Windlass Gypsy Replacement

[Sagittaire]

I have an old but good Simpson Lawrence Pacific V2000 vertical windlass. Approx 1989 manufacture. I want to replace the 5/16" chain gypsy with a 3/8" chain gypsy. The gypsy part no. is 12010X. I'm guessing the X refers to the chain size.

Does anyone know of a source for this?

[GordMay]

Try ➥ Homepage | Simpson Lawrence Yacht Parts & Spares

[djmarchand]

S L was purchased by Lewmar some years ago. But a few years ago they were still supporting them. Call Lewmar Us and get the right part no and they will refer you to a nearby dealer. Or you can Google the part and look for better deals.

David

[lost parent]

I have a 3/8 on my Simpson Lawrence anchorman that I would trade for a 5/16 we just have to see if they are interchangeable

[Sagittaire]

I will make some measurements of diameter, height, etc. and get back to you. What is the exact model number of your Anchorman windlass?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, lost parent.

[lost parent]

I believe mine is stamped 175 it is a 3/8 bbb chain

[Sagittaire]

I want to use High Test G4 chain, and a 3/8" BBB gypsy would not work. Sorry for the confusion, I should have said that I want to use G4 chain in the 3/8" gypsy.

[JonJo]

Originally Posted by Sagittaire

I want to use High Test G4 chain, and a 3/8" BBB gypsy would not work. Sorry for the confusion, I should have said that I want to use G4 chain in the 3/8" gypsy.

I know this will raise the ire of many:

But why do you want to replace a 5/16th inch G30 or BBB gypsy with a 3/8th G43 gypsy.

You are going to a larger link (which will impart extra strength - because its bigger) and you are going to higher strength, G30 vs G43, which impart, even, more strength. You obviously need to replace the gypsy, its bigger chain, if you go from 5/16 to 3/8th - but why not simply buy G43 or G70 5/16th inch (or do they not fit the G30/BBB gypsy?)

What has prompted you to go to extra strength - or do you value the weight of the catenary (hence 3/8th) and think you may as well go for G43 at the same time.

Jonathan

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by JonJo

I know this will raise the ire of many:

No ire here

I think that is a good question. The trend is to lighter higher test chain. Weight is better placed in the anchor than the rode if you want higher holding power.
Changing the gypsy is expensive and most cases this money could be better spent on higher test chain if you are concerned about the strength of the existing chain.

Not the question you asked, but this is a forum so sometimes we answer the question we think you should have asked

If changing the gypsy there are several standards that are very close in size (3/8, 10mm din and 10mm ISO) some gypsies will work with all these sizes, but others are very specific, be careful especially when purchasing overseas from ebay etc.

[JonJo]

I concur with Noelex:

I've been told that some imperial gypsies are made to match a G43 chain. But I have this suspicion that a 3/8th G43 gypsy might not take a 3/8th BBB nor G30 nor G70 chain, as the link sizes are different.

Any one looking at metric chain is lucky - G30, G40 and G70 link sizes are the same (for the same diameter wire) whether its a DIN or ISO chain - except for 10mm chain. For 10mm chain you need an ISO gypsy or a DIN gypsy, they are apparently marked as such. You would need to measure your chain to define which you have.

Changing from 5/16th G30 to 3/8 G43 will increase your WLL from around 1,800lb to 5,400lb and increase weight from 1lb per foot to about 1.5lb per ft.

However the G43 WLL is a bit overstated as it is based on a 3:1 safety margin vs 4:1 for the G30.

I might check whether you can fit an imperial G70 into the existing gypsy (ACCO via West Marine) who quote a WLL at 4,700lb (3:1 safety factor). You will get the strength you seem to need and might be able to use the same gypsy.

But I'm still intrigued at the idea of going from 5/16th G3/BBB to G43 at 3/8th - quite a jump!

Jonathan

[Geoff54]

Jonjo makes a lot sense but if you still want a Gypsy, try contacting SL Spares in the UK - all they do is Simpson Lawrence parts and copies.

[Sagittaire]

I was not clear in my original post. My existing chain is 5/16-inch G43 high test with rated Working Load Limit (WLL) of 3900 lbs. I think it is the original chain from 1992, and is now getting quite rusty.

The boat is a Brewer pilothouse cutter, 47 ft long, with loaded weight of about 20 tons (40,000 lbs.). It has a lot of freeboard, with deck 5 ft above the waterline. I'm thinking that the 5/16" G43 chain is undersized for this boat. 3/8" G43 chain has a WLL of 5400 lbs, 38% more than the 5/16", and seems to be more suitable for this size boat.

By the way, our anchor is a Rocna 40 (88 lbs weight), which is a bit oversized for our boat but allows us to rest easier at anchor.

The existing 5/16" G43 chain is 268 ft long, thus total chain weight in the bow is just under 300 lbs. I'm planning to get only 200 ft of 3/8" G43 chain, to result in approximately the same weight in the bow, supplementing it with another 200 ft of 1" dia 12-strand rope (New England Ropes Mega Braid, average breaking strength 24,900 lbs, 4.6:1 safety factor at the 3/8" chain WLL). In seven years of cruising west coast of USA and Mexico, I have never had more than 200 ft of rode deployed. Not sure about the South Pacific, which is where I am going next year.

SL Spares in the UK did respond to my e-mail, and they have the gypsy for my windlass. That is the good news. The bad news is that the price is 263 GBP (Great Britain Pounds Sterling) plus 55 GBP for shipping, a total of 318 GBP which is $518 USD. Plus there will probably be customs duty in importing it from Great Britain to the USA.

Right now I'm leaning toward upgrading to the 3/8" G43 chain and gypsy. The extra cost is trivial compared to the cost of the boat and the peace of mind that larger chain will provide.

[JonJo]

Hi Mike,

Sorry that I misunderstood!

Your experience on gypsy pricing is not too different to mine, they cost more than you could ever imagine! I'm surprised you cannot get one in America as G43 3/8th inch can hardly be in big demand in the UK.

You seem to have it all sussed out but I'd throw back into the melting pot the idea of 5/16th G70. it has a WLL of 4,700lb on the WM website and this is at the same 3:1 safety factor as the G43. But I'm guessing weight is not an issue.

Jonathan

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Sagittaire

The boat is a Brewer pilothouse cutter, 47 ft long, with loaded weight of about 20 tons (40,000 lbs.). It has a lot of freeboard, with deck 5 ft above the waterline. I'm thinking that the 5/16" G43 chain is undersized for this boat.

Yes I agree 5/16 is too light. I would even be looking at G7 in 3/8 size.