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Old 15-04-2016, 10:53   #1
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Anchoring System Redesign

I am relatively new to the boating world and have just bought a used sailboat.
We have anchored once but it was an awkward affair and potentially dangerous.
I have decided to install an electric windlass but I am unsure of the best location for it, or type for that matter - albeit I am favoring a vertical type.

referencing the attached image for the current set up it occurred to me that I could:
1) move the new windlass to the left, which would be out of the way of the inner stay and be more in line with the anchor.

2) Permanently secure the left locker door and place the new windlass on top.

3) mount the windlass aft of the door and motor for windlass would be in V-berth cabinet.



I look forward to others experiences or viewpoints.
Thanks
brad
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Old 15-04-2016, 11:33   #2
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Re: anchoring system redesign

That looks like a Simpson Lawrence Sea Tiger 555 manual windlass and some, like me, consider it to be the best & most reliable option for anchoring with a 35' to 45' boat. Don't discount what you might be able to accomplish with the position of your bow roller on your anchor davit or the fair lead adjustment to accommodate your chain clearing that stay. Becoming accustomed to this equipment and anchoring procedures may be a far better solution than an entire re-design.

If you do decide to switch to an electric windlass be sure to offer the Sea Tiger in the classified Ads forum. Someone else will be thrilled!
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Old 15-04-2016, 11:50   #3
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Re: anchoring system redesign

I would likely just put the new windlass aft of the doors. I cant see well enough, but it appears moving the windlass a bit Right would clear the stay easier..? Where does your chain go now? In the V berth or is the bulkhead aft of the windlass?
On one boat I fabricated a big mount to put the vertical windlass under the doors, then I cut out/glassed/painted the shape of the windlass in the anchor locker doors around the windlass. It looked very neat and tidy and worked well (the chain pipe was part of the mount so the chain went below the anchor locker).
The one problem with this though is the anchor locker stays wet a lot from spray etc... so the windlass motor was wet a lot from condensation etc. I would opt for the windlass motor in the V berth personally.
The locker door will never be strong enough for the windlass. The locker depth not deep enough for the chain stack up either.
The Sl55 is a workhorse but fraught with corrosion issues and seals binding on the shaft etc if left without use. IME with only one unit.
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Old 15-04-2016, 12:59   #4
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

I may have left of some essential information on my Post.

At this point the windlass does not feed into the locker easily and needs to be fed into the locker by hand as the hawse pipe on the windless is blocked. The previous owner had intentions to have it feed into a locker beneath the V-Berth, and had mounted a pipe that would have bisected the Berth to be used for the rode fall.

Admittedly the locker does not have much of a fall for the rode and I have toyed with the idea of installing a pipe that would lead to the large area under the V-Berth from inside the locker rather than from the deck as the PO has done, this route may follow an incline, rather than a straight fall - I have some reservations about this approach and worry about the rode bunching up.
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Old 15-04-2016, 13:22   #5
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Re: anchoring system redesign

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako View Post
....................
................. The Sl55 is a workhorse but fraught with corrosion issues and seals binding on the shaft etc if left without use. ....
Cheechako makes a good point here. I bought my Simpson Lawrence new 25 years ago and keep it maintained....
.......
Many things fail without care and I've seen others not worth saving.
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Old 15-04-2016, 13:27   #6
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

I am a big fan of power windlass because of the times I had to reset the old CQR to wind up where I wanted to be. If it is easy you don't have to talk yourself into pulling it up to get a better set even with the lazy devil on your shoulder saying "Aw the wind will stay calm, that is good enough". With the new (Manson Supreme) anchor I never, knock on wood, have to give it a second go. If you always sail with crew it may make sense to get a good new generation anchor and do some practicing before changing things around much.

Having said that upgrading the anchor system is something you will love every time you pull up your anchor. I think that three issues inside the boat are important. A chain locker that the chain will fall into without causing problems and is sealed from the rest of the boat and self draining. I rinse my chain as best I can every time I raise anchor and still have to clean my bilge because of anchor crud every now and then. And access to the windlass motor for maintenance. The on deck issues should be mostly obvious but be sure you include a seriously stout chain stopper.
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Old 15-04-2016, 13:40   #7
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

Quote:
Originally Posted by bradpb View Post
I may have left of some essential information on my Post.

At this point the windlass does not feed into the locker easily and needs to be fed into the locker by hand as the hawse pipe on the windless is blocked. The previous owner had intentions to have it feed into a locker beneath the V-Berth, and had mounted a pipe that would have bisected the Berth to be used for the rode fall.

