Using a Milwaukee 28v drill on a manual windlass

[smo]

Could you send a photo of the set up for the main halliard?
I have a corsair f24 and raising the main takes a bit of effort.
Your drill idea might just be perfect for me.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by smj

On our old Solaris catamaran we had a manual windlass that was operated with a standard winch handle. Hard to find a manual vertical windlass nowadays but Muir still makes one that can be operated with a winch handle. Manual Vertical 500 - Pleasure - The World Power In Anchoring Systems - Storm, Atlantic, Compact Winches
It's not only a weight savings but also trying to get away from a large draw on the batteries and to keep it simple. Just a thought I had that may work for people who didn't want to or had no way to install an electric windlass.


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Sounds like the best advice yet.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Cadence

But probably a battery also.

Yes a battery, some really thick cables for the run from the battery to the windlass, the remote and foot switches and also some means of replacing the juice sucked out of the batteries. Starting to sound heavy and expensive now😳


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[a64pilot]

The Milwaukee will still use the same amount of energy as a windlass though and it needs re-charging with 110V.

I think the biggest saving may be in $$, I mean if I had endless funds, my winches would be electric ones and I wouldn't have the Milwauke

[JPA Cate]

I mean if I had endless funds, my winches would be electric ones and I wouldn't have the Milwauke

Fwiw, there is also the issue of the motor being a below decks head thumper; use of the Milly tool just means you have to store a potential foot crusher, while sailing, somewhere its battery doesn't confuse the autopilot compass. [Ours goes under the dodger on a piece of non skid matting, but it's not really secured.]

Ann

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by smj

We just purchased a used 28v Milwaukee right angle drill to use on the main halyard winch to help raise the main. I'm sure I will have to purchase and install a windlass to keep my wife happy, and started thinking. I want to keep the boat light and simple, so why not purchase a manual vertical windlass and use the Milwaukee 28v drill to raise the anchor? We will run 100' of 1/4"HT chain and have a Manson 35lb. anchor, so not much of a load. This would save us the extra weight of the windlass motor, heavy duty wiring and the possible addition of an extra battery to handle the loads. It also keeps it a little more simple in my mind. Any thoughts?


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You don't need an extra battery for an anchor winch. Wire it with suitable heavy cable to the engine start battery. Run the boat motor at fast idle (1800) when using the winch. That gives you more volts for the winch than with the boat motor off. It won't flatten the start battery as the motor is running to charge it. If you had a dedicated winch battery up front as some do, you still need heavy cables to charge it as you shouldn't use the winch without the boat motor running. If you do run it without the boat motor running the winch will go slower and carbon from the brushes can build up on the commutator.


There is probably more load than a drill can handle in your anchor / chain.
100' of 1/4" chain is roughly 100 kg which is very roughly 50 lb. I think your drill (battery drill?) might not like hauling up just under 100 lb for several minutes. Compare the size of an anchor winch motor with your drill motor and that will tell you something.


For my main halyard I use the smallest anchor windless available. I've mounted it horizontally in a fabricated L bracket under the dodger where the halyard runs back to. It had to have a manufactures specified small mod to the oil seal for horizontal mounting. Likewise it is wired to the start battery. I can tail it from the cockpit and it gives a fast hoist and I can look up at the same time.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by smj

Yes a battery, some really thick cables for the run from the battery to the windlass, the remote and foot switches and also some means of replacing the juice sucked out of the batteries. Starting to sound heavy and expensive now��


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The drill sounds like a great idea if you can get a manual chain winch to mate it up with. Doing it daily probably not. Just don't break an arm with the torque from the drill. As far as needing 110v to charge, as someone said, probably not a problem, it is only a trickle charge a small inverter would that.

I hope it works out. Sounds like a sensible idea.

[smj]

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

You don't need an extra battery for an anchor winch. Wire it with suitable heavy cable to the engine start battery. Run the boat motor at fast idle (1800) when using the winch. That gives you more volts for the winch than with the boat motor off. It won't flatten the start battery as the motor is running to charge it. If you had a dedicated winch battery up front as some do, you still need heavy cables to charge it as you shouldn't use the winch without the boat motor running. If you do run it without the boat motor running the winch will go slower and carbon from the brushes can build up on the commutator.


