V700 windlass retrieve issue

[primative]

C-cakes,
maybe cutting out 20', beginning section after the chain is a good idea? Since this summer and fall use was fresh water, I don't think salt is an issue. When anchored I usually don't swing enough to twist. At night using stern anchor to prevent swing or stern line to shore. Primarily just the up and down of the windlass action.

Dan,
I have never chipped the bow on retrieval of the anchor with my windlass
equipment, so far. Well, there was one exception. Prior to the windless I had an EZ-pull, a cam device where a buoy slides up the anchor line towing your anchor to the surface. I had 300' of line in a basket on my bow and a danforth type anchor all nice and tidy. I forgot to put non skid material on the bottom of the basket, ie. like what is used for the table to keep dishes from sliding. I was going down a heavily wooded curvy road from where I live in the Tualatin Mountains and inadvertently dropped anchor. I heard a little unfamiliar noise, apparently beyond the frequency of my mid range hearing loss, and saw the the line paying out from the passenger mirror. I got the truck stopped shortly before all 300' was out. I was very close to proving the anchor was set, "backing down on it" so to speak. I have a small chip on the bow keel and not another thing was harmed. I was able to continue my trip of the day. Very, very lucky for me and if I had made it to the highway maybe others too.

Yes, you read about it in Readers Digest.

[colobear]

I was teasing about cutting off line. Our v700 works way better than getting out on the bow and hauling in 100+ft of line and chain. Having said that it is not unusual for me to have to retrieve/let out, retrieve/let out a foot or so to get a section of line past the gypsy. Usually that happens when the line piles up in the anchor "locker" at the front of the vee berth or there is a twist. My rode is several years old and the rope/chain splice is one I did last year. I only go out on the bow to cleat the line after anchoring so that the windlass doesn't have the whole strain. Were I to buy a new windlass I think I'd get the horizontal version. Occasionally the anchor does not self deploy, in that case I just hit the up switch for a very short time and then the down switch. The anchor has always deployed then. Ymmv.

[thataway]

[primative]

Thanks everyone for your input-good stuff. I've had it with excessive kinking. Recently not just a hassle for me but also a potential safety issue. Anchored at night and the wind came up requiring a move to the plan B anchorage. I remember the uncertain feeling of whether it would jam. Before committing to retrieving the line we spread out the piled line in the locker to help things. But because of kinking during earlier sets of the day I wasn't sure it would work. Fortunately it did that time. Glad I decided to move when I did because the wind cont. to increase.

Bob can you be specific as to the type of line you are using. I know you said it is braided line, or plait line, right. What brand do you like?

Just got off the phone talking with tech. support (Josh ext.202, I-800-946-3527) at Lewmar. Some things he covered : Have a functioning swivel where the chain connects to the anchor, not a shackle that does not swivel. Use some fabric softener a couple times a year soaking line in a tub of water. Let the anchor hang as Bob described. He used the analogy of a phone cord with twists or caught on itself and letting the receiver hang. I think he thought the hanging method was more effective (and certainly easier) than taking off the anchor and towing the line as I described earlier. He said if storing too much line in relation to the "fall" distance causes increased coiling of the line in the locker which can lead to kinking. He said if locker allows, try pushing the terminal line that is not usually used forward, away from the the remaining line so it creates a little better space/fall for the beginning portion of line that is most frequently used. One way to check if shorter rode will decrease kinking without cutting your line, is to put the terminal portion on the fore deck and experiment if it makes a difference. He said the knot recommended for this windless is a tapered back splice and there are nuances for this problem (passing through the windlass) as well. He said do not weave it too tight as this will increase the diameter too much. He said anchor line and this knot tends to swell with time so they recommend changing it every 2-3 yrs. When the strands are hot knifed to melt the ends, you do not want them too big. He mentioned leaving line in the locker for months at a time without use can create unwanted memory. They recommend medium lay three strand line. If you cannot solve your problem with the above recommendations he would try the plait line as Bob suggested.

