Lavezzi 40: Lavezzi anchor chain

[cavitation]

Thanks for the input. I had big plans for using all these ideas when I got up to the boat this year. Our shire got lumped in with Melbourne during the lockdown, so had to sit it out at home. Gotta congratulate the people of Melbourne for beating the virus down..... except the tin foil hat crowd. Oh and that Karen. I will go up to the boat in March. Future me will get back to you.

[CaptainRivet]

Reopening that thread as I experience the same issues with slipping chain. Chain is measured and not worn and fits the gypsy.
Looking at the setup in detail I figured several issues:
1) What I discovered is that the factory location of the lofrans cayman 88 windlass is out of line with Anker roller by about 5cm, means the gypsy/windlass would need to be 5cm to Starboard so it’s inline with the roller.
Means the factory u-shape cutout in the base for chain would be completely covered. Checked that on a 2nd Lavezzi here in the Harbour in Lanzarote, the same.
That’s in line with my observation that if chain is a bit to starboard while hauling it up it slips much more often. Why no one discovered the out of line setup?
2) if the Anker gets on the roller during haul up it, the straight part moves up over the roller and it’s top where the chain is connected moves the chain over the vertical line chain-gypsy and also loosening the pull on the chain. it’s just for 1-2 seconds but that’s enough that the chain slips of the gypsy if suddenly stop the chain or run the chain with full speed in. Then the whole chain runs down as not on the gypsy.
3) the cayman 88 windlass manual states you need min 30cm clearance between the top of the chain pile and bottom of the windless. Well bottom of windlass to bottom of Anker locker is a whooping 43cm , with just 10m chain in down in the locker the pile is 30cm high, from now on means all thats more then 10m piled up you don’t not enough pull on the chain due the manual => constant need to pull chain out of the way as several state.

4) due to page 14 of the owner manual the chain collecting eye should be 5mm from the chain stripper. Well there is no collecting eye at all, there is just a 7cm/7cm cutout in the mounting base. Which means there is no protective measure to prevent the chain from slipping of the gipsy sideways.


5) If you check space in the locker you discover that the top cover has even a cutout so you can mount windlass higher. That cutout is positioned exactly this 5cm to starboard so the windless would be inline with anker roller (see 1). In Factory setup there is space to raise the windlass by 6cm easily, if you use the cutout even 8cm. Why nobody has done that so far?

6) the lofrans seal is a salt trap and Leads to corrosion: check this out Windlass Lofrans base corrosion

If you look at these points you actually don’t Wonder why the chain slips and wonder why the setup even works as all that can be done wrong mounting is done by FP wrong.

My plan:

A) Mounting the windless 6cm higher and 5cm to starboard which cure 1 and 2 and help 3) with the clearance to 50cm, means another 10m in the locker without piling away...
B) I will use nylon boards to raise it by 6cm, 5cm to starboard and seal it with Sikaflex directly to the nylon board and leaving the original seal away. Corrosion trap cured and windlass in-line with the anchor roller
C) mounting a short piece of stainless tube vertically 5mm distance to chain stripper acting as guidance eye (think that was what rapanuni done) for the chain. What internal diameter of tube I should use for a 10mm chain?
D) adding a lewmar chain stopper directly before the windlass, that first straighten out the chain by the guide, 2nd it prevents the chain from coming of the gipsy and if stops the chain. That will be a challenge to mount, will make the nylon boards larger so I have 15cm mounting space upfront the windlass before the stopper. Challenge will be to mount it in the right angle.

What do you think? Wonder why no one done this till now?

[Rapanui]

What we found on our Athena is that as the bulk of chain locker is to starboard of the vertical fall of the chain from the windlass into the locker, the chain tends fall to starboard of the gypsy. Just occasionally, when heaving or veering chain, the chain would jump the gypsy with obvious results. What we did is to add a roller consisting of stainless tube rolling over threaded rod, horizontal running for and aft at the base of the windlass but mounted on the grp windlass bench with 2 eyebolts securing the threaded rod with nyloc nuts. The chain has to fall vertically off the gypsy and does not jump now.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Rapanui

What we found on our Athena is that as the bulk of chain locker is to starboard of the vertical fall of the chain from the windlass into the locker, the chain tends fall to starboard of the gypsy. Just occasionally, when heaving or veering chain, the chain would jump the gypsy with obvious results. What we did is to add a roller consisting of stainless tube rolling over threaded rod, horizontal running for and aft at the base of the windlass but mounted on the grp windlass bench with 2 eyebolts securing the threaded rod with nyloc nuts. The chain has to fall vertically off the gypsy and does not jump now.

Could you please post a picture your mod please, cannot really understand what you did from the description.

[Ranger2727]

I have a small trawler and was having issues with wearing out the gypsy after the third gypsy I called a chain manufacturer in Florida and he said what was happening is it the chain was twisting and that by installing a swivel at the anchor that would resolve the problem. I installed a mantis swivel and have not had significant wear on the gypsy. I should also add that I have two grooved bronze rollers that the chain rides through, so all the twist in the chain is worked out with the swivel, and there’s no twisting motion on the bronze gypsy.

[CaptainRivet]

Thanks guys, chain and gipsy is ok and I have a sivel mounted. I described the mounting issues above which I am quite sure are the route cause on Lavezzis for the chain slip and not a worn chain. Sure if its not the best anymore that doesn't help either.

[cavitation]

Excellent research and ideas. I also found that the chain would bounce and unload the chain out of the 1 1/2 links that it sits in the gypsy so I have made a lazy runner out of a bow roller and angle iron. This will be bolted directly below the widlass. It is made in two identacle 7" squares. Bottom one will bolt to the bulkhead below the windlass and the forward stiffener. The top bracket has holes drilled in it so that I can experiment with position by moving it forward or back. I also bought two 2" x 8" rollers to sit verticaly where the chain comes over the chain roller to the windlass locker. My chain was jamming on the corners of the stainless plate. I also agree about getting rid of the rubber base gasket as I have some pretty dramatic pictures of the corosion. We get out of lockdown tonight but I dont think Qld border will open to us for 14 days. Future me will get back with developments.