasses are not intended to winch the boat up to the anchor. Unless the weather is very light you still need to drive the boat up over the anchor. For a singlehander, this means either controls a the helm and good visibility to the roller, or putting the engine in gear slow to take the main part of the load.

 

[geem]

Bear in mind that even electric windlasses are not intended to winch the boat up to the anchor. Unless the weather is very light you still need to drive the boat up over the anchor. For a singlehander, this means either controls a the helm and good visibility to the roller, or putting the engine in gear slow to take the main part of the load.

Not true. Our Falkon easily hauls us forward. It depends on the windlass. Of course if you fit a small one lightweight unit, it won't be up to the job

 

[NormanS]

My wife, who attends to such matters, merely winds in some chain, and the catenary then pulls the boat forward. OK, if it's blowing a hoolie, I'll help with the engine, but normally intelligent use of the windlass does it fine.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

My wife, who attends to such matters, merely winds in some chain, and the catenary then pulls the boat forward. OK, if it's blowing a hoolie, I'll help with the engine, but normally intelligent use of the windlass does it fine.

Some years back I used to sail on a 46' 23 ton boat that had a manual windlass two up. One on the helm and the other doing the levering . A power windlass would have been nice but we got on OK.