What if ..... my windlass quits?

[CloudyBay]

All you experienced people out there. I have a 30 ton, 54ft yacht with 45Kg anchor. If the windlass ever gives up on me, how should I plan on getting the anchor up? I certainly cannot do it by hand. And my Lewmar windlass does not have a manual option.
I ask this as I plan for contingencies in preparation for a circumnavigation. I really dont want to install an 2nd windlass unless there is no other choice.

[Reefmagnet]

You can pull most of the chain in by hand by motoring up to the anchor. And then a snubber with a chainhook going back to a sheet winch would be one of my contingencies. But doesn't the winch in you photo have provision to insert a handle for manual operation?

[StuM]

Reefmagnet is correct. Just stick a winch handle in the top.

[JPA Cate]

Cloudy Bay, it looks like you have a normal winch socket top in that windlass. If that proves to be the case, you could get a Milwaukee 1/2" drive right angle drill motor with re chargeable batteries and the winch bit, to use for emergencies. It is also a good drill motor.

What we have done in the past is to lead lines back to the sheet winches. Do not use halyard winches, we stripped one off that way.

Finally, I suggest you look at noelex's thread, "Pictures of Anchors Setting" to see particularly the pics of the delta anchors. You might want to upgrade after that. Incidentally, there is another thread, "Videos of Anchors Setting", wherein Panope (Steve) has subjected a number of different anchors to the same treatment in 3 different local-to-him bottoms.

Ann

[conachair]

If it siezes completely then you can leap frog 2 lines on the halyard winches, takes a while but works when it gets too much to haul by hand.

[RaymondR]

I have run into the no-winch retrieval problem a few times and the first thing I now do is try to drag the chain and anchor into shallow water, 12' 0f chain is much easier to lift of the bottom than 24'.

[daletournier]

My experience is using a winch handle ( in my case maxwell) in the top is a joke, its not that easy. Motor up and pull by hand until you get to the weight of the anchor, then use the sheet winch.


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[SimonV]

First off. that fitting you can see at the top of the winch is for a winch handle......but not for pulling chain. It is a clutch ONLY. you remove the top plate ( clutch ) and the gypsy will spin free, now the hard part. On your boat somewhere is a plastic handle with a big end and a handle with a fitting that will also fit the clutch plate lite the winch handle. The big end goes over and in the gypsy and you crank up the anchor.

[boden36]

You could use two chain hooks, each on its own length of rope. Alternate using sheet winches.

Regards,
Richard.

[nigel1]

Not all these Lewmar windlass's have a manual recovery. That socket opening for the winch handle most likely only operates the clutch for free falling the chain.

[zeehag]

a friend has a 80 ft schooner and 100 pound anchor, no windlass. we pull his anchor using his heavy duty winches and haul. have yet to fail .
my 66 pound anchor is lifted nicely by hand when using mast winches.
there is always a way--must think outside box. happy sails.
i have 2 windlasses on my bow, both fail. one electric and one manual. and as i stated--is easier and faster for this old broken down woman to use hand over hand technique and mast winches.

[Macblaze]

I've seen someone do it using the spinnaker halyard. It took time but it worked.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by boden36

You could use two chain hooks, each on its own length of rope. Alternate using sheet winches.

Regards,
Richard.

If you have a chain stopper, just use your snubber to the sheet winch. I had my boat for a year or two before I got around to installing a windlass, usually just manhandled the thing (25 Kg Rocna) but at least once I had to resort to the sheet winch

[Adelie]

Start by putting a chain pawl at the inboard end of the bow roller. Makes all the other techniques easier and takes the in service anchor loads off the windlass which shouldn't be carrying those loads anyway.

[Dave22q]

Bought a new Lewmar couple of years ago. It came with a 6" wrench but as others have noted your winch handle will fit in the socket and let you crank manually with more leverage. My Lewmar wrench sits in the bottom of my tool box just in case. Have you tries calling Lewmar?