Windlass and Weather Stripping Question

S

Salmon Slayer

New member
After pulling out both my anchor and back a couple of weeks ago I am looking to install a windlass over the winter and was wondering if anyone has any experience with manual winlasses. I like the look and simplicity of the Lewmar manual which is compact and uses a sailboat winch handle and would appreciate any comments or guidance on this or any other windlass solutions.

Also, the only water intrusion I get in my cabin is around the door. I have tried closed cell foam but it wont stick to the teak door framing and it seems like anything thicker would not allow the door to close; any ideas?

Andy
 
I think the last thing you would want is a manual windlass if your back is in question. The electric windlass lets you avoid walking on the foredeck, and gives you options if alone and anchored between a hard place and a windy place.
I spent much time on sailboats in my younger days and being hunched over the windlass up forward would, in my mind, be worse than just pulling the anchor up by hand. Also, those winch handles are expensive and tend to fall overboard. Price the loss of a couple - 3 handles and one torqued back into your math and you might see the benefits of going power.
Just one opinion, and worth every penny you paid for it.
Fair winds...
 
I was turned off by the price tag on power windlass until I found this unit. It performs great and was a snap to install. Do a Google search to find the supplier....Price tag to my door was $325.00


Mike from Wilma Country,
Naples, Fl.

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First thing I noticed on that unit was the nylon gypsy...can't imagine that would hold up over time with chain.

However, the manufacturer's web site indicates a stainless gypsy is now available. Here's a link, also has some specs.
 
That source (Whitworth's) is in Austrailia/New Zealand too. Their catalog doesn't show availability of the stainless gypsy but I have asked them the question via e-mail about it's availability. Will let everyone know what they say.

Could be BTW that those prices are $AUS and not $USD. That would make that $399 price pretty good (about $300USD) depending on shipping. We'll see what they say and whether they can get/ship one with the stainless gypsy.

Charlie
 
I was watching E-Bay for a while trying to find a deal on a windlass (wound up getting a Sprint 600 and I absolutely love it), and I've seen this windlass for sale a few different times on it. I think the price was usually either $299 US or $399 US, can't remember. Just checked E-Bay and there's none on there right now, but if you're not in a rush, might have one come up again over the winter.

Jack
 
There's a Breeze 710H for sale on ebay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... PcY_BIN_IT

Closes in about 6 days, and first bid is at $395. I think they put one up each week, and you can get it for $399 through Buy It Now. The stainless gypsy is $100 additional. These prices are in $ Au, so the total to you will be about 75% of that. (On Edit: looks like the supplier is set up on the listing to ship only to Australia, but an email might be worth a try.)

Be sure to compare the Breeze with the Simpson Lawrence Horizon 600, which seems to be the most reliable and trouble free windlass used commonly on the C-Dory. I'd make up a spec sheet comparison list to see how they compare. Still, you can't predict how it will exactly work on your boat.

The windlasses with plastic/delrin/nylon gypsies and flemings (the pressure fingers that hold the rope to the gypsy teeth between the chain pockets) just don't seem to hold up. They have plastic ones on the S/L Horizon 400 which usually have to be replaced after serious use, and just recently the Horizon 600 model switched to a stainless fleming. The unit already had a brass gypsy. The metal gypsy is a $170 replacement item when you order it for the 400 model.

The whole anchoring system has to work as a unit to function properly: anchor, swivel, rode (chain + rope), bow roller, windlass, controls, and rode locker. If a part doesn't work right, the whole thing defeats much of the purposes of having the system, which are:

1. It does the work, saving your back, arms, etc.

2. It keeps you off the dangerous heaving foredeck in heavy conditions.

3. It allows you to steer and control the throttle and position the boat over to the anchor to pick it up properly... a major advantage anytime, but especially when alone, or when in wind and / or current.

So go ahead and get the windlass and the rest of the stuff needed.

But be aware that small mechanical problems and difficulties arise in a system as complex as this, and you may find any part of the system needs to be exchanged to get the whole thing to work together.

For example, I bought a Quick Aires 500 windlass a few years back which gave me some problems passing the rope and particularly the splice through the gypsy. I eventually solved the problems with my set up by 1) increasing the pressure on the fleming, 2) going to a mostly chain (1st 100 feet) rode, followed by 150 feet of rope, and 3) developing my own special splice to limit the rope diameter increase, but it was not without a considerable amount of time trouble shooting. Unfortunately, at least two others of our members were led out on this difficult excursion with me. To protect against kind of unexpected difficulty, I would definitely recommend you get a guaranteed 90 day free exchange period with your purchase. (Our supplier actually allowed the windlass to be exchanged for the Horizon 600 for one of us about a year after purchase.) :thup

So get the windlass, it's a great tool and a great safety device. Just cover your bases and understand all that you can before you jump in. Reading all the threads in the Library is the best investment you can ever make beforehand. Joe.
 
Da Nag When I purchased the Breeze windlass it came with the stock nylon gypsy, however I could purchase a stainless for I believe the price to be 70.00 (US) at anytime in the future. Since I boat in the South Florida waters, with sandy bottom and use about 15 feet of chain on a nylon rode there is very little stress on the gypsy from the chain. I figured it would give me reasonable service.

However for you folks in the Pacific Northwest the stainless gypsy is available and I would recommend it highly.

Mike
Naples, Fl.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I had a hydraulic drum windlass on my trawler and I have used various electric windlasses on different boats in the past but was looking forward to the simplicity of a manual; partly because I didnt want a large motor intruding into the V-berth.

I will admit though that I boat in some rugged waters and safety is a big consideration. I already have dual batteries so that should not be a problem but I do not intend on feeding the rhode through the foredeck, that smelly mess will remain in a milk crate on top of the foredeck.

The Breeze does look like a good product but I would be concerned about lack of support in the US.
 
Salmon Slayer,
Don't let a motor intruding into the V-berth sway you away from a windlass such as the Sprint 600. That motor is totally vertical, so the entire motor unit stays in the rode locker area and doesn't go past it into the sleeping compartment. There are some that have the motor go horizontal once below deck, but the Sprint doesn't do that. It's never been the way of anything below deck for me. I'd put that same windlass in again in a heartbeat compared to others. Much cleaner look on the boat also with it being low proile above deck compared to the whole unit being above deck.

Jack
 
Heard back from Whitworth's concerning pricing on the Breeze 710H windlass, it's called the 710H-S when it has the stainless gypsy and costs $AUS510 which equates to about $382.50 at the current exchange rate.

They're going to send me a quote including shipping in a day or so. Will advise.

Charlie
 
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