Anchor Windlass requires a running engine

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

My Beneteau operates this way. I think that the windlass breaker trips when windlass is engaged with engine off. When I drop anchor 95% of the time I free drop it. I have never lost control of chain; I simply tighten the clutch. I'll admit that I typically anchor in shallow water (15' or so is normal) and my anchor locker is pretty deep so I don't have enough chain out to be a weighty problem.

[CatNewBee]

As for Lagoons, thete is a relay, that is engaged when the clutch on one engine is on, it is not needed, that the engine actually is started, but strongly recommended by Lagoon.

It makes sense, you should not use the windlass to drag the boat towards the anchor, so maneuvering under engine is a good thing. It puts less stress on your weak batteries factory FLA battery bank too.

If youhave a lafge battery bank, you can remove the relay and bridge the contact, I still recommend to run the engines when anchoring or pulling the anchor. In an emergency only turning the engine power is sufficient.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by osprey877

When you say Lagoon “requires “ that an engine be running, do you mean that the operating manual recommends this, or that the windlass is actually wired in such a manner that it won’t operate without an engine running? My windlass manual recommends engine be running, but windlass works regardless.

My Beneteau requires the engine running and I feel it's the best way to operate. It means that prior to weighing anchor I'm not left hurrying to drop it again while drifting away and unable to get the engine going. In an emergency I'll simply let the hook drop. It'll slow down when it hits bottom or runs to the end of the rode. Either option is fine in an emergency.

[TrentePieds]

I have a Lofrans X2 capstan, which admittedly is pretty, but is, really, only a toy. It is rated at 1,000 W, so I assume it draws 1,000/12 = 83 amps. The distance twixt windlass and battery box is 20 feet or so, and the high ampage wiring is 2/0 starter cable, i.e it is JUST capable of handling the ampage.

I have two 27 series "fake deep discharge" FLA batts rated at 80 amp hours. This does NOT mean that I can run the Lofrans for a whole hour on one of them before that batt is brought to prostration! Because the "rating" goes down as the load goes up, I could, if I were daft enuff to run the Lofrans on one unassisted battery, kill, and I mean kill, that battery in 30 minutes.

I would imagine, but I do not know, that Beneteaus as they come from the factory, are fitted no better than that. And I would imagine, but I do not know, that the daft, unnecessarily complicated wiring arrangement that REQUIRES the engine to be run when operating the capstan/windlass is a tacit recognition that what they sell is inadequate.

I run my engine with it's 40 amp alternator at 1,200 RPM when I run the Lofrans at all, not because I HAVE to, but because it's sound policy. But why even run the Lofrans for handling the ground tackle of a 5 tonner? Even at his advanced age Mr. Armstrong has the hook up and in the chocks way, way before the Lofrans could do it!

So where the Lofrans comes into play is in stowing the rode in the cable locker. Due to the general inadequacy of the machine, and in particular to the inadequate dimensions of the spurling pipe, the gypsy, one of those mewling infant chain/rope hybrids, needs to transport the cable off the deck and down the spurling which is placed so it isn't safe to bring a hand near it when the gypsy in running. It goes without saying that the diameter of the spurling is so small that it will not take the chain to rope splice without a manual assist. Still, that takes about five minutes and that, IMO, would be quite enuff of a draw to put on one poor little unassisted battery :-)

Some things just down "scale down" from real ships to yots. Gear for handling ground tackle is one of them!

TrentePieds

[sailing_gal]

Any windlass should allow you to drop the anchor without it. Read the manual. On a horizontal windlass, this usually entails releasing the drum that holds the gypsy. You could probably control the fall by releasing and tightening the drum, but if you are having to drop an anchor free-fall, you probably would just want it to drop fast. When I had a vertical windlass, it did not drop using the windlass, it was a free-fall anyway (SL 1100). So, just dropping the anchor is always a possibility.

Either way, you want to be able to drop that anchor ASAP in an emergency situation.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by sailing_gal

Any windlass should allow you to drop the anchor without it. Read the manual. On a horizontal windlass, this usually entails releasing the drum that holds the gypsy. You could probably control the fall by releasing and tightening the drum, but if you are having to drop an anchor free-fall, you probably would just want it to drop fast. When I had a vertical windlass, it did not drop using the windlass, it was a free-fall anyway (SL 1100). So, just dropping the anchor is always a possibility.

Either way, you want to be able to drop that anchor ASAP in an emergency situation.

👍 this. Sound practice says start the engine. If the engine doesn't start you probably should not be raising anchor until you know why. Anything else makes for a Darwin Award nominee.

