Windlass - with out without capstan? and why

[Deleted member 36384]

A cathead is not used to weigh the anchor but is/was merely a horizontal beam jutting out from the shipside from which the anchor was hung and stowed.
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Yes, that is well known but if you can extend your search further, you will see another use for catheads, which is for horizontal capstans. We could call them catheads.

I'll save you the bother of trying to search https://www.alariobros.com/doublegearboxhpmotor2catheads.aspx

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Yes, that is well known but if you can extend your search further, you will see another use for catheads, which is for horizontal capstans. We could call them catheads.

I'll save you the bother of trying to search https://www.alariobros.com/doublegearboxhpmotor2catheads.aspx

I wasn't aware of that. I stand corrected.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

windlass
ˈwɪndləs
noun
noun: windlass; plural noun: windlasses
1.
a winch, especially one on a ship or in a harbour.
verb
verb: windlass; 3rd person present: windlasses; past tense: windlassed; past participle: windlassed; gerund or present participle: windlassing
1.
haul or lift (something) with a windlass.
Origin
late Middle English: probably an alteration of obsolete windas, via Anglo-Norman French from Old Norse vindáss, literally ‘winding pole’.
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capstan
ˈkapst(ə)n
noun
noun: capstan; plural noun: capstans
a broad revolving cylinder with a vertical axis used for winding a rope or cable, powered by a motor or pushed round by levers.
the motor-driven spindle on a tape recorder that makes the tape travel past the head at constant speed.
Origin


late Middle English: from Provençal cabestan, from cabestre ‘halter’, from Latin capistrum, from capere ‘seize’.
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cathead
a large wooden beam located on either side of the bow of a sailing ship, and angled forward at roughly 45 degrees. The beam is used to support the ship's anchor when raising it (weighing anchor) or lowering it (letting go), and for carrying the anchor on its stock-end when suspended outside the ship's side. It is furnished with sheaves at the outer end, and the inner end (which is called the cat's-tail) fits down on the cat-beam. The cat stopper also fastens the anchor on. The purpose of the cathead is to provide both a heavy enough beam to support the massive weight of the anchor, and to hold the metal anchor away from the wooden side of the ship to prevent damage.

In common practice, the projecting end of the beam was carved to resemble the face of a lion or cat. Whether such carving was due to a play on the already existing name of the beam or whether the beam was so named because of the practice of such carving is unknown.

The origin of the term "cathead" is obscure, but dates at least to the 17th century used by mainwaring and boteler in their dictionaries.

In Robert Charles Leslie's Old Sea Wings, Ways and Words in the Days of Oak and Hemp (1890), page 154 he writes: "The term catheads used for the two stout projecting timbers on either bow, from which the anchor hung clear of the ship before letting go, was no doubt connected with the fact of a lion or large cat usually carved upon the end of the item."

Additional nautical use of the term
A second "cat head" was associated with a ship's anchor-cable and windlass. This was a square pin thrust into one of the handspike holes of a ship's windlass. When at anchor, the anchor rope (called a cable or catfall) was secured to this with a smaller rope tie called a seizing. The English term for this pin was 'Norman'. In German, however, it was called a Kattenkopf (cat-head), and in this case it is a reference to the traditional way the top was notched and chamfered off so that in cross section, it resembled the ears of a cat.
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From a personal perspective I first came across the term cathead on german drilling rigs, made by Deutag Drilling, the worlds oldest drilling contractor. I suspect that the germans took the term to America as every drilling rig's drawworks (a large winch) used to have a pair of catheads on it. Not common or required on modern rigs as pipe handling is done completely differently and the cathead is now redundant.

The etymology noted above is from the OED and Wikipedia for the cathead.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

The entomology noted above is from the OED and Wikipedia for the cathead.

Very interesting. Thank you.
:encouragement:

 

[Neeves]

Too complicated, no wonder the manufacturers call them all windlass! As Vyv points out Maxwell, NZ - but now Vetus (and also Muir, Oz) whose native language is English call them windlass.

Jonathan

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Too complicated, no wonder the manufacturers call them all windlass! As Vyv points out Maxwell, NZ - but now Vetus (and also Muir, Oz) whose native language is English call them windlass.

Jonathan

Hardly complicated, it's only three words and associated entomology. Nor is it a claim about which word is best or has primacy over others. It is a snippet of information on words used when discussing anchor winches. I am sure our antipodean brethren appreciate the origin of their language, wonderful as it is. (-;

winch | wɪn(t)ʃ | noun 1 a hauling or lifting device consisting of a rope or chain winding round a horizontal rotating drum, turned typically by a crank or by motor. • British the reel of a fishing rod. • another term for wince2.2 the crank of a wheel or axle. verb [with object] hoist or haul with a winch: an attempt to winch survivors of the wreck into a helicopter. DERIVATIVES wincher noun ORIGIN late Old English wince‘reel, pulley’, of Germanic origin; related to the verb wink. The verb dates from the early 16th century.

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windlass | ˈwɪndləs | noun a winch, especially one on a ship or in a harbour. verb [with object] haul or lift (something) with a windlass. ORIGIN late Middle English: probably an alteration of obsolete windas, via Anglo-Norman French from Old Norse vindáss, literally ‘winding pole’.

 

[Neeves]

And then before I learnt to spell proper I always thought a winch was a young girl (or lady)

Jonathan

 

[tudorsailor]

One other use for the capstan is with a cruising chute. I put the tack line onto the capstan (with the anchor tied off) and then I can tighten the tack line using the powered windlass. To loosen, I just let the line slip a bit.

And yes, the capstan is useful for tightening the lazy line when going stern-to in the med

TudorSailor

 

[alan_d]

The entomology noted above is from the OED and Wikipedia for the cathead.

I think you probably mean etymology (study of the origin and meaning of words). Entomology is the study of insects.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I think you probably mean etymology (study of the origin and meaning of words). Entomology is the study of insects.

Indeed I did, thank you for the correction.

 

[Neeves]

Seems it quite easy to get it wrong - in fact it all too difficult

Jonathan

 

[Frank Holden]

Moving right along..... if you do think you are going to use your warping drum frequently.... a horizontal axis one is far easier to tail..... you can do it while standing....

Vertical axis you need to kneel down....

Moving a bit further along...

I have no idea why some ships had a second stream anchor on the starboard bow... maybe so they could do a running moor?

I do know that Esso 35,000 tonners from the 1950s had the full kit and kaboodle down aft.... windlass, chain stowed in chain locker, spurling and hawse pipes, and even an anchor....

My memory frightens me at times......