Windlasses - types - Do I need one

[george unthank]

I have touched on this previously .I have posted this in The Lounge forum , which caused not a little causticity .And Ive posted a previous piece on windlasses . Now I have completed the transaction on boat and advice is hence more pressing to me .
Now I need more detail if I may.
There is no windlass in the craft I am purchasing . She is a 26' regal. D3 Diesel engine .Avg weight for her size I would imagine
Can anyone help me with regard to :
1.
Do I need a windlass firstly if I do most of my sailing /cruising alone
2.
I believe there are 'manual' windlasses which entail some gearing mechanism to lighten the load- are these cumbersome ? I've heard that they are v .slow to haul in anchor but I imagine that would depend on gearing ratio.
3.
Do these ' Manual' types have a 'change gear option to take in slack chain before you're in up/down posit.?
4.
Electric windlasses - Are they expensive ? How much for a serviceable one for this boat ?
5.
Are they easy to install ? -again an ambiguous question. I am not proficient mechanically . But would it be a reasonable thing to expect for a ' handy man' to install. By this I mean someone who can diagnose and fix / replace bearings on my trailer - Is that a challenging job -one that might serve as parameter of his ability .?
I know this is vague, but what I really want to know is whether it involves securing windlass to a solid part of the bow, and drilling holes to secure it ? And would that entail getting a qualified mechanic to do job.?
6
Has anyone experienced installing an electric windlass - How difficult is it in your estimation and where are the main pitfalls whereby the installation might prove unreliable later in service
7
Do they work off main battery - one which starts engine .
8.
Do they run down a batt .or take a major charge from batt. if engine is
a/running
b/ not running - guess this is obvious - but would it run down batt such that it might not be able to crank engine after ( me or one of my untrained crew ) lifting anchor with electric windlass inadvertently with engine off.
9.
Where might I source a choice of windlasses and how would I determine the ''pulling power'' expressed in watts(?) or whatever metric they use - how would I usefully apply that to my craft . Do I need to know precise weight of craft

Any and all of your observations would , as usual be deeply appreciated

 

[rafiki_]

I think if you are planning to anchor at sea, you need to start with the appropriate anchor for your boat size, local sea bed conditions, and depth of chain and rope you are likely to need. This will then give you some idea about your ability to haul this up by hand. I think it unlikely. An electric windlass is not too difficult to fit, as long as you ensure that it is mounted with sufficient rigidity. You are likely to need to reinforce the glass fibre under the mornings with stainless steel plate. You also really need a locker to stow the chain/rope, which is pretty messy after spending time on the sea bed, so a draining locker is useful, so you can hose the chain in the locker. The windlass takes quite a bit of current, so the electric cables fom the battery need to be capable of managing the current draw. The spec sheet with the windlass will state the peak and average draw. Unless you plan to site the battery near the windlass, you need to route the heavy duty cable from the engine bay to the bow. This is probably the hardest task.

On Rafiki the windlass shares 2 batteries with the stbd engine, which works well enough. Some folk prefer to dedicate the battery.

Good luck

 

[grumpy_o_g]

1. Yes - I certainly couldn't stand upright on the foredeck of a 26' sports cruiser and pull an anchor and chain/rode up in anything other than a flat calm. If you are single-handed it gets even more complicated as you would motor up to the anchor normally before hauling in.

2. They are normally very slow and back-breaking. Useful only for breaking an anchor out that has dug in very thoroughly to my mind.

3. No idea - I quickly decided they weren't worth using.

4. Have a look on-line at prices. You will need the windlass itself, cables (welding cable will do but do not skimp on size under any circumstances) relay and controls (normally one by the helm and one on the foredeck). You also need to think about isolating the windlass and circuit breakers/fuses. I believe Lofrans are in administration by the way - I don't know what the score is regarding support or them continuing is'

5. If the boat-builder has provided a nice reinforced point above the chain locker to bolt it to the then yes, the windlass itself is easy to install but there's also the controls and cables, etc. to install. The chain has to have the right to feed both on to the gypsy and down in to the locker, where it has to fall nice and cleanly. The work is fairly basic but read the installation manual carefully before buying the windlass and also check with the manufacturer/importer and, ideally, look at other similar boats and speak to their owners. It's the usual story of it being not so much about how to drill the holes or bolt it on as about where to drill the holes and bolt things on. You need to think about securing the chain - the windlass shouldn't be under load at anchor. The easiest way is usually a bridle made of nylon rope with a chain hook on it. Just slip the hook over the chain and run each side of the bridle through the bow fairleads and onto the bow cleats. That should mean not problems with chafing and also that you've got the load on something designed to take it. As a bonus it's usually a lot quieter.