He said it is not usually one glaring thing that creates kinking problems but rather several smaller things. I did alot of anchoring this spring and sometimes in heavy current. I never have given it a thought to let the anchor hang as described above. Looking forward to trying this.

Tom

[Sunbeam]

I went with Yale Brait (8-plait, single-braided line) for my main anchor rode on the 22. I mainly chose it because it takes less space in the locker than 3-strand. Now that I think about it, that might add a bit of "fall" distance too.

I don't have a windlass yet, but I have noticed - when flaking both the Brait and the 3-strand on my secondary anchor - that the Brait lies down very nicely without a tendency to kink or hockle. It has a "neutral" feeling.

I don't really like swivels, so I'm hoping the Brait will allow me to continue without one (horizontal windlass is on my upgrade list). Guess I'll wait and see.

Anyway, from the amount I've used it so far (only around 30 times), I would think you might be pleased with the Brait (or similar). It does seem like it might "pick" if dragged over splintery docks, but then that's more likely with dock lines.

[Sea Wolf]

My solution for the anchor rope part of the rode twisting is to use all chain on the part of the rode that is used most commonly.

100 ft of 1/4 inch G-4 High Test anchors my CD most all the time, although I have 200 feet of New England Ropes 3-strand nylon back up spliced in for use as needed.

The chain most definitely doesn't like twisting, and the weight of the anchor and chain will immediately unwind/untwist itself once the anchor frees the bottom and hangs freely.

(100 feet of 1/4 inch G-4 weighs 74 pounds.)

An added plus is that with the heavy chain and a good anchor, you usually don't need the 7:1 type of ratios usually recommended for anchoring, which take into consideration all types of bottoms, storm conditions, overnight use, 180 or more (cumulatively) wind shifts, U.S.Navy Seals Operations, and the Great Final Cataclysmic Plate Techtonics Realignment.

With the chain, your boat will wander or "search" less at anchor as well, an added benefit. (Swings in a smaller radius.)

Plus, the chain will not slip in the teeth (pockets) of the windlass, period.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Joe.

[Sunbeam]

[colobear]

I just use the bow cleat with the rode coming back from the anchor pulpit. Not ideal since the windlass is in line but it seems to work just fine...and I can cleat the rode by reaching out the bow hatch.

[DaveS]

[Sunbeam]

[primative]

At present, I tie off to the cleat as Colobear described.

DaveS, to take strain off the windlass do you let rode out after you have hitched into it?

Sunbeam I think you mentioned earlier you do not use a swivel. I am curious why not?

This Away you mentioned you use 50' of chain. Can you explain why you like this amount?

Sea Wolf I like your story and sticking to it.

[primative]

Sunbeam, where did you buy your line ( yale brait, 8plait, single braid line)?

[Will-C]

We don't use a swivel either. When we are retrieving the anchor using the windless as soon as we get the chain (25') to the windless we just bump the up switch ON AND OFF which helps let the twists come out a little better than if you just lay on the up switch until the anchor is in the roller. We just use three strand rode, but if I would replace it I would go with what Lewmar recommends. The fabric softener trick works well.
D.D.

[ghone]

We use New England 3 strand ion the Lewmar H700. 45 ft 1/4 g4 hi test and no swivel. I like the fewest links in the system. Like others on retrieve we like to let the chain unwind on the way up. We'll motor ahead to take the pressure off and just let the windlass lift the gear. I rarely snub the rode anymore as we run a 22 lb Lewmar anchor. I have yet to see us drag. If in real shallow water I'll run a rolling hitch on the chain and tie off over the windlass to the cleat. In deeper water same deal rolling hitch on the rope rode. Loads go to the windlass. No chocks up front as I use the bow eye for forward mooring line( always attached) , I have run the anchor loads to the bow eye to experiment in gusty conditions. Seems to settle the boat down in swinging. I also will put a bungy cord on the rode to the bow eye for the same reason at times.

[Sunbeam]