Sneaky Pete
Well-Known Member
I am considering installing an electric windlass 1000W can I power it from the two leisure 125Ah batteries or will I need to connect it to the engine start. I intend to use it while the engine is running.
Windlass wiring.
- Thread starter Sneaky Pete
- Start date
Hoolie
Well-Known Member
We need more info on your electrics.
On my boat when the engine is charging, the batteries are all interconnected so it makes no difference, apart from the cable run, which is used for the windlass (I have a 3rd battery for mine actually)
On my boat when the engine is charging, the batteries are all interconnected so it makes no difference, apart from the cable run, which is used for the windlass (I have a 3rd battery for mine actually)
Aurai
Well-Known Member
Windlass Electrics
Hi
One route as guided by Merlin marine electronics, is to use a dedicated battery up front for the windlass with short cable runs for heavy duty ones and so saving on copper, needs an Echo Charge and Circuit Breaker wired in. I am just completing this arrangement.
There is a counter argument, that supposes the one time in a rough sea and raining hard so that your anchor takes several times to set, you may curse the above arrangement, as you have to pause operations to allow your dedicated battery to recover!
Aurai
Hi
One route as guided by Merlin marine electronics, is to use a dedicated battery up front for the windlass with short cable runs for heavy duty ones and so saving on copper, needs an Echo Charge and Circuit Breaker wired in. I am just completing this arrangement.
There is a counter argument, that supposes the one time in a rough sea and raining hard so that your anchor takes several times to set, you may curse the above arrangement, as you have to pause operations to allow your dedicated battery to recover!
Aurai
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
I've always wired them from the battery isolator switch at the panel usually switched to engine battery if engine running, no problem with voltage drop if correct cable used. Don't like battery in forepeak, prefer to keep all the acid in one place and no price advantage as heavy cable from panel is about the same price as an extra battery.
noelex
Well-Known Member
Yes no problem. The amp hour draw is not high and the two batteries can supply enough current for the windlass.
Some boats conect the windlass to the start battery some to the house battery, there are pros and cons , but both systems are satisfactory, if the batteries can deliver enough current.
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
When you wake up one morning ready to move off, to catch a tide, after a couple of days at anchor, having had the fridge running, lights on at night, the CD player, running the shower etc etc, you will be glad that you connected the windlass to the starter battery. 
nigelmercier
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When you wake up one morning ready to move off, to catch a tide, after a couple of days at anchor, having had the fridge running, lights on at night, the CD player, running the shower etc etc, you will be glad that you connected the windlass to the starter battery.
Isn't this what battery parallel switches are for? Or failing that, a single jump lead.
noelex
Well-Known Member
When you wake up one morning ready to move off, to catch a tide, after a couple of days at anchor, having had the fridge running, lights on at night, the CD player, running the shower etc etc, you will be glad that you connected the windlass to the starter battery.
It will take less than 10AHrs to raise the anchor, even allowing a bit for Peukerts law. The alternator will take some of this load. If the batteries are so low this small extra drain creates problems then you letting your house batteries get too low.
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
You never know that you have run the house batteries too low until its too late.
The starter battery should be completely isolated from the house batteries to avoid a situation where you cannot start the engine. Connect the windlass to the starter battery, always start the engine first and then lift the anchor. The current draw by a windlass is far closer to that of a starter motor than to that of domestic usage, so the battery should be a better match as well.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I don't want to introduce a smug icon - but we have a little meter on the panel by the chart table that tells me EXACTLY how many amp hours I have used out of the domestic batteries along with the voltage on them and the actual current being drawn at any moment. (You can watch the current going up and down as you transmit on HF or just when you turn things on - or the fridge kicks in). This means that its possible to never let the batteries run down unnoticed. Its not hard to keep an eye on it and I rarely allow the batteries to go into more than 70 Ah deficit out of a total capacity of over 400 Ah. I know that is being very conservative - but the general principle is that whatever set up you have, I don't believe that you should be so negligent as to allow the domestic batteries to run flat. Its also throwing money away, as you will be forced into buying new batteries before too long.
The answer to the OP is that connecting to the domestic batteries is fine, but use the appropriate size cables. Our cable runs to the windlass use welding cable. Furthermore most people run their engines when they are raising the anchor using the windlass, not only because the alternator helps power the windlass, but its much much kinder to the windlass to nudge the boat ahead on the engine as the anchor cable is brought in, rather than making the windlass drag the boat forward as it reels in the chain. On a 'proper' ship of thousands of tonnes, you would never just wind the anchor cable in on the windlass, but you would always motor ahead very gently in short bursts to give slack in the chain. Yachts might do well to follow the same good seamanship.
Sneaky Pete
Well-Known Member
I had spoken to a friend about this and it had been mentioned about using a dedicated battery for the windlass and this may suit some users, however running directly from the 250Ah batteries is how I will plan it on the advice here, thanks all.