6. Yes - I helped someone install a flush windlass to replace a Lofrans manual on a 28' yacht. It involved getting a bracket made up that bolted in the chain locker under the chain locker hatch. The hatch had to be modded by having a section cut out of the edge to fit round the windlass. The cabling was simple and we powered it off the engine start battery.

7. Even a small windlass will draw over a 100A at peak and 50A+ most of the time. We chose to use the engine start battery as the domestic battery was pretty tired and we knew he would never use the windlass without the engine running (unless he had engine problems). The starting current of a windlass is high for a battery not designed for engine starting but it should cope with it. No idea what standard practice is. If you do use the engine start battery make sure it has an adequate amp-hour capacity.

8. It's normal practice to have the engine running anyway when using an electric windlass. Apart from the fact that you want to motor up to the anchor chain rather than pull the boat towards it using the windlass it's wiser to have the engine running ready to motor away rather than finding yourself drifting around whilst trying to start the engine. I'd guess your alternator puts out something like 80 or 90A at full bore. At cruise it will probably be a bit less and at tick-over it will be a lot less. The important thing is it will take no time to top your battery up if you are cruising at a decent rpm for 10 or 15 minutes it will be more than recovered. For a 26' sports cruiser any electric windlass should be OK from 600W to 1KW - any more would be totally wasted. Make sure that you current anchor and chain are compatible with the gypsy. Ideally it should be calibrated chain but I know of people who bought standard 8mm and had no problems.

 

[benjenbav]

Speaking from my own experience: I had a 27 ft yacht without a windlass. Retrieving the anchor was sufficiently unpleasant to put me off anchoring. I fitted a manual windlass. It was an improvement but quite slow work. That was all some years ago, since when I have always made sure I have an electric windlass.

 

[Spi D]

Agree with the above.

I used to have a Quick (Italy) windlass on my previous boat. It needed service and I was offered main units instead of parts in replacement: Motor, gearbox, drum.

Not happy with that I took the gear apart and tracked the bits down from various sources (bearings, seals). Filling with grease (the floating type, for truck's central lube systems) since this seemed better for our northern climate.
The main problem was that the factory-filled grease had dried and put great resistance on gears.

My current Lewmar just works (so far... :O)

Regal apparently fit(ted) Lewmar, but in your case any major brand should suit. All brands make flush/low profile/on-deck versions and if possible I'd prefer recessed or flush mount not to clutter access.
You need to look for one wih a gipsy to fit your anchor chain dimensions and the toal weight of anchor+chain (more important than weight of boat). If not already fitted you need to consider a bow roller for your anchor type as well.

Prices are not low, but bargains occur and eBay may be the place to check the level.

Pay attention when fitting. Proper swithes etc. and good anti corrosion applied to all parts would keep things running for years. Better an extra coat of protective spray when fitting than having to disassemble the boat to fix it later on

 

[omega2]

Get one!!

Capstan Winch single handed.

We use this method. Very simple to fit, but not cheap, makes light work for a single hander.

My previous boat was a 26foot Tremlett and hauling by hand was a no-no, she was fitted up the same as above.

A simple warping drum can be had for about £450 if you shop around, and the pulleys are manufactured by several companies.

 

[Spi D]

Wouldn't dream of dragging a chain over my GRP, have it on my walking area or store it in the cockpit.

But maybe that's just me ...

 

[omega2]

Wouldn't dream of dragging a chain over my GRP, have it on my walking area or store it in the cockpit.

But maybe that's just me ...

beg your pardon but that is a walking area, on a proper boat they are hard as nails.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

I never knew anchoring could be fun until we fitted an electric windlass. Hauling by hand is grim and even manual windlass on a bouncy foredeck is no fun at all. Pressing the button and raising the lot makes stopping for a couple of hours or a couple of days easy peasey.