What windlass if any are close to plug and play for classic 30? Willing to entertain manual if it makes it simpler …
Thanks
Jason
QVID Non
Nonsuch Classic 30
Virginia
Jason: We’re assuming you don’t have an anchor windless presently?? Is your mast currently in?
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
PS – If you tell us where you or your boat is, you may find someone nearby that can show you his/hers
Correct no windlass was on the boat … boat out of water mask is out of the way …
Jason,
I installed an electric windlass on my boat. The process was straight forward but I would not call it plug and play. The install of a manual wold be simpler because you don’t have all the wiring to do and all of the essentials are above deck. On some models it is possible to install a windlass with the mast still in place. My install was with the mast in place. Paul Miller installed his electric windlass on his 30U with the mast in but he cut a 4" or 5" access port in the foredeck to to it. If I remember correctly he installed a horizontal windlass. A vertical windlass would be harder to install with the mast in because the motor is located under the deck. Lewmar makes a vertical windlass with a vertical motor that might make it easier to install with the mast in. Your life will be way happier if you install the windlass while you still have the mast out.
Manuals are nice and simple but my old Simpson-Lawrence manual was very slow. A forward and back cycle of the handle would only bring in about 4" of rode. My anchor and rode were light enough I could lift them by hand. I only used the windlass to break the anchor free. I patience to lift 80 feet of rode with a manual windlass so went with an electric when I went to a bigger anchor and longer chain. Remember that the electric windlass should not be used to break the anchor free from the bottom. Doing so can burn out the motor or damage the windlass. I was able to lift a 35 plus foot tree with my manual but damaged the electric windlass trying to lift an old windlass from a fishing boat. The tree I cold see when it broke the surface. I had to rely on the word of the diver regarding the old windlass.The real sad part was that both of the objects were found in a nice anchorage. Their location is now marked on the Navionic charts.
Some of the decisions to be made with electric include but are not limited to: Size of windlass, horizontal or vertical, where do you mount the breaker, a dedicated battery in the bow, use the house bank or the starter battery, what size of wire, foot control, hand control ore wireless control, foot counter so you can drop the anchor from the helm and where do you run the wires.
If you do a search of this conversations you will find a number of threads coving windlass choices and installation issues and solutions.
Mark Powers
Mark,
I appreciate the guidance as my unit does not have any type of windlass … regarding an electrical windlass can you use the manual override to break the anchor free in theory without damaging the motor? Based on the models others have used
do I need to always add a platform to the boat to ensure the chain is pulled at the correct angle etc…
Thanks
Jason
QVID Non
Nonsuch Classic 30
Virginia
No you don’t always need a lift block under the windlass. It will depend on your bow roller and deck setup. Mine does not.
Mark mentioned that I added a deck plate to access under my deck. It was an easy mod because I needed to do some5hing with the old hawse pipe hole anyway.
If the anchor is in tight enough the strain the windlass, get the chain vertical and give the boat a bump with the motor.
Paul M
NS30U #211, Sandpiper
Cowichan Bay, B.C.
Jason,
yes you can use the manual override to break the anchor free but the handle for the electric windlass is pretty short so you have to really heave on it to produce more power than the electric motor. An extension handle helps. As Paul Miller says, it is better to use the engine to break it loose or to tighten the chain up and have a cup of coffee and let wave action break it loose.
Mark Powers
Hi,
A Horizontal windlass looks like it solves a lot of deck padding issues. The downside is more hardware above the deck.
There’s no perfect windlass.
Regarding “freeing a stuck anchor”, I’m not sure how standard this is, however Lewmar has this gypsy ratchet that mechanically “cleats” the anchor chain both at long scope for “overnight” and the stage of hauling anchor where the chain is straight up and down and you’re using boat with motor to run slightly ahead of the anchor to free it…thus not using the electric motor in the winch for the tough bit.
It’s the part by the nifty red pin.
Cheers,
Mike and Ashley Read
NS 26C #120 Nauti Girl
Bath, Ont.