How to use Winlass

[dmksails]

Pardon me for asking, but how do you use a windlass? The boat I recently bought has a LoFrans Cayman 88. Next to the unit is a foot switch. The switch does not have an Up or Down - I'm not sure, but I think it's only for raising the anchor.

This is the first boat for me with a chain and windlass. I've downloaded the manual, but it doesn't describe the steps for lowering and raising the anchor.

I know about how to basically anchor, using 7:1 scope, etc. I just don't know how to use this windless. I also know I shouldn't use the windlass to pull the boat to the anchor when raising.

What I don't know is how to drop anchor? Do you have to hand feed it out?

[tkeithlu]

That model is supposed to have an up and a down switch. Check the switch - does it sit in a middle position with spring-loaded toggles in two directions?

[barnakiel]

I was forced to use a winch with one button faulty and then I simply opened the brake a notch ... dropped the hook ...

That one had the brake opened by operating the winch handle (a plain handle in a socket solution). One way it opened the brake, the opposite direction it lifted the chain.

I have also seen winches with a brake that could be opened without a winch handle.

b.

[jstevens]

If there is only one foot switch on the deck then it either has to be as one of the previous 2 posters surmised (another switch somewhere or the P.O loosened the brake to drop the anchor) or the P.O principally used a remote controller to raise and lower the anchor and the foot switch is a just an alternate way to raise the gear.
If none of the above guesses are correct, it's time to call the P.O.

John

[Cotemar]

Put the short pipe with the black handle on the manual chain release to drop your anchor.

Lefty Loosie Righty Tighty

The LoFrans Cayman 88 is capable of up and down with a switch, but it sounds like it was disabled on your boat.

[UNCIVILIZED]

There's a good how to tip on the actual process which one uses to pull up the anchor with a windlass in this thread http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2210211
In the thread, TacomaSailor walks us through his process for retrieving the anchor, including how he gets the boat over top of it, prior to breaking it out & hauling it in.

More specifically TacomaSailor states:
BEFORE I start hauling with the windlass I use the Yanmar/propeller to get the boat moving slowly toward the anchor. I then put the transmission in Neutral and increase the RPM to 1800. I then use the windlass to haul the chain as needed. There is very little load on the windlass because it is only hauling chain and maintaining the momentum of the boat.

Once the boat has forward momentum the windlass load will be negligible until directly over the anchor. At that point you should NOT be using the windlass to break loose the anchor.

Once over the anchor (with chain straight down) I use the chain stopper to take the load off the windlass. I then engage the transmission to slowly move the boat forward/backward to break loose the anchor.

Once the anchor is free the windlass can easily haul up 99 pounds of chain with very little need for higher currents.

Maybe my ideas won't work for you. I do know that I've hauled anchor over 1,000 times while single handing and it is a rare occurrence to have high amp loads on the windlass for more than a few seconds.

[Mithril Bham]

Always start engine prior to use. We usually use 4 to 1 in the San Juans depending on weather. Use engine to relieve stress on chain before hauling. Lots of good info above.

[Elie]

In my case, with a Lofran Tigress windlass and 12 mm (heavy) chain, my trick to pulling the anchor(55 pounds)) I use the catenary effect to avoid any hard work for the windlass motor. I take up the slack on the chain with the windlass until the chain become tight, then I wait a few second for the boat to be pulled forward by the chain weight and I do again the process until there no more enough chain out that would pull the boat(scope too short). Then I use the windlass power to put pressure on the anchor. Some times a bit of engine power is used when the anchor is well embedded .
Naturally the engine is started and runs in neutral before starting to weigh anchor.

[reed1v]

When we first learned how to use a windlass, we snugged the bow against the dock and learned by dropping the anchor onto the dock(yeah, it made a noise) and then raising it till we figured out how to perform the operation smoothly.

Why the dock? So we would not have a lot of chain lying on the bottom of the bay while we figured how how to raise it. It also has the advantage of seeing how things worked without drifting all over the place. Finally, just in case the windlass did not work, we could easily stow things away and figure out what to do next.

Use an old pillow, towels, etc to cushion the fall if the anchor suddenly descends fast onto the dock. Once we learned with a ten pounder, we went out into the bay and anchored for real with our 35 pounder.

[ztsf]

This is not exactly the answer you're looking for, but I can tell you what not to do - don't run your hand into the windlass like I did with mine this summer.

The windlass is an extraordinarily dangerous piece of equipment. Use extreme caution when handling the chain. In fact, all my friends that belong to the "Windlass Club" (a club that you don't want to belong to), don't even touch the chain - they use a long screwdriver to manipulate it.

Just a thought on safety. I was straightening the chain lead-in to the gypsy, when I accidentally rolled my knee onto the deck switch. I should have covered the switch before I knelt down to do that. But, hey, it was only for a second and I thought I was being careful.

Good luck with yours, and think twice when working around it.

[Elie]

Oh yes, windlass are very dangerous piece of equipment and no getting close to the chain or the gipsy is mandatory. Many fingers had been lost by careless handlers. A french racer(Alain Collas) has lost a foot(torn out!) when entangled into the rode of its anchor.

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Pardon me for asking, but how do you use a windlass? The boat I recently bought has a LoFrans Cayman 88. Next to the unit is a foot switch. The switch does not have an Up or Down - I'm not sure, but I think it's only for raising the anchor.

This is the first boat for me with a chain and windlass. I've downloaded the manual, but it doesn't describe the steps for lowering and raising the anchor.

I know about how to basically anchor, using 7:1 scope, etc. I just don't know how to use this windless. I also know I shouldn't use the windlass to pull the boat to the anchor when raising.

What I don't know is how to drop anchor? Do you have to hand feed it out?

You need two foot switches, an up and down. I have a Lofran's and installed a Lofran's chain counter with hand operation remote for the windlass, foot switches are notorious for failing at a critical moment.
I also installed an up/down toggle switch at the helm as most of my sailing was single handling.
Once you set the anchor up the bow roller it will fall when chain is paid out by the windlass. Don't let fingers anywhere near the chain.

[dmksails]

So as I understand this, my windlass is setup to allow the chain to free-fall down and to power it up. I'm looking into putting in either a switch or a remote so I can do this from the helm - I probably will be single handed a lot of the time and from what I'm read having the controls back by the helm will make the process much easier.

[Mithril Bham]

Maybe I missed something but what make & model of windlass do you have?

[dmksails]

LoFrans Cayman 88.

I finally got my hands on a manual that describes how to use the windass manually to raise/lower the anchor. It also describes what is needed to hook up a remote. That's going to me my next project.