Lewmar anchor foot switch

[Navicula]

replace the switch with new..............if it is still a problem, then it could be the control box..........which again replace with new......

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Opie91

I am amazed to hear that some people let their boat swing on the windlass and not cleat it off.

Like mentioned in earlier post, opening the breaker for the windlass would also solve all of these uncommanded anchor hauls.

You got it wrong, nobody said that they were swinging on the windlass with the windlass breaker turned on. Our anchor rode is cleated off using a snubber, so IF we were anchored and IF the windlass breaker was left on when the windlass self activated, it would have unhooked the snubber hook and taken in the anchor on it's own. Normally, we do leave the windlass breaker turned ON when in tight quarters and motoring or sailing in a harbor... we treat the anchor as an emergency brake in case all else goes wrong. Don't want to end up on the rocks while fooling with the breaker panel.

Forgive me if I sound curt or harsh... we just had a home invasion break in by a crackhead four hours ago. Good thing I had a gun.

[speakeasy]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

While anchored out, friends of ours were sitting in their cockpit having a glass of wine one evening when they heard clanking at the bow. Upon investigating they discovered the windlass had activated and was hauling in their anchor of its own accord. They cut the power to the windlass and disconnected the foot switches. Repowered, and managed with a backup hand held controller, the windlass functioned normally. Subsequent investigation revealed that moisture had made its way into the foot switch and evidently shorted the connectors. The other switch was also badly deteriorated. Both switches are gone now and the holes in the deck filled and covered.

FWIW...

PS: Aboard HyLyte, we have the Windlass Breaker, with an indicator lamp, at the foot of the Companionway where it can be seen from the cockpit--even with the hatch closed--and we keep the breaker off unless we are actually deploying or recovering the anchor.

Self activation happened to a 50 footer that pulled into my dock in La Paz from PV, while in their last anchorage coming over last spring. The tech asked the owner whether he had been in rain recently, which the owner said he had, and the tech said he's seen this happen often. Corrosion never sleeps, especially with electrical switches exposed to the sea and rain. Is it a moisture arc?

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Forgive me if I sound curt or harsh... we just had a home invasion break in by a crackhead four hours ago. Good thing I had a gun.

What does that have to do with a windlass? Obviously you are quite emotional.

Yell at the crackhead, not me...

[Kenomac]

I actually learned quite a bit by participating in this thread. A previous poster recommended the use of a remote control to replace the deck switches, so today I contacted Lewmar, asked a few questions and now plan to install the Lewmar cockpit windlass control and chain/rope counter along with replacing both deck switches with the new, more water resistant type. Then we'll have the use of two deck switches which will receive less wear and tear, along with a remote switch which will remain out of the elements and give us the added feature of counting the chain length. I always prefer to raise the anchor using a forward switch so that I can stop along the way to remove stuff caught on the chain & make sure the chain isn't piling up too high in the locker. Deployment will be nice from the cockpit.