Lewmar V600 series windlass on cd25

K

krc

Member
Had an issue this weekend. Anchor dragged into a cable at about 35' (SF delta).
Noticed an issue pulling up as it got very slow. Eventually popped the breaker. Found the breaker (new to boat). But, got out the hand crank and tried to get it up. We able, finally, using the boat hook and two people precariously perched on the bow, free from the cable. And, windlass seemed fine.

But, one thing we couldn't figure out was how to release the tension? Or first thoughts was to drop the anchor away quickly, but how is this done? It seems like if there is tension the clutch won't free up at all (even with the cog away). Is there some "trick"? I had just the day before pulled the entire spool out (15' chain, 150' 3-strand), and I had no issues then but the load was substantially different (enough to blow a fuse vs pulling out by hand with no initial load).

Frankly, if you have to release anchor quickly and circuit is blow, what do you do?
 
The clutch has a standard sailboat winch handle socket on the top. If you were to wind that counter clockwise, it should "de clutch" the chain and rode and allow the anchor to free fall.

How to get free of a cable....I have had some practical experience with that! You want to get it up as close to the surface as possible, pass a line cleated on one end to your bow cleat, and the other end free under the cable. Then take all of the load of the cable on this line, as you have tightened it up as much as possible. Drop the anchor free quickly--and it should be free of the cable. Have had to dive on cables, when not able to get them to the surface--both on my and others boats. Take the line down with you--the person on the boat takes the full load of the cable on that line, and then releases the anchor rode, and you can pull the anchor down and free of the cable.

You overloaded the windlass trying to pull up the cable. Easy to do--the windlass is only rated to 600 lbs. I have tried to bring cables up with 3500#, two speed windlasses (or 7K lbs) The breaker/ fuse protects the windlass and wiring.
 
We simply could not turn the ratchet counter clockwise at all. So we ended up just manually hauling in the anchor bit by bit until we could free it. Maybe attaching a come-along to the "cable" and pulling the load "off" the winch a bit would have unstuck it? Strange...
 
It will take considerable turning force to turn the winch handle counter-clockwise and free up the clutch, enabling the winch to free spool and drop the rode.
Try maybe 50-100 lbs of torque on the winch handle.
You probably didn't think it would ever release, but try again, harder ! :lol:
Be sure to watch your fingers and the rode! The chain and rope can both be chainsaws when moving under load, and especially around the gypsy! :smileo

Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
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