Chain Counters - Any Experiences??

[CookiesnTequila]

My wife and I have lived aboard at anchor about 9months per year for the past two years. During that time we have pretty much mastered our anchoring technique. Because we sail in the Med (often unpredictably gusty anchorages), and our 50' cat has significant windage that can make it quite a challenge to keep the bows pointed into the wind while backing down, my wife handles the lowering of the anchor while I pilot. We reverse positions when raising anchor. The only challenge we have left is keeping track of how much chain she has let out.

We installed a Galaxy (marketed by Lofrans) remote with counter last year. The counter part seemed to work fine but the remote only lasted about 2 weeks before it got moisture in it and stopped working! A replacement has been promised, but I don't hold out too much hope!

I know that painting or using the chain inserts is the cheapest sure way. But that does not let the helms-person know how much chain has been let out, or is left to take in...

I would love to hear from anyone with experience - good or bad - using electronic chain counters.

Thanks

PS - sorry if there are other past threads on this topic - a search did not find any for me.

[PaulinOz]

Quick fitted as standard to Lagoon450.




Been using it for past 2 1/2 years no problems, mounted at helm Skipper has control of dropping and raising while knowing the exact amount of chain let out or still to come up. Bow persons job is to unhook safety and hook on bridle once anchor down. When retrieving they just need to point direction to steer and secure the safety once anchor up.

Takes all the yelling backwards and forwards out of the equation.

[CookiesnTequila]

Originally Posted by PaulinOz

Quick fitted as standard to Lagoon450....

Thanks

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by PaulinOz

Quick fitted as standard to Lagoon450.




Been using it for past 2 1/2 years no problems, mounted at helm Skipper has control of dropping and raising while knowing the exact amount of chain let out or still to come up. Bow persons job is to unhook safety and hook on bridle once anchor down. When retrieving they just need to point direction to steer and secure the safety once anchor up.

Takes all the yelling backwards and forwards out of the equation.

I have seen Quick chain counters installed in several Antares boats. They work fine. That said, I am not sure you can use Quick counter with a windlass of another brand. I wonder if they all have the same sensor and connector...

[CookiesnTequila]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

I have seen Quick chain counters installed in several Antares boats. They work fine. That said, I am not sure you can use Quick counter with a windlass of another brand. I wonder if they all have the same sensor and connector...

Most are universal. We have a Lofrans windlass that had a Quick remote on it from original. We installed a Galaxy 503, which is Lofrans' brand, last year but are not as happy with it as we were/are with the Quick. It is nowhere near as robust, and got moisture in it after about a month. The Quick is still working perfectly after 9 years! It just doesn't have a counter!

Wondering others' experiences....

[Scott Berg]

We use an 'auto anchor' 150; works well; took a while to calibrate but after that it's very handy.

[CAELESTIS]

If it has a wire running to it there will be problems.

Have you considered florescent zip ties, paint on chain, or any of the more basic methods of marking the chain?

[Cotemar]

We have the Quick chain counter also. It works well.

[CookiesnTequila]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

If it has a wire running to it there will be problems.

Have you considered florescent zip ties, paint on chain, or any of the more basic methods of marking the chain?

The reason for the counter is so that the helmsperson knows how far down/up the chain is without needing to be told from the person on the bow, about 13 meters away.

[Maka]

Interesting as I am considering one for my boat.

[Mrfish]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

If it has a wire running to it there will be problems.

Have you considered florescent zip ties, paint on chain, or any of the more basic methods of marking the chain?

I recently returned from a charter in La Paz Mexico. The charter company had placed various color cable ties at every ten meters of chain. Each ten meters had a singular color different from the others. Each chain link had five cable ties of one color attached for the measurement.

In addition they had a color chart by the anchor windless control for the anchor dropper to know how far down the chain was out.

We let out the anchor based on the depth and then attached the bridal and let her blow.

Sometimes it is better to rely on manual indicators than electronic.

Hope this helps.

[CarlF]

I've had two over the years - can't remember the brand. I wanted to like it but it was just a little bit more trouble than it was worth. It sometimes got confused and showed the wrong length - not often but just enough to make one worry.

Then after about two years each stopped working. Didn't seem worth the bother to repair.

I also now use the color coded wire tie system. We also have a pair of these bluetooth headsets for bow to cockpit communication with no yelling. Designed for motorcycle riders they somehow suppress all background noise and wind. It sounds like you are in a quiet room.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[meirriba]

We have Quick as in the picture posted by Cotemar. After 5 years the sensor had to be replaced. Otherwise works fine.
The chain is marked with plastic (yellow to be seen in darkness) markers.
One marker - 10m
2 - twenty m.
3 - 30 m, etc.
No need for color coding to remember.
If we are on a boat without counter at the helm, the person on the bow does not shout. Just lifts fingers to correspond with 10 meters. One finger at ten, two at twenty etc. No noise required.

[Redline452]

I have a Quick chain counter (older black version) that came with the boat - bought as an add-on by the PO but never installed. Even came with an enormous Jeanneau windlass wiring harness (since the windlass was already installed with its own harness, I only ran a small-gauge 5-conductor cable back to the cockpit control. The connection to the windlass is just a wire to each solenoid, in parallel with the original up/down footswitches, a reed switch mounted next to the windlass shaft or gypsy and a magnet fastened to the latter.

Works well though I only use it for anchoring which I can now do single-handed from the helm. I prefer to raise anchor from the bow so I can see the direction of the chain (and usually de-weed said chain as it comes up).

Repeated stop/start sometimes gets the counter out of sync; it would probably work better if my magnet/sensor were on a larger diameter disc than the end of the windlass shaft - would make for a cleaner pass of the magnet by the sensor. On my "things to do one quiet day" list.

[sailormed]

The counter is just a magnet passing above a sensor. Many buy cheap bicycle counters and calibrate the revs to meter (feet) to meet the revs of the windlass. Exists also wireless, but I would be a bit wary of wireless, as the windlass is having a very strong magnetic field.