Winch as Windlass??

[billdre]

Anyone ever try using a winch as a windlass? I have a mixed rode of three stand rope and 3/8 chain. The 27 ft. of chain and the 33 lb. Spade make hoisting the last bit very good exercise. I was thinking of finding a used winch to ease that last lift. Has anyone tried it with either good or bad results??

[sailorchic34]

I use to use a Jib winch to hoist the anchor for 8 years. Just stopped as someone gave me an electric windlass. A two speed winch works very well.

[UNCIVILIZED]

I had a similarly mixed rode on my 33'er & the mast mounted halyard winches worked quite well for this. Especially for retrieving the anchor when there was a current running, or in a stiff breeze.

[Suijin]

A windlass IS a winch, so a winch can be pressed into service as a windlass.

My 52 primaries would eat the anchor rode for breakfast as far as mechanical advantage is concerned. Smaller winches would just take longer for the most part.

Just make sure you reinforce the deck under it. A sheet of 1/4" G10 about 2x the diameter of the winch base would probably allow you to get by with just that. It makes a good backing material if it's in/over the anchor locker vs. aluminum plate which will corrode.

[billdre]

"My 52 primaries would eat the anchor rode for breakfast"

I don't know what you mean by 52 primaries?

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by billdre

"My 52 primaries would eat the anchor rode for breakfast"

I don't know what you mean by 52 primaries?

On a boat that has more than one set of winches in the cockpit, especially ones dedicated to the trimming of any type of headsail, the primaries are the largest of them & get used the most. Usually such a boat will have 2 sets of sheet winches on the cockpit coamings or deck, with the primaries typically being the forward most set, & the most powerful in terms of mechanical advantage.


NOTE: In my earlier post I failed to mention why I used the winches on the mast instead of one of my cockpit winches, which actually were more powerful than those on the mast. And it's because with the ones on the mast, you can lead the line straight back to them from the bow roller, & crank them while standing up. Which gives you a lot better position to do so in terms of bio-mechanics/ergonomics. As opposed to sitting or kneeling on a deck, & only being able to apply the strength in your arm or shoulder to the winch. As when standing, you can use most of the strength in your torso when grinding, & sometimes even that of your legs as well.

Keep in mind that regardless of where the winch is, odds are you'll wind up with a good bit of muck on you from the rode. And if you could pawn or trade a few things in order to get a manual windlass which you operate while standing, it'd probably be worth it if you'll be anchoring out much. Luckily they're fairly common on the used gear market, even here on CF.

[billdre]

Everybody has been especially helpful. Using a mast winch is a great idea. The key is how much space is available on the bow for any additional equipment. Thanks for all the support.

[billdre]

I just occurred to me ... when I use a winch I don't need to use the handle. I just pull the line after two turns around the winch. Are you assuming using a winch handle, which I have, or just pulling the line/chain around the winch. This is a 28 ft. boat I pull my main up without winch help and simply use the winch to tighten the luff.

[UNCIVILIZED]

The purpose of using a mast mounted on the side of the mast is so that you can use it (with a handle) to assist in pulling up the anchor when the force or energy needed to do so by hand gets excessive. Such as when weighing anchor in a strong current.

As in said situation, regardless of how good the helmsman is at steering the boat to a position almost overtop of the anchor, at a minimum, you have to pull the boat to the anchor for the last few boat lengths of rode. And current or wind can easily put more force onto the boat, & subsequently the anchor rode, than you can pull in by hand.

Setting your boat up so that the ground tackle can be retrieved by using one of your rigging winches. On the mast, or in/from the cockpit. Also has the benefit of making it possible for your smaller, less physically powerful crew, to weigh anchor. Thanks to the mechanical advantage of the winch, especially if it's self tailing, & your rode fits it's jaws.

Plus, if you lead the rope part of the rode back to a cockpit winch, then for the most part you can weigh anchor singlehanded, from the helm (while driving, under power or sail). Only needing to run forward to lift up your chain leader & the anchor itself by hand.
Make sense?

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by billdre

Anyone ever try using a winch as a windlass? I have a mixed rode of three stand rope and 3/8 chain. The 27 ft. of chain and the 33 lb. Spade make hoisting the last bit very good exercise. I was thinking of finding a used winch to ease that last lift. Has anyone tried it with either good or bad results??

Consider adding a small Windline chain stopper or equal just aft of your bow roller and obtaining a length of line with a chain hook (aka a nipping line). Hoist your gear by hand, or with one of your halyard or sheet winches, with the rhode lead through the chain stopper until the first lengths of chain are aboard. When you take the tension off the rhode at the halyard or sheet winch, the stopper will hold the gear in place while you connect the hook on your nipping line to the inboard chain and continue hoisting the gear with the nipping line lead to your winch. We used the foregoing to good advantage on our former boat for many years.

FWIW...

[billdre]

Thanks again for refining some of the issues.
Uncivilized - I hadn't thought about current, and wind could be even worse as an issue. It confirms needing some kind of assist for raising that much weight.
svHyLite - The chain stopper makes sense and your system with the chain hook answers the question if chain doesn't work well on a standard winch surface.