Anyone Using a Maxwell RC8-8? OK for 45lb anchor + 5/16 chain?

[Britishsea]

I was looking to replace my horizontal windlass with a Maxwell VW10 over the next 2 months.

Unfortunately, covid supply chain woes makes this model difficult to find.

The RC8-8 is available, but might be a bit underpowered given its aggressive gear ratio (100ft a min retrieval).

Boat is 39 feet, 17,000 lbs. Tall mast (62 ft), so lots of windage. We are in the PNW, so not uncommon to have anchor in 50-80 feet.

I have a 20 kilo Rocna, plus 100 ft 5/16 chain + 300 ft 5/8ths 3 strand. Total weight about 175 lbs.

Anyone using the 1000watt version of the RC 8 with a similar weight anchor gear care to comment?


Thxs in advance for any assistance.

BritSea

[TheOffice]

Use a vw1000 with a 45 pound anchor and 100 feet of 3/8 G4. No problem!

[Britishsea]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

Use a vw1000 with a 45 pound anchor and 100 feet of 3/8 G4. No problem!

Thxs for your reply. The VW1000 is likely the same 1000 watt motor as the RC8-8 but a slightly different gearbox ratio. Yours is 60ft a min up vs RC8-8 90ft a min. But your 3/8th chain is much heaver - so perhaps and even trade off.

Britsea

[rslifkin]

I wouldn't expect any problems pulling that up. My 1000 watt (but lower gearing) HRC10-8 doesn't blink at lifting my 73 lb anchor and 5/16" chain in 55 feet of water (so it's lifting about 135 lbs once the anchor comes off the bottom). My windlass is rated for 1540 lbs of pull, the RC8-8 is rated for 1320 lbs with the faster gearing (mine is fast, so the RC8-8 should be really, really fast). Honestly, the only reason I went with the HRC10 over the RC8-8 for my boat is the total deck + pulpit thickness where the windlass mounts. It's just under 8 inches on my boat, which is too much for pretty much any vertical windlass (including the RC8, which can only handle 6.5 inches with the extra deck clearance option). So I had to go horizontal.

Maxwell suggests 1/3 of the max pull rating as the max ground tackle weight (working load). That would be 440 lbs for the RC8-8. Even if you went a bit more conservative at 1/4 of max pull, that's still 330 lbs. I figure the total weight you'd be lifting at ~180 lbs (plus any mud or junk on the anchor) if you dropped it all straight down in very deep water. Most of the time you'll be lifting less.

Based on that math, you could add another 100 feet of chain and still not be pushing the limits of that windlass (in water deep enough to lift all of the chain and the anchor at the same time). With 200 feet of chain you'd be at ~285 lbs total, including the 300 feet of line.

[belizesailor]

Yep, a 20Kg Bruce on 150' of 5/16" G4 chain backed by 5/8" 3 strand nylon is my primary.

The RC8-8 is a very good quality piece of gear (I used to work as a charter captain so I have run lot of different winches). It hauls up my ground tackle quickly, even from deep anchorages, with no apparent strain.

Their clever gypsy design handles rope to chain splices well too. I use a bulkier version of the rope-chain splice with strands passing thru mutiple links (so its a little bulkier and stiffer), no problem.

Here in the W Carib I often anchor in relatively shallow water (with only a 3.5' draft, 6' is an anchorage for me!), but the RC8-8 easily handles my ground tackle even in 50-60' deep anchorages.

Ive run the RC8-8 for about 8 seasons now, zero problems.

[Britishsea]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yep, a 20Kg Bruce on 150' of 5/16" G4 chain backed by 5/8" 3 strand nylon is my primary.

The RC8-8 is a very good quality piece of gear (I used to work as a charter captain so I have run lot of different winches). It hauls up my ground tackle quickly, even from deep anchorages, with no apparent strain.

Their clever gypsy design handles rope to chain splices well too. I use a bulkier version of the rope-chain splice with strands passing thru mutiple links (so its a little bulkier and stiffer), no problem.

Here in the W Carib I often anchor in relatively shallow water (with only a 3.5' draft, 6' is an anchorage for me!), but the RC8-8 easily handles my ground tackle even in 50-60' deep anchorages.

Ive run the RC8-8 for about 8 seasons now, zero problems.

That's great first hand Info and directly compares to my ancor tackle.

Good to know the higher gear ratio-ed RC 8 -8 can still handle 170 lbs at depths 60+ feet.

I like the idea of the fast retrieval speeds offered by the RC8-8 as i'm often rushing to bring up my anchor from depths while being blown on to a lee-shore..... I was just concerned there would be a trade off in power of that fast line speed.

Thxs again.

