Help, Dead Windlass

D

drjohn71a

New member
Lots of excitement and some tow vehicle problems delayed arrival, but finally made it and fishing has been very good.

Problem is, last nite at 2am, we went to raise windlass and it was dead. Does anyone know where the fuse or breaker is for that? Could just low batteries leave it dead? We raised the anchor by hand, but it still would not work upon our return to the dock.

Thanks for any advice! John
 
not sure if i can lend assistance, but, if you haven't already, would always first check for the obvious, if you have a multi-tester, check for power at the windlass motor, is there a reset button at the motor, not sure where the fuses or circuit breaker is but would look at the bus box or main circuit board.
i also had a windlass that lost power, after all options where checked out i discovered the bushings needed replacement.
good luck
pat
 
had another thought, on a prior vessel had a windlass that failed, the cause was water that had gained entrance into the motor housing unit from the retrieving anchor rode.
 
My breaker is built into the switch. Just below the the switch is the reset. I think there is also a rather large metal strip (blowable fuse) at the switch backside.
 
We have a re-settable breaker which is normally left in the tripped position just to avoid prying litle fingers from pushing the "down" switch while we are underway!!!. Don't know if there is any other "blowable" fuse but sure as heck will look now !

Merv
 
Thanks, guys... so far I have not found any sign of a breaker, not behind the switch,not in a panel, so I'll just go back out and anchor the old fashioned way. My sons are making fun of me over all the exotic equipment which is not doing what is suppostd to!

John
 
A windlass breaker should be very close to where the windlass cables are
connected to the batteries or a main breaker panel. I'd look back near
the battery switches - I don't think windlasses are usually run from the main breaker panel.

I believe most people wire windlasses to the starting battery, so I'd concentrate
on that area.

Mike
 
Mine is wired to a 50 amp breaker on the far right side of the "dash". It looks like this.

bss-7008.jpg
 
The Tom Cat has a 50 or 60 amp breaker on the foreward part of the galley, aft of the shifter controls, on the vertical surface. I cannot find a breaker at the battery (and there should be one by ABYC standards).

I would also check out all of the wiring connections--it is very possiable that there is corrosion or a bad crimp. When we put the Windlass in the CD 25, we did a double crimp, and also put in liquid tape and adhesive shrink wrap over the joint, so it would be sealed.
 
I recently installed a windlass. The big breaker switch between the battery and the winch motor is the most likely candidate. There is probably a small fuse between your windlass control and the solenoid box, mine is 3 amp. If that fuse is blown, your controls will not work.

Just follow the wires, let us know what you find.
 
Thanks so much for the info, guys, but I am now sitting here with egg on my face... don't you guys enjoy that too much!

I am fishing with two of my sons , in their 20's, who prefer to fish late into the nite. We are returning to port about the time I usually arise. As such, some judgement alteration may be occurring.

Anyway, a large, portable spotlight had been placed up against that breaker panel, hidden it, and tripped it, so the windlass did not work. I do have to say the windlass does not function well anyway and we've had to station a crew member up by the windlass to keep putting the line on the gypsy. There is no "keeper"ring on the roller and, if you don't watch it, the anchor will come flying up and over the roller and land aft of the windlass itself!

Thanks again for responding! John
 
Also, Flapbreaker, could you have that photo of the breaker blown up to poster size and mail it to me so I can stick it on the cabin wall as a reminder?

John
 
drjohn71a":1x4l8wx1 said:
......and we've had to station a crew member up by the windlass to keep putting the line on the gypsy. There is no "keeper"ring on the roller and, if you don't watch it, the anchor will come flying up and over the roller and land aft of the windlass itself!

Thanks again for responding! John
Click to expand...

John-

You might try adding an inverted U-bolt up towards the end of the shank of the bow roller to keep the rode and anchor shank trapped down.

IM002109_001.jpg
(Windlass added since photo.)

Joe.
 
Glad the problem is resolved and you can get back to the serious business of life: fishing!

I would suggest that when a boat is purchased (new or used) that you go thru the circuits, label all of the wires. I have a small labeler which we keep on each of the boats. We traced out all of the wires on the Tom Cat and the CD 25, added fuses, breakers where appropiate (by ABYC rules) and labeled each end of the line, plus tried to label all of the fuses.

The two windlasses I have on the C Dory boats have a direct "X" switch, rather than selenoids. (I have the Lewmar 700 and 700 FF (free fall), which are virtually identical, except for the mechanism which allows the clutch disengagement on the FF unit.

These smaller windlasses are low power draw. In most of my other boats, I have used selenoids--but in the smaller power draw, I belive that the direct switch has an advantage by its simplicity and avoiding putting selenoids in the area which is often wet (anchor rode locker).

Also, look very carefully at all of the crimps, insullation and if wires have been partailly cut or pinched. You may decide, as I did, that some of the wires are undersized, and run parallel circuits to the major bus bars.

It is farily easy to add a bail to the anchor pulpit--and in John's case, that will probably be advisable. Just a piece of 3/16" thick x 1/2" wide (approx) SS, bent in a "U" shape, and bolted or tack welded to the sides of the anchor pulpit will suffice. I agree that it is advisable to avoid the foredeck, especially at night in a seaway!
 
Bob-

Good idea to keep the solenoid out of the rode locker!

I've only installed two windlasses, but have avoided putting any of the electrical equipment other than the windlass itself, in the rode locker.

On the CD-22 I put the solenoid on the bulkhead on the back of the helm along side the breaker and up/down switch which protrude to the other side, and on the Sea Ray, put it in a sealed ammo box under the v-berth along side the dedicated windlass battery and its charger.

Joe.
 
Joe,
I agree on the larger boats is is often best to put a separate battery bank foreward for only the windlass. This was cheaper when copper was at half the price it is now! We did this on all of our larger boats. Also many larger boats will have muitiple stations for the windlass activation: a deck switch, a bow hand held remote, a flying bridge and pilot house remote--etc.

Many larger boats may draw up to 500 amps when the windlass is loaded, and the shorter the wires, the better (less voltage drop).
 
Bob-

The primary reason I went with the dedicated battery on the larger boat was the difficulty encountered when trying to bring 00 gauge wires forward from the batteries in the stern to the bow of the boat. Didn't want to drill a half dozen or more pairs of 5/8" holes in all of the bulkheads and compartment separators.

Joe.
 
Great timing for this post as I'm also having operating issues with my two year old Sprint 600 vertical windlass.

I applied the multi-meter directly to the two wires entering the windlass and read 12.7 volts with the toggle switch switched to drop. I didn't notice a breaker switch on the windlass. Am I correct in assuming my problem must lie within the windlass? I removed the plastic cover which encases the motor and noticed a significant amount of rust on the bottom of the motor casing which would leave me to believe I've experienced water intrusion into the motor.

Does anyone know if it is practical to replace the motor? I'm not sure this is something I would tackle myself. So, I start considering installing a new windlass but it appears the manufacturer has discontinued this model. Not sure I would want to replace with same if the problem could re-surface in the future. Any ideas? Thanks, Tim
 
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