[sailing_gal]

Agreed. I always start my engine before retrieving an anchor, and let it run a few minutes to get the alternator charging up to speed. My batteries could probably take the load, but why chance draining batts to pick up an anchor when you should be ready to move as soon as the anchor is free.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

My Beneteau requires the engine running and I feel it's the best way to operate. It means that prior to weighing anchor I'm not left hurrying to drop it again while drifting away and unable to get the engine going. In an emergency I'll simply let the hook drop. It'll slow down when it hits bottom or runs to the end of the rode. Either option is fine in an emergency.

But if you disable the lock out feature it does not prevent the operation of the windlass with the engine running.

However, in the event of engine failure the windlass up operation will not be disabled. You can choose to use the windlass, or not, depending on the circumstances.

The amp hour draw of the windlass is not all that high even after taking into account Peukert's law. Operation of the windlass without the input of the alternator is not out of the question.

While it is preferable to use main engine thrust to move the boat forward this should not be essential, especially in an emergency situation.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by sailing_gal

Agreed. I always start my engine before retrieving an anchor, and let it run a few minutes to get the alternator charging up to speed. My batteries could probably take the load, but why chance draining batts to pick up an anchor when you should be ready to move as soon as the anchor is free.

There are a few times you want a choice in the matter, for example I recently changed out my chain on the hard. Starting the engine wasn't required to be safe, nor was it even reasonably possible! But since FP has this same system I had to fool it to accomplish what I needed to do. And yes, I could have manually removed 400' and manually brought 400' on in the 90 degree heat, but why when I have a perfectly good windlass! I'm all for interlocks for safety or for something a normal person could reasonably be expected to forget. Forgetting to start your engine before you weigh anchor isn't one of those situations, it's simply an annoying and unnecessary limitation.

[jim King]

Most windlass will have a clutch that can be loosened with the use of the winch handle. While feeding out the chain you can tighten up the clutch as needed to stop the feed. The only problem you are going to have is bringing the chain and anchor up when necessary if you still have no engine power to pull it up or drive to the anchor.
Make sure the clutch is fully tightened after dropping or raising the anchor using this procedure or you may have an accidental anchor drop.
Cheers,
Jim king

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by mark0978

I mean it will not function until after the motor is running.

To be clear, to operate the windlass in the discharging rode mode, does the engine need to be operating [firing cylinders and producing rpm in which case the alternator would then be operating] or does the engine switch only need to be turned to ON and the engine not started?

Similarly, does the engine need to be operating to be able to raise anchor, or does the switch need to be just put in the ON position?

If the engine must be operating [revolving] then that seems to be a significant deployment hazard, albeit I suspect it may be wired that way for the sole purpose to provide for the aided power source from the alternator. Yet a windless requires very little energy to lower just raise the rode from the rode locker as the anchor and weight of the chain will readily provide the force to discharge rode. The windlass requires considerably greater energy to pull up rode and anchor.

A discussion with the appropriate personnel at Lagoon may be wise.

Seems odd to me since a large battery bank will handle the load of an ordinary windlass.

I get that one should not pull your boat forward to raise the anchor instead one should power it forward or sail it towards the anchor so as to not have the added force of tugging your boat against a hard wind or current. A well D'uh.

[Flod]

My Dufour is wired the same way. I.e the alt need to be running to supply + to the relay. It is a simple fix but I left it as is and prepared an extra wire straight to another + source so if needed It’s a 1 minute job to get the windlass working without the engine/alt working. In normal operation it’s fine since I always run the motor when anchoring in/out

[Emmalina]

I find the concept of using power to deploy an anchor amusing ! Having said that a lot of CCCs use the windlass to pull the boat forward over the anchor so it kills the batteries (and the windlass) Hence the engine running. And of course nearly all windlasses can be released manually.

[roland stockham]

The reason for the advice to run the engine for all windlass is that they are designed to collect the slack cable not to pull the boat up to the anchor. The correct technique is to motor slowly up to the anchor with the windlass collecting the slack chain. Once over the anchor stop the windlass and let the momentum or engine break out the anchor then lift it on the windlass. Pulling to boat up to the anchor and using it to break out overloads the windlass and can overheat the motor windings.
Any decent windlass should have a manual option for emergencies both to lift and lower the anchor. If not fit a manual one for such an emergency or rick loosing you ground tackle. Dropping anchor without a windlass is no problem, flake the chain on deck, let her run and keep your feet clear!!!

[Mike Banks]

You do not need an engine to drop an anchor--only to weigh it.