Admittedly the locker does not have much of a fall for the rode and I have toyed with the idea of installing a pipe that would lead to the large area under the V-Berth from inside the locker rather than from the deck as the PO has done, this route may follow an incline, rather than a straight fall - I have some reservations about this approach and worry about the rode bunching up.
So is the windlass over the shallow locker with a bulkhead aft of it? If so, that far back you must have some depth under that anchor locker bottom...? You could make a sealed/flanged pipe to feed the chain below and under that locker floor. Essentially what I did with my fancy mount, the aluminum pipe was like 5" diameter, and the lower cavity was pretty deep.
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Old 18-04-2016, 10:45   #8
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

I emptied the Locker and measured the depth - 33 inches to cone shaped bottom.
I hand fed in the 200ft of 5/8 3-strand and it didn't lay very nicely until the 40 foot of 1/4 inch chain was on top and weighed it down. The rope was near the top of the locker before the chain started going into locker,

my thoughts at this point are to

1) mount a new vertical winch at the edge and see if it would spill the rope and chain into it without hanging up.

2) increase chain length to 80 ft and reduce amount of rope

3) find a rope that lays in the locker nicer - I hear that 8 Strand Plaited relaxes and lays flat in pile where 3-strand is the opposite.


boat :
aloha 34

displacement : 13600 lbs

thoughts?
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Old 18-04-2016, 10:53   #9
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

Not sure I have it visualized well. Your existing anchor locker is 33" deep? wow that's pretty good. Chain coming off the windlass will stack up tall and narrow... it's surprising how well chain does this! But if you have access to it up there while you are retrieving chain, you can just stop and push the pile over.
Go all chain, with a rope backup. You will often never use the rope.
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Old 23-04-2016, 10:57   #10
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako View Post
Not sure I have it visualized well. Your existing anchor locker is 33" deep? wow that's pretty good. Chain coming off the windlass will stack up tall and narrow... it's surprising how well chain does this! But if you have access to it up there while you are retrieving chain, you can just stop and push the pile over.
Go all chain, with a rope backup. You will often never use the rope.
Very much considering all chain. Now it's just determining the size and how much and the type of windlass that I should get for my 34ft 13.500 lb boat.

My dream is to sail solo and I believe it would be beneficial to be in the cockpit motoring towards anchor while windlass retrieving it - at least that's the plan.
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Old 23-04-2016, 11:01   #11
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

I have had both Horizontal and vertical windlasses... very surprisingly ...for me, I really preferred the verticals.... they seem very trouble free. maybe because the chain wraps much further around the wildcat. If you look...many Horizontals only grab 1.5 to 2 links of chain fully.
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Old 23-04-2016, 11:08   #12
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

Quote:
Originally Posted by bradpb View Post
Very much considering all chain. Now it's just determining the size and how much and the type of windlass that I should get for my 34ft 13.500 lb boat.

My dream is to sail solo and I believe it would be beneficial to be in the cockpit motoring towards anchor while windlass retrieving it - at least that's the plan.
A friend with our same 34 foot boat similar to yours wrote this:

The Rocna. All 20kg of it with 100ft of chain. The rest of the world can debate all they like. When I pull into a place like Bodega Bay at midnight and the fog is so thick I can't see the jetty 50 feet away to make an entrance, I drop my hook in the rolling ocean swells with the surf crashing (Foster says it's like staying in a cheap Best Western beside the highway), and I sleep. And in the morning I have a windlass to pull the beast up and I wouldn't trade it for anything. (I also wouldn't add more chain - this works perfectly in 25 to 30 feet of water - you let all the chain out and you tie off nylon at the preferred scope and don't bother with snubbers and chain hooks and all that stuff...)

This was our best upgrade.
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Old 23-04-2016, 11:13   #13
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

I think it depends on where he's boating. Up here in the PNW, you often are in more depth... maybe 40-50 feet.
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Old 23-04-2016, 11:13   #14
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu Jackson View Post
A friend with our same 34 foot boat similar to yours wrote this:

The Rocna. All 20kg of it with 100ft of chain. The rest of the world can debate all they like. When I pull into a place like Bodega Bay at midnight and the fog is so thick I can't see the jetty 50 feet away to make an entrance, I drop my hook in the rolling ocean swells with the surf crashing (Foster says it's like staying in a cheap Best Western beside the highway), and I sleep. And in the morning I have a windlass to pull the beast up and I wouldn't trade it for anything. (I also wouldn't add more chain - this works perfectly in 25 to 30 feet of water - you let all the chain out and you tie off nylon at the preferred scope and don't bother with snubbers and chain hooks and all that stuff...)

This was our best upgrade.
I like that, it sounds comforting - I'll be pulling the credit card out soon.
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Old 23-04-2016, 11:15   #15
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Re: Anchoring System Redesign

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Originally Posted by Cheechako View Post
I think it depends on where he's boating. Up here in the PNW, you often are in more depth... maybe 40-50 feet.
Desolation Sound is my home area.
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