There is probably more load than a drill can handle in your anchor / chain.
100' of 1/4" chain is roughly 100 kg which is very roughly 50 lb. I think your drill (battery drill?) might not like hauling up just under 100 lb for several minutes. Compare the size of an anchor winch motor with your drill motor and that will tell you something.


For my main halyard I use the smallest anchor windless available. I've mounted it horizontally in a fabricated L bracket under the dodger where the halyard runs back to. It had to have a manufactures specified small mod to the oil seal for horizontal mounting. Likewise it is wired to the start battery. I can tail it from the cockpit and it gives a fast hoist and I can look up at the same time.

Our propulsion is a Honda 15 so probably not much help when using a windless. I have no doubt that the Milwaukee has enough torque to raise the anchor, just not sure of the battery life. Maybe the addition of an extra battery would be an advantage?


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[smj]

Originally Posted by Cadence

The drill sounds like a great idea if you can get a manual chain winch to mate it up with. Doing it daily probably not. Just don't break an arm with the torque from the drill. As far as needing 110v to charge, as someone said, probably not a problem, it is only a trickle charge a small inverter would that.

I hope it works out. Sounds like a sensible idea.

I've used the 110v Milwaukee right angle drill for years drilling 3/4" holes in 10"x10" pilings, and no doubt, if you hit a nail you either release the trigger and drill or snap your wrist. The torque is unbelievable. I'm guessing at over 1000lbs. of torque the, 28v would have the same outcome. I'll let people know if we go this route, and how it works out.


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[smj]

Originally Posted by smo

Could you send a photo of the set up for the main halliard?

I have a corsair f24 and raising the main takes a bit of effort.

Your drill idea might just be perfect for me.

Hopefully this will help.
http://www.winchbit.com/index.html


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[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by smj

Our propulsion is a Honda 15 so probably not much help when using a windless. I have no doubt that the Milwaukee has enough torque to raise the anchor, just not sure of the battery life. Maybe the addition of an extra battery would be an advantage?


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Right, I understand the electric power limitations of a Honda 15. I don't know the Milwaukee drill. Most of our good drills are Hitachi, Makita, etc and I have an AEG.

The Milwaukee sounds very powerful and could be a good solution for you.
I did occasionally meet someone whose yacht was powered by a Honda 15, and he made a very nice modification mounting a car alternator on top. Sorry I can't remember the details exactly and I am out of touch with him now.

It may have been a V belt pulley attached above the crankshaft toothed pulley that drives the camshaft. It protruded out the top of the motor cowling and had its own ventilated fibreglass extension. I had a smaller Honda on an earlier yacht and I think the camshaft drive was visible under the cowling.

You still need to charge your Milwaukee spare battery and perhaps a solar panel / battery / inverter would help.

I would consider taking the motor out of a standard anchor windless and grafting in the Milwaukee below deck. You could likely get into the trigger switch and lead some cables to a foot switch above deck. You could make a strut to resist the torque reaction. Just a crazy idea that you may not have room for. The windless would have its own original gearing and if you ran the Milwaukee on fast speed the windless might be slower than original but have a torque advantage.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Cadence

But probably a battery also.

Didn't add a battery.... but do run the engine when I use the windlass.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The Milwaukee will still use the same amount of energy as a windlass though and it needs re-charging with 110V...

My cordless-tool battery charger pulls 50w AC (is that 5-6 12v DC amps?) plugged into a $35 Cyber Power 200W DC-AC inverter...

I think the Milwaukee will be brilliant, please let us know if you try it and how it works.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by smj

I've used the 110v Milwaukee right angle drill for years drilling 3/4" holes in 10"x10" pilings, and no doubt, if you hit a nail you either release the trigger and drill or snap your wrist. The torque is unbelievable. I'm guessing at over 1000lbs. of torque the, 28v would have the same outcome. I'll let people know if we go this route, and how it works out.


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I had one almost flip me over boring a 4.5" hole through dead wood, for a stern tube. I had pipe in as a handle. I'll bet the 28V one will develop as much torque.

[Jim Cate]

Re "flipping" the operator: when using the drill to run a winch, or likely a windlass, there is little chance of sudden increases in torque as when a drill bit seizes up. in my experience the increases in load are gradual enough that one can easily back off on the trigger. The drill will develop a good deal of torque, but its handle is much longer than a winch handle, so it is pretty easy to get sheets and halyards tight enough. I suppose that would be true of a windlass designed to be operated with a winch handle.

But the exposure and battery life would still concern me in the windlass application!

Jim