Ideal Windlass on the new (to us) Persistent Lady II

[sher9016]

Well, we now have Persistent Lady II. After all the drama of being pulled off the deck of our beloved boat, Persistent Lady, in the sea of Crete by a Chinese freighter (thanks again, guys!), traveling without documents from Gibraltar to London, then flying back to Greece to find that the boat ended up on the rocks in a World Heritage protected site for sea turtles near Zakanthos, and not being able to reach the boat for two weeks due to weather (weather not bad enough to stop the salvage thieves, just bad enough that no one from Zakanthos would risk the trip over) and nothing left to salvage for ourselves, we flew back to the states and spent two months with our daughter and grandkids, then bought a used car and drove from Montana to Florida where we lived in motels for three months while we criss-crossed the state repeatedly looking at every boat we could find from South Carolina to Miami and have now, at long last, closed on our new boat, a 1980 Morgan 461. Boat has a lot going for it, heavy displacement, good comfortable ocean boat, good equipment and storage, etc. but also needs some work. In the next two months we should have the complete re-wiring, including new panels and monitors done and most of the other items we want to do finished and ready for a shakedown up the East coast to Block Island, but I have a question about the Ideal windlass. I plan on researching it myself when I can find a few minutes but thought some of you might shorten my education a little.
It has a foot button that will retrieve the anchor, but no way to lower it. I have two large anchors on the rollers, a 35 lb Bruce with all rope rode (for now) and a 45 lb CQR with all chain. I am 67 years old, in reasonably good shape, but not a strong back, and injured both legs on last crossing (muscles are a little week now). I want to be able to lower as well as raise via the windlass. Pretty sure this has a solenoid so I hope to convert to a 'key fob' so I can anchor single handed, although my wife is an expert at finding the sand patches in all the sea grass, but after three Aortic valve replacements, her upper body strength is compromised.
Any thoughts would be really appreciated. The windlass seems really strong, so don't want to replace it.


Jim and Sherrin formerly aboard Persistent Lady; soon to be aboard P. L. II. Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[sher9016]

Attachment 103155
Picture of the Ideal windlass


Jim and Sherrin formerly aboard Persistent Lady; soon to be aboard P. L. II. Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[SkiprJohn]

I have an Ideal horizontal windlass and it has a power up but you need to release the clutch wheel to let it free fall down. Release just a little to let it down slowly.

Does this help. I couldn't get you attachment so I don't know if ours are close to the same.

regards,

[SkiprJohn]

The Ideal company is still in business on the east coast so you should be able to get what you need to repair if needed.

[sher9016]

Thanks, mine is vertical, but there are two small holes on top of the capstan (I never noticed until I read your post). Seems like there might be an arm with two pegs that would fit into the holes? I have not found it yet, and the PO never anchored, so he is no help here. I will call ideal as soon as I get a few minutes, but I think you may have given me the right path to go down.
Thanks!

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by sher9016

Thanks, mine is vertical, but there are two small holes on top of the capstan (I never noticed until I read your post). Seems like there might be an arm with two pegs that would fit into the holes? I have not found it yet, and the PO never anchored, so he is no help here. I will call ideal as soon as I get a few minutes, but I think you may have given me the right path to go down.
Thanks!

Thanks I'll have another beer now.

[Mithril Bham]

Your are lucky to have an Ideal. Excellent equipment. Call the company. They are great. First determine which model you have. Mine has the option of down. Just need to hook a switch up to the solenoid. Otherwise you need a breaker bar to loosen it. This may help:
Phone #: (401) 884-2550
http://www.idealwindlass.com/BOB%20V...STRUCTIONS.pdf

http://www.idealwindlass.com/IDENTIF...20WINDLASS.pdf

[tartansail]

We have an Ideal windlass that came configured just like yours. Ideal has a kit to convert to a bidirectional windlass as well as a remote link. I agree with the recommendation to give them a call. They are a small company and a delight to work with. I didn't do the work myself, but, reading the instructions, it didn't seem too difficult.

I will say that, since installing the remote kit, I haven't used the foot switches once. If I were to do it again, I'd probably not install the "down" foot switch. If, for some reason, the remote failed, I could still let gravity do its part and I would have the "up" switch until I fixed the remote. To be clear, the remote has been 100% reliable in the three years we've had it.

[evm1024]

The Ideal BHW (which I have and you may have) has a big bolt on top along with 2 slots. The slots were for manual raising the anchor and the bolt changed the friction to allow the dropping of the anchor.

The original BHW was a single direction only windlass that can be made bidirectional.

You can Identify your windlass here: http://www.idealwindlass.com/IDENTIF...20WINDLASS.pdf

There are rebuilding and options here including reversing here: http://www.idealwindlass.com/BOB%20V...odel%20BHW.pdf

To find the chain size that the wildcat is made for you need to look on the face of the wildcat. The markings can be quite hard to see. Mine is marked 3B and is faint.

Ideal is a great company and supports their product.

Here is my BHW....

[Kreef]

Hi I read up on Morgans some time ago and they seemed to have serious osmosis problems has yours been treated for any ?I am 66 and totally awe inspired with your tenacity .Good on you and the wife I hope your days are blessed ahead and free of such trauma.Regards,David .Cape town.

[Kreef]

Why were you pulled off your deck by a freighter?

[SkiprJohn]

Sorry about the loss of Persistent Lady I and the salvage thieves. I have a remote property that just got burglarized and they really wiped us out. I kind of know the feeling you must have had when you realized everything you worked so hard for over the years was gone.

kind regards,

[Kreef]

HI Do you like after owning a roberts in steel it's sailing abilities and movement on the water and it's load capacity?My bother has a 45 ft charter in glass which he just purchased in the Seychelles and had sailed back to Simon's town to the False Bay yacht Club.Anybody ever visited there?
I used to own a Dean 36 Aero and loved sailing off Cape of Storms catching and braaing yellowfin tuna on the boat and lying amongst the fishing fleet overnight on a still moonlit night with phospherescence looking like molten silver when we peed over the side(all guys normally 5 to 8 on board)oh what fun and such a privilege to be out there .

[Kreef]

HUM I obviously posted that to the wrong person,sorry guys.

[Mithril Bham]

I have nothing better to do than to read boat stuff and work on mine. I feel your pain. We must all be slightly nuts to do this stuff. Here are a couple of photos that may help you. Have you changed your oil yet? I think mine is a model B (later a V5A) but am not sure.