Choosing the right windlass

[dotnmarty]

I hope this is the right place to ask this question. Our new to us 16 footer came with this winch

I took the anchor off for fear of releasing it by mistake. Here is a picture of the control on the helm (sorry about the poor quality)



My question is this. What button do I push to keep the winch from operating if I hit the up/down button by mistake? I would guess it's the big red one labeled "breaker" but just want to be sure. Thanks for the caribiner suggestion. I'll do that.

[letitride]

Your are correct. Push the red button to open up the breaker and then the toggle switch will not function / control the windlass.

This is how I run my windlass too.

[colobear]

It looks like you have the same control setup we do; the piece with the red rectangular button is a circuit breaker, probably 35A. We keep that "open" all the time except when actually using the windlass, that way there is no risk of an accidental bump with unhappy results. The switch with the toggle is the actual windlass control. On ours, and I think it is the norm, one moves the toggle up to lower the anchor and down to raise the anchor. (Those wacky English!!) We put a label at the switch to make that clear.

[Will-C]

Marty,
Just hit the red button, on mine a piece swings down maybe about a half inch long when I do that. To reset the overload push the piece back up until it clicks and stays there. Try the windlass thing in the drive way. Have someone pull on the anchor a little once you start to deploy.When you retrive once you start to wind up the chain, just bump you switch a little at a time ,that will give the anchor a chance to spin right side up and not slam into your anchor roller set up too hard. I carry a 1/2 drive rachet and tighten up the last bit of chain with that before replacing the carbiner clip. Then start singing the anchors awiegh song, or some other sort of navy song and the caissons go rolling along. It's a high high hee for the field artillery, wrong branch of service maybe, sorry

D.D.

[Sea Wolf]

Just a question or two:

Is this the standard Lewmar set up?

I know one has to have a circuit breaker mounted somewhere on the control panel, but is the circuit breaker usually used as the on/off switch for the system, or is a standard on/off switch used instead?

Any on/off switch would have to be wired in series with the breaker, of course.

The question is this: Is the circuit breaker designed to be used as a switch as well as a circuit breaker?

The breaker trips from excessive heat being generated within its circuitry.

The switch is turned on and off repeatedly over time.

Does the use of the circuit breaker as a switch affect its ability to function as a circuit breaker over time?

Is the mechanism capable of functioning as both a breaker and a switch, or should a separate switch take on the frequent on/off duty?

The best answer for this will probably be found with the circuit breaker manufacturer. (Or with the latest clone producer of the breaker in China !)

On Edit and further investigation: It looks like Lewmar does use the circuit breaker as a switch as well as for the breaker itself. Apparently, it's rugged enough to work as both; I was concerned that the switch use might eventually affect its ability to function as a breaker accurately within tolerances..

Joe.

[colobear]

Joe, I doubt the circuit breaker was designed to function as a switch, however, at least as we use it, it is opened/closed maybe once every two days while on the water so in terms of mean time between failures it will likely last a lot longer than I.

[Sea Wolf]

[Grumpy]

FWIW. Our installation has both switch and circuit breaker. The breaker is normally left "open" to avoid the possibility of an inadvertant anchor deployment which could be, at the least embarassing, and at the worst dangerous.

Both are within easy reach.

M

[Sea Wolf]

When I set up my windlass, I put in four "switches" switches, plus the reversing relay that changes the direction of the windlass travel:

1. On/off power switch to the whole system.

2. Circuit breaker.

(First two in Series with Reversing relay to power & protect system.)

3. Up/down switch on dash panel to control direction. Comes out of and goes back to relay to control windlass motor running and direction.

4. Switch like #3 built into hand-held control wired to relay with ~10 foot long cord that can be led out of front hatch to operate windlass while standing on foredeck. This is so that windlass can be operated on foredeck while clearing jams and watching anchor retrieval more directly, etc. (Caution: do not have hand-held switch and windlass/anchor components in your hands at the same time!)

That the way I did it, for what it's worth.

On my Sea Ray, I did the same thing, but planned to add a wireless remote as well, but then decided to follow the KISS Principle for simplicity as well as not having to hope that no overhead plane or other source of radio frequency signals would randomly operate the windlass when I was working with the anchor/windlass on the foredeck.

Joe.

[20dauntless]

Got the 50 feet of 1/4" chain and 300 feet of 1/2" 8-plait rode on the boat today and it all fit. I had to go up to the anchor locker and spread it all around a few times to get it all to fit.



I also put the 15lb Manson Supreme on the boat. This anchor does self launch on the standard CD bow roller.

[Sea Wolf]

[ghone]

I am leaning toward the Lewmar v700 and have Les at EQ do the install. I plan to still be on deck to launch and retrieve for the most part. How many c dorys have up down switches on the foredeck? Or do most of you operate from the helm. I don't want the self launch feature. I like to get my anchor away from the roller as quietly and gently as possible. I mostly want to retrieve the gear to save a shoulder that has been doing 30 years of Armstrong retrieves. I run 1/4 hi test for 45 feet then new England 1/2 three strand for 200 ft with 22 lb lewmar claw as my main Thanks. George

[Aurelia]

Our V600 worked great for us and we really liked the clean profile of the vertical over the horizontal. We had 50ft of chain and three strand after that. It was switched at the helm but I often wished there was another set of controls on the bow or just a remote that could be brought through the center window. You have to be on the bow to really control the last few feet or to do some weeding.

Greg

[thataway]

It is very easy to either put a remote at the bow, or make a corded remote. Just wire that switch in parallel with the switch on the dash. You can find a small plastic box, and get an on/off/on momentary switch (the switch stays only in the neutral position.

We have added the foot switches on the for deck of several boats--but there are dangers with this--and I would recommend against it on the C Dory.

You can also use momentary push buttons--green for down, red for up--again in a small box, and that will work well.

[ghone]

Thank you Greg and Bob. Good advice.