Choice between Hyspeed 510 and SeaTiger 555 ?

[baccara]

I am rebuilding an OE32 and i will soon need to choose which anchor windlass i will install. The reason why i need to choose between these two is that i currently happen own both Hyspeed 510 and Seatiger 555 and i'd appreciate help in choosing the more suitable one for my boat.

OE32 is a double-ender, and it weighs somewhere between 6000-6500 kg.
OE 32 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

I am planning to use anchor that weighs 20kg (Mantus or Rocna) and plenty of chain. I do realise that it is advisable to size the anchoring gear conservatively, but the Seatiger seems a little overkill to me. It is also considerably heavier and bulkier than the Hyspeed. I have not been able to find much useful information on how to size the old Simpson-Lawrence windlasses, it seems that Hyspeeds are/were used on Westsail 32 and Alberg 37, but then again Seatiger seems to be quite common on eg. BCC28.

What are your thoughts on this?

BRs, Mikko
Read more at Choice between Hyspeed 510 and SeaTiger 555 ?

[Pete7]

Why have you chosen to oversize the anchor so much? We are a similar size and use a SL vertical windlass which winding round and round is much quicker than a horizontal windlass. The anchor is a 10kg Rocna, sized in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.

Pete

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Why have you chosen to oversize the anchor so much? We are a similar size and use a SL vertical windlass which winding round and round is much quicker than a horizontal windlass. The anchor is a 10kg Rocna, sized in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.



Pete

Funny, we’re also roughly the same size as both of you and have a 15kg anchor. (Although planning on replacing with a 20kg).

Sorry, can’t be more help with the windlass though. We had a SL hyspeed 510, and while adequate the wife insisted on electric after fighting with the anchor on the bow with wind blown waves in a shallow anchorage.

[baccara]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Why have you chosen to oversize the anchor so much? We are a similar size and use a SL vertical windlass which winding round and round is much quicker than a horizontal windlass. The anchor is a 10kg Rocna, sized in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.

Pete

I haven't bought the main anchor just yet. I have a several of older Bruce/CQR -copies lying around (9-16kg), but i've been thinking of purchasing a new Rocna/Rocna Vulcan.

If i look at the Rocnas recommendation chart, for a 10 m boat (sans bowsprit) which weighs 6,5 tonnes (7+ with water, fuel and gear?) the recommendation is 15kg Rocna, 12kg Vulcan might just suffice?

[Pete7]

I think the 15kg Rocna will be fine and I would go with the lighter windlass. Weight in the bows is bad news. 15kgs of Rocna plus 30-40m of chain is heavy enough, I struggled to lift 40m of 8mm chain when I replaced it. Also you can probably lift by hand a 15kg Rocna with chain in an emergency, 20kgs is going to be tough.

Perhaps sell the other windlass and anchors less one good Bruce as a reserve.

Pete

[sailor_ed]

I would not give deck space to a 510. Had one, never again. The 555 seems like overkill but is a good windlass. If you can find one I would go with an SL Anchorman, it's a simple and effective manual windlass for a small boat. Look for one with a drum plus gypsy.

[baccara]

It seems that 555 enjoys much better reputation than the 510. We'll see, i'll probably open up both and have a look inside. I am expecting to find some thickened/gummed-up grease inside the 555, and hopefully oil inside the 510.

Extra weight in the bow area is always bad - i was thinking of having two rodes for the main anchor, one with perhaps only 20-30 metres of chain (plus rope) in the anchor locker for use in the archipelago and another, with 50-70 metres of chain available in the bilges. While all that sounds very good in theory, i am afraid that actually getting that chain to the deck, especially in a hurry, will be somewhat painful.

[roverhi]

When we were getting ready to install the 555 on our boat did an informal survey of 510 and 555 windlasses on boats in the huge Long Beach Marina. Every 510 I checked out, and there quite a few, was seized from corrosion. No one had anything good to say about them. Experience with the 555 was better but still issues with the chain drive on some. Decided to sell the 555 and go with a bronze windlass. I bought the 555 in the first place because of the two speed gearing. Hauling a lot of chain quickly when the rode is lightly loaded is a big plus for me.

[Cheechako]

Both have big corrosion issues. Sell them both and buy a good one!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Both have big corrosion issues. Sell them both and buy a good one!

Which begs the question, which manual windlass?

[Cheechako]

maybe bronze, SS or even one of the clear anodized ones are better than painted Aluminum!

[Jim Cate]

Our previous boat (36 ft, ~9 tonnes cruising load) came with a Hyspeed. Worked (poorly) until we had to lift both our anchor and a neighbor's in Papeete. It broke up internally. Upon investigation, I discovered that it's "marine engineered gear train" was made up of bicycle chain and Bendix coaster brakes!! Good grief!

Purchased a Maxwell two speed manual (don't remember the model number) which had gears and Sprague clutches inside. What a difference! That one worked far better in either gear, didn't leak oil and was still working a decade later when we sold the boat.

So, I'd agree with those who say don't worry about the few pounds difference and don't use the Hyspeed. If possible, consider a different marque entirely.

Jim

[Scout 30]

Our Scout 30 is about 9 meters & 5-6 tons. Went with the 12 kg Vulcan. With your slightly larger boat I'd go with one of the 15 kg models.

[CarinaPDX]

I started out with a bronze RC Plath windlass - simple and beautiful. After a few years cruising I found it looked better all nicely polished at the consignment shop. Getting rid of the manual windlass was one of the best decisions I ever made; no more fire drills running between cockpit and foredeck, no more handing in the anchor and rode when vertical because the windlass was too slow (3" for each move of the lever is not going to bring in 50' fast enough in most situations). Just sell the two manual windlasses and buy an electric one, assuming you plan on cruising extensively.


Greg

[Bulawayo]

We used to have a 555 and it was a good bit of kit BUT so painfully slow to use. My wife, bless her, used to pull in the 30-50meters of 10mm chain by hand including lifting our 45lb CQR. She was a dab hand - despite being slim - definitely not Amazonian. We swopped over to electric and it was one of the best things we did. That 555 was pinched from our boat whilst in Turkey - we only realised long after.