Chain Twist Clogging Hawse Pipe

[Paolo]

I have installed a new vertical electric Muir windlass on my recently acquired, 25-yo, 38' sailing boat.
I use it mostly with engine running.
The rode is a long chain, no rope.


Chain is fed from the well to the windlass via an under-deck 50cm long, vertical, s/s hawse pipe.
Chain twist continually clogs hawse and stops windlass.

Anybody experienced similar problem?

Any solution?

Thank you for any advice.

Paolo

[bene505]

How much height is there between the top of the pile of chain and the bottom of the hawse pipe? (Not sure I can help much here, mine doesn't twist.)

[Rick]

Is the chain jamming during pay-out or retreival?

[Jesse]

I had a similar problem with similar equipment and overcame it by shortening the hawse pipe. Good luck and please inform us with your solution to the problem. Jesse

[Paolo]

Jesse, Rick and Bene505

Thanks for the advice.

There is up to a meter (3') between top of chain pile and start of hawse pipe.

Shortening of the pipe may help giving more space to chain to untwist.

Chain jams only during pay-out.

I suspect it may be that chain is a bit oxidized/salt and therefore running less easily.

Will try washing/scrubbing section before attempting all of the 300'.

Before going cruising, chain has to flow out quickly...will try your suggestions and let you know.

Paolo

[Therapy]

Could it just have accumulated a twist?

If so, before leaving, lay it out and un-twist it.

[Jolly Roger]

I would say Therapy has it right. Pay it all out then wind it in again, the gypsy will remove any twist and you should be OK from then on.
Just as a matter of nautical exactitude, the pipe you are all talking about is the navel pipe, not the hawse pipe. The hawse is a pipe running from the deck to the outside of the hull, used in boats with stockless anchors which self stow in the bow. A modern yacht, which carried her anchors on a bow roller, does not have hawse holes.

[Paolo]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

I would say Therapy has it right. Pay it all out then wind it in again, the gypsy will remove any twist and you should be OK from then on.
Just as a matter of nautical exactitude, the pipe you are all talking about is the navel pipe, not the hawse pipe. The hawse is a pipe running from the deck to the outside of the hull, used in boats with stockless anchors which self stow in the bow. A modern yacht, which carried her anchors on a bow roller, does not have hawse holes.

She was right.
However, the many twists were at the boat end, not the anchor end, of the chain.
They accumulated as the gipsy would draw out the chain.
I undid the shackle holding chain to the anchor locker.
Untwisted. Shackled again.

It should be OK now.

This is a fantastic Forum and I am grateful -also for the important nautical English terminology, as an Italian born Australian!

Thanks all around.

Paolo

[maxingout]

The vertical Lewmar windlass on our Privilege 39 catamaran consistently twists the chain and puts hockles in it that accumulate on the boat end of all chain rode. Every couple of months I detach the bitter end of the chain and unwind the hockles. It takes a few minutes to reslove this recurring problem. I consistenly anchor out while cruising, and I have never seen the chain twist in a major way as it is coming in. I guess when you anchor out a great deal, the twists accumulate a little bit at a time with each raising of the anchor.

[delmarrey]

One thing that helps with anti-twist is a bow roller with a center grove or gypsy roller to keep it from twisting as it's coming in. Like the upper two.

[bene505]

Originally Posted by Paolo

...I undid the shackle holding chain to the anchor locker...

Do you have any nylon line connecting the end of the chain to the boat? I seem to recall needing nylon line to absorb the shock of a fast-paying-out chain. There's a lot of weight moving fast. Having no nylon would mean a tremendous shock to the boat.

Others here may have more specifics on this.

[Jolly Roger]

I was actually going to add, always make sure your chain is attached to the boat before you pay it all out, but I thought it too flippant.
You would think it would be obvious, but I once watched a very agitated fellow, who was trying to dock his power boat against a strong wind, bellow at his equally stressed wife to “throw the @#*+@! Line,” which she dutifully did. It landed perfectly at the feet of a dock hand, but unfortunately it was not attached to the boat.
Happy days.

[Paolo]

Well...so much wise information on what seemed to me a problem caused by a malevolent chain, makes up almost a short essay on preventing last minute chain twist hassles when anchoring.

And also for the cruiser with the foreign accent, also a lesson in the richness of English:

Now I know where the metaphor 'the bitter end' comes from; 'hanging from the bitter end' acquires suddenly a visual reference: the anchor well of my boat!

And the marvellous 'unwind the hockles' requires a new metaphor: have another drink to unwind the hockles.

(Hockle: A knob in cordage caused by twisting against the lay.)



Thank you all. A truly marvellous forum.

Paolo

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Paolo

I have installed a new vertical electric Muir windlass on my recently acquired, 25-yo, 38' sailing boat.
I use it mostly with engine running.
The rode is a long chain, no rope.


Chain is fed from the well to the windlass via an under-deck 50cm long, vertical, s/s hawse pipe.
Chain twist continually clogs hawse and stops windlass.

Anybody experienced similar problem?

Any solution?

Thank you for any advice.

Paolo

Paolo,
There is another thread running on this problem. You may want to look at it.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Paolo

Well...so much wise information on what seemed to me a problem caused by a malevolent chain, makes up almost a short essay on preventing last minute chain twist hassles when anchoring.

And also for the cruiser with the foreign accent, also a lesson in the richness of English:

Now I know where the metaphor 'the bitter end' comes from; 'hanging from the bitter end' acquires suddenly a visual reference: the anchor well of my boat!

And the marvellous 'unwind the hockles' requires a new metaphor: have another drink to unwind the hockles.

(Hockle: A knob in cordage caused by twisting against the lay.)



Thank you all. A truly marvellous forum.

Paolo

You are correct.

I have learned quite a lot over the years, and I actually own a sailboat as of yesterday!

I have learned this too: That bit of nylon at the end of the anchor chain that keeps it attached to the boat has another purpose. If you are at the end of your rope (chain ) and have to disconnect in an emergency the rope will allow you to do so with a simple knife. If it is shackled to the boat it can take a lot longer to accomplish.