What windlass for a 22 ton cutter which will be anchoring a lot?

[philiosophy]

What ever you do stay away from the Quick. Terrible casting in both the Case and the shaft. Both have failed and I had to fight hard with threats from my crew member at the time whom was a recent Landing School three year graduate. Holly told the rep she would not want to have to tell her professors about the bad service and he finally sent us a new shaft and keepers. Very poor quality control and even tho I clean it with fresh water frequently and do the lithium grease maintenance as prescribed by the rep yearly it has frozen up and I can only power up and down. I bought an oversized Quick because its a good idea. Not a good product.

[Gerrycooper56]

Our Tayana 52 weighs in at around 38,500 lbs so isn’t that much different. We have a Maxwell VWC3500 and it looks like the windlass is original but would have to confirm. (1990)
No problem with the windlass so would recommend. Our installation has a windlass battery (4D) at the head of the v berth and very close to the windlass (12v).

[Methersgate]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed. Still thinking...

[botanybay]

On my prior vessel, a cruising CAL 35 (18,000 lbs) the lighthouse 1501 was absolutely perfect! All stainless top works, held up really well, below decks the rubberized motor with sealed contacts never had any corrosion, the “submariner” reversing solenoid was truly bulletproof. After several long passages (los Angeles to Kwajalein and back) it still polished up perfectly.

The best feature is two options for manual override. One is 1:1 for quick retrieving and used a long ratchet handle and uses the internal fine ratchet to prevent slipping. The other uses a standard socket for a winch handle driving the worm drive the motor drives. The result is a kedging winch which can develop something like 15000 lbs of force using a winch handle at 35 lbs,

Obviously it needs a really good backing plate and never use chain for kedging, line on the warping drum is best.

Worm drive based with sealed roller bearings in grease results in very low draw if not loaded up. Pulling a 5 boat raft upwind resulted in the phrase “another lighthouse moment”

Unfortunately my new vessel (oyster 55) is setup for a vertical winch and the search is on for an all stainless top work windlass with a solid manual override.

The Muir looks possible, the manual describes two optional built in manual override systems but I have never seen either installed. Both override systems are 1:1

The Maxwell 2500 VWC manual override is a joke at best and dangerous at worst (had to use it in an emergency with motor failure on a new windlass on first trip. Uses a short piece of aluminum stock, your fingers on the pawl and pulls up about 2 links at a time due to 20 degree swing. Then repeat. On a pitching deck it was not pretty. Customer service was antagonistic at best, returned, patched deck, installed lighthouse.

Lewmar 3 series requires disassembly and mounting an additional part with drum off to retrieve chain, corrosion a real issue. Helped a friend maintain on their 43 footer.

Replaced lewmar with Lofrans 1500 which has been good except getting to top seal for service is a pain. Manual override is 1:1 but simple and works well. Would buy 1700 watt version but is aluminum, lofrans has been promising an all stainless unit for years (like 8) but it has not materialized.

Always oversized, both windlass and wiring!

[Methersgate]

That is most helpful. I am heading towards choosing Lighthouse, but the vanishing pound isn’t helping!

When I looked at the design, I said to myself “these people actually go sailing!”

[botanybay]

Originally Posted by Methersgate

That is most helpful. I am heading towards choosing Lighthouse, but the vanishing pound isn’t helping!

When I looked at the design, I said to myself “these people actually go sailing!”

Ah, one thing to know... The 3001 does not have the "kedging socket", I assume it still has the 1:1 manual override.

[Methersgate]

Originally Posted by botanybay

Ah, one thing to know... The 3001 does not have the "kedging socket", I assume it still has the 1:1 manual override.

Thanks. I definitely like the “kedging socket!”

Lighthouse, in correspondence with me, seem to think that the 1501 would be big enough, but another difficulty emerges in that, being an American manufacturer, they don’t offer gypsies/wildcats for metric chain sizes, so I will need to get one made.

[Nepidae]

We have a trawler, 43, about 40,000#.

I purchased a Lofrans Tigress which has both a gypsy and a capstan. It is a horizontal, 1500W, 12V model.

You might not have space in the bow, but I would think that a model windlass which has both types of retrieval would be a benefit for a sailboat that might require a capstan for raising or lowering some of the many items that are on a sailboat.

Good luck.

[botanybay]

Originally Posted by Methersgate

Thanks. I definitely like the “kedging socket!”

Lighthouse, in correspondence with me, seem to think that the 1501 would be big enough, but another difficulty emerges in that, being an American manufacturer, they don’t offer gypsies/wildcats for metric chain sizes, so I will need to get one made.

Interesting issue. No metric chainwheels... how would you go about having one made?

[Methersgate]

Originally Posted by botanybay

Interesting issue. No metric chainwheels... how would you go about having one made?

Seems I had misunderstood them; they do make metric chain wheels up to 12mm. But not very often!

Lighthouse are definitely leading the field, with Deep Blue making a late run on the stand side:


Deep Blue Engineering - Deep Blue Engineering: Webster's Boat Machinery

Oh, and Deep Blue can make any chain wheel, to order.

[chouliha]

We replied previously on this thread. We have a Lighthouse 1501 and recently purchased 10mm chain. It fits perfectly in place of the 3/8” BBB. After 35 years the BBB had come to the end of its life.

Chuck

[Jim Cate]

After 35 years the BBB had come to the end of its life.

Why Chuck, you're becoming a regular ole spendthrift in your dotage!! A mere 35 years... likely had heaps of life left!

(Oh, ok, I did replace our chain this year, and the old stuff was only 28 years old AFAIK. It was good enough that a friend in Manly was glad to save it from the tip.)

Good one, mate!

Jim

[chouliha]

You know me too well Jim. We had this chain regalvanized 4 times. But no galvanize here in French Polynesia so we had to rob the kitty to buy 100 meters of 10mm chain. I guess when you figure out all the nights we have spent on anchor in 35 years we got our money out of the chain.

[Mike Banks]

I prefer hydraulic winches run from the engine by an electric clutch to a hydraulic pump if there is to be frequent anchoring.

It takes less power from the batteries to start a diesel engine than to raise a heavy anchor--and it you are doing it frequently--you will always have more power available than if you had used an electric windlass. You need to set the anchor anyway.