robertj
Well-Known Member
I'm looking to replac the lofrans royal with a powered version.
Ideas on what you have and are you pleased with it etc?
34' 6.5 ton.
Ideas on what you have and are you pleased with it etc?
34' 6.5 ton.
Windlass
- Thread starter robertj
- Start date
Tranona
Well-Known Member
There is no direct powered equivalent to a Royale. There is a choice of types - vertical, horizontal, with or without warping drum etc so you need to decide which type is most suitable for your particular installation. The makers have recommended sizing charts. Lofrans would be an obvious candidate, but since the financial collapse of their previous owners, supplies have been erratic, but you can check with Peachments the new UK distributor. Other popular makes are Lewmar and Quick.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
The Lofrans Kobra would be the nearest replacement to the Lofrans Royal.
Either 800W or 1000W.
2 of the bolts are in the same position but the other two are in a slightly different position.
If you have a chain pipe your current hole may be circular. The Kobra has a rectangular opening for the chain guide so your existing opening is best opened up to match so you the chain falls through easily.
In addition, for the Kobra you will have to drill a large hole for the motor to drop through and you must make sure there is enough room under the current mounting position for the motor.
I've recently replaced a Royal with a Kobra. I used a large hole cutter plus router to make the mods.
Either 800W or 1000W.
2 of the bolts are in the same position but the other two are in a slightly different position.
If you have a chain pipe your current hole may be circular. The Kobra has a rectangular opening for the chain guide so your existing opening is best opened up to match so you the chain falls through easily.
In addition, for the Kobra you will have to drill a large hole for the motor to drop through and you must make sure there is enough room under the current mounting position for the motor.
I've recently replaced a Royal with a Kobra. I used a large hole cutter plus router to make the mods.
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Lofrans Kobra 1000W
Johntheyachty
Member
Agreed. We replaced our Royal 11 years ago with a Kobra. No problems, almost identical footprint, and it looks identical. It's given excellent service.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
We had a Lofrans Royal many years ago and found it to be pretty ineffective as a windlass due to the short stroke of the lever but superb at catching genoa sheets when we tacked. I vowed that we would never again have a horizontal windlass above deck, so we fitted a vertical instead. My solution, not straightforward on a Sadler 34, is shown at http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Windlass.aspx Since then we find that we need a capstan to handle lazy lines and have accordingly replaced the original Maxwell with another, the later version, equipped with a capstan.
Storyline
Well-Known Member
Another vote for a vertical windlass with capstan. Recently used it to haul swmbo up the mast with zero effort. Used a spinnaker halyard which turned through a block at the bottom of the mast and then another block to give a perfect angle onto the capstan. Apart from the ease it also seemed to be a very safe method (also backed up with another halyard made off a points in the ascent).
Have not yet thought of another use of the capstan but it may come in handy one day to have what is in effect a powered winch.
Should you wish to consider other makes I can vouch for the Lewmar V series. These are very easy to install as the motor clips on/off. Have heard they are a little slow though but have not felt that to be a problem.
Have not yet thought of another use of the capstan but it may come in handy one day to have what is in effect a powered winch.
Should you wish to consider other makes I can vouch for the Lewmar V series. These are very easy to install as the motor clips on/off. Have heard they are a little slow though but have not felt that to be a problem.
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Talulah
Well-Known Member
I've used the same method. You may not want to tell the wife the following as she may refuse to go up again.
Whilst hauling a volunteer up the mast I had the snatch block mounted at the base of the mast directing the spinnaker halyard to the windlass fail.
The shackle post where it passes through the snatch block housing failed.
The volunteer was on a safety line and dropped about a foot. The halyard itself was now going from where it exits the mast directly to the windlass. i.e. had now become the hypotenuse instead of the vertical and base of a triangle.
The snatch block was rated at 1500kgs.
The volunteer needless to say was a bit shaken up but in reality it was still very safe. The biggest danger is to persons on deck. They mustn't be in the line of a failing block.
Storyline
Well-Known Member
That sounds scary and was a concern I had so I went through all the blocks we had accumulated onboardband picked one where the pin is held captive by the housing - the first one of the images (not the actual block !)
View attachment 44465
View attachment 44464
Has anyone any views as to which type is best ?
Think that I will get a new one to keep only for this purpose when I have found out which is best. In fact will ask swmbo to select the model so she will probably choose Harken !
(As you say, a foot is not far to fall but also gives a shock load onto the backup system which is not good. I made my wife off a wider intervals (about 2-3 foot) but will use shorter distances in light of your story in future.)
Edit: Sorry for the o/t posting but hope you will understand it is sort of relevant
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West Coast
Well-Known Member
Replaced my old lofrans royale with an electric Lewmar Pro Series horizontal windlass 2 yrs ago, has been a great piece of kit. Installed in a starlight 35, in an anchor locker so needed to be a horizontal windlass of similar size to the Royale. Been a great piece of kit.
Seriously considered the Kobra, but at the time (and perhaps still so?) there were big question marks over the Lofrans business and supply, so opted for the Lewmar
Seriously considered the Kobra, but at the time (and perhaps still so?) there were big question marks over the Lofrans business and supply, so opted for the Lewmar
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Your lower one looks very much like one of the turning blocks that we use for our genoa sheets. The loads on them are huge by comparison with the weight of a person. We have had them for well over ten years now, still performing perfectly well.
Chris_Robb
Well-Known Member
My own personal preference is for a horizontal windlass. We use the Lewmar H series here. We find it very reliable and the speed is good, plus you are able to dump your anchor chain using the clutch. Easy to use and easy to fit. The one we have us the H3 at the bottom of the page.
http://www.lewmar.com/product-listing.asp?action=search&type=110
Storyline
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is really down to personal preference and that one you have got certainly looks a doddle to install whereas ours (V3) has the motor under the deck so installation is a bit more tricky. The (removable) motor can be mounted in a choice of position but even so I ended up having to cut a bit of the bulkhead at the end of the forward cabin.
Think I also read somewhere that horizontal ones tend to be faster. The vertical ones have a smaller footprint but the horizontal ones must be much easier to service or fix. So pros and cons of each type.
This is how our motor can be installed at an angle to suit (nearly in our case !).
View attachment 44469