Brit Sea

.

[Britishsea]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I wouldn't expect any problems pulling that up. My 1000 watt (but lower gearing) HRC10-8 doesn't blink at lifting my 73 lb anchor and 5/16" chain in 55 feet of water (so it's lifting about 135 lbs once the anchor comes off the bottom). My windlass is rated for 1540 lbs of pull, the RC8-8 is rated for 1320 lbs with the faster gearing (mine is fast, so the RC8-8 should be really, really fast). Honestly, the only reason I went with the HRC10 over the RC8-8 for my boat is the total deck + pulpit thickness where the windlass mounts. It's just under 8 inches on my boat, which is too much for pretty much any vertical windlass (including the RC8, which can only handle 6.5 inches with the extra deck clearance option). So I had to go horizontal.

Maxwell suggests 1/3 of the max pull rating as the max ground tackle weight (working load). That would be 440 lbs for the RC8-8. Even if you went a bit more conservative at 1/4 of max pull, that's still 330 lbs. I figure the total weight you'd be lifting at ~180 lbs (plus any mud or junk on the anchor) if you dropped it all straight down in very deep water. Most of the time you'll be lifting less.

Based on that math, you could add another 100 feet of chain and still not be pushing the limits of that windlass (in water deep enough to lift all of the chain and the anchor at the same time). With 200 feet of chain you'd be at ~285 lbs total, including the 300 feet of line.

Thxs for your help rslifkin and input. I think your model is a horizontal windlass?

I never know how to compare these to their vertical siblings.

I understand that changing the axis of rotation by 90 dregs from the motor to the gypsy loses power in the worm gear box. Not sure how much, 10 - 20 %?

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Britishsea

Thxs for your help rslifkin and input. I think your model is a horizontal windlass?

I never know how to compare these to their vertical siblings.

I understand that changing the axis of rotation by 90 dregs from the motor to the gypsy loses power in the worm gear box. Not sure how much, 10 - 20 %?

There shouldn't be a power difference between vertical and horizontal. At least for the Maxwell units (and many others) both designs have the motor 90 degrees off from the gypsy with a direction change occurring in the gearbox. It's just a question of horizontal main shaft with the motor above deck or a vertical main shaft with the motor below the deck. Maxwell rates the vertical RC10-8 (same motor and gearbox ratio as my HRC10-8 horizontal) for the same amount of pull.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Britishsea

That's great first hand Info and directly compares to my ancor tackle.

Good to know the higher gear ratio-ed RC 8 -8 can still handle 170 lbs at depths 60+ feet.

I like the idea of the fast retrieval speeds offered by the RC8-8 as i'm often rushing to bring up my anchor from depths while being blown on to a lee-shore..... I was just concerned there would be a trade off in power of that fast line speed.

Thxs again.

Brit Sea

.

Ive not encountered any trade off in speed vs power for this ground tackle config. The high speed is quite nice.

[Plumbean]

I have an RC8-8 with 90 feet of 5/16 inch G4 and 200 feet of nylon road. It's newly installed so have not used it much, but no problems at all so far. Typical anchoring for me is in much more shallow water though.

[Plumbean]

Forgot to mention I have a 20 kilo Bruce for an anchor.

[Rucksta]

RC8-8, 27kg CQR no problems breaking out of mud & retrieving chain in 20 mts of water.

Powered by 80 amp starting battery requires engine running to keep up with power demand.

Installation was easy with the precision template and wiring diagram provided.
Base gasket and easy adaption to spurling pipe gives leak free setup.
Service is straight forward with good access to motor and gearbox below deck.
Parts readily available in my location -alternate gypsy, replacement gasket and lost handle

Vertical format allows correct chain angle for either port or starboard anchor.
Handles splice to 8 stand rope in either direction without jumping or jamming.

Genoa sheets don't catch even with the sail luffing.

Manual winding with provided handle is possible but tedious.

Very happy with the Maxwell product.
Previous boat had their rope drum model, trouble free for 20 years.

[Britishsea]

Thanks to each of you that contributed to this thread.

With your collective knowledge in hand, I ordered the RC8-8 and it arrived today. When it's installed and I have had a chance to assess, I'll post an update.

Thxs again

BritSea

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

Use a vw1000 with a 45 pound anchor and 100 feet of 3/8 G4. No problem!

Glad to hear this. I just picked up what was suppose to be a VW1500 but it has a 1000W motor and from what I can see, the 1500 has a 1200W motor. Checking the dimensional differences. the motor on the 1500 is 3/8" longer than the 1000. Mine appears to be a the shorter version and the label states 1000W. I'll be using 200ft. of 5/16" high test with a Rocna 20kg.