Windlass replacement?.... manual or electric?

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Link?
I see bare windlasses there for $4020-$4920 depending on which model you want.

Add it to a cart for actual pricing. Defender likes doing that which makes it more difficult to comparison shop.

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by bstreep

Just bought a Maxwell 3500 kit (includes everything) from Defender. $34XX.

We have the 2500 that was "scratch and dent" from Defender so we couldn't pass it up. I wanted the 3500 because you can get a band brake for it so you can lower it without the clutch. Did you get or consider/price the band brake for your 3500?

[Smokeys Kitchen]

PNW sailor. 67; reasonably fit (biking, hiking, skiing). Wife 58 and fitter but fairly petite.

I vote for electric w/ manual capability if necessary. It's what we have and it works for us.

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Link?
I see bare windlasses there for $4020-$4920 depending on which model you want.

Sorry for the thread drift.



Here's the full kit. It's $3925 right now when you add it to your cart. It was on sale last week for their warehouse sale.



https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...artId=15204977

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

We have the 2500 that was "scratch and dent" from Defender so we couldn't pass it up. I wanted the 3500 because you can get a band brake for it so you can lower it without the clutch. Did you get or consider/price the band brake for your 3500?

Again, sorry for the thread drift.



We did not get the band brake. We decided to wait until we install to see what we wanted to do. Our old one is unidirectional, but we think we can use the old relay, and then add the new relay near the windlass to make it bidirectional. This will happen in a few weeks. A band brake is not necessary for unidirectional use, but you have to have the handle on deck. That's my understanding talking to Maxwell.



P.S. I passed up on a NIB 2500 a few weeks ago at a nautical flea market in Houston for $1200. It would have required new holes, and I hate new holes.

[Adelie]

It’s not drift. You provided specific info related to OP’s original question. He indicated budget was an issue so discussions of cost are relevant.

[puffcard]

Electric and if single handing a remote.

[randomrun]

I have had a S/l 555 on my Nicholson 35 sailboat for 44 years and a Lofrans Royal on my Nordic 26 tug for 6 years. I strongly prefer manual and we anchor out 95% of the time. The only problem I’ve had is with the springs in the 555 which are readily available. Between the two, the 555 is much more robust and I would recommend it without reservation. I enjoy the exercise from using a manual windlass. I am 80 years old.

[jsbartley]

Well, to wrap up the thread, looks like my current electric windlass is better shape than I thought, and only requires some tweaking on wiring. Sooo, the options to consider a replacement are now a moot point. Thanks anyway for the education on options. I'm sure it will come in handy some day!

[Adelie]

Hate to pop you bubble but just coz you got what you wanted from the thread doesn’t mean the thread is done. Folks could continue to weigh in on this for weeks. It could die out and come back to life in a year or more.
Earlier today I saw a thread come back to life after 11y4-1/2m.

If you want to stop seeing replies unsubscribe.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by jsbartley

Well, to wrap up the thread, looks like my current electric windlass is better shape than I thought, and only requires some tweaking on wiring. Sooo, the options to consider a replacement are now a moot point. Thanks anyway for the education on options. I'm sure it will come in handy some day!

Killjoy, I was just about to sneak AGW/CC into the thread with a post about how much you are going to need an electric winch once sea level rises another 30'.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by randomrun

I have had a S/l 555 on my Nicholson 35 sailboat for 44 years and a Lofrans Royal on my Nordic 26 tug for 6 years. I strongly prefer manual and we anchor out 95% of the time. The only problem I’ve had is with the springs in the 555 which are readily available. Between the two, the 555 is much more robust and I would recommend it without reservation. I enjoy the exercise from using a manual windlass. I am 80 years old.

Good to hear. I’m nearly 10 years in using our manual Plath bronze windlass. It’s never let us down, and we’ve never had a problem situation we couldn’t manage.

[stnick]

I used Lofrans manual 5/16 chain 33 pound bruce . I took the short handle of my Windless
and had it lengthed to waist high than i took a tennis ball and epoxeyed to the end of the handle . I stand and crank away using full arms reach !

[Group9]

I wouldn’t give up on your old electric windless so fast. We have had two electric windless’s go out. All we had to do was have the electric motor rebuilt ($225) to fix the first one, and the motor rebuilt and a new solenoid ($350) to fix the second one (which was a corroded mess when we bought the boat).

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by stnick

I used Lofrans manual 5/16 chain 33 pound bruce . I took the short handle of my Windless
and had it lengthed to waist high than i took a tennis ball and epoxeyed to the end of the handle . I stand and crank away using full arms reach !

This is an interesting set up. I've found even with the factory supplied short handle, I find myself swinging it in an arc so that the end of the handle touches the deck on both ends of the arc.

Standing and cranking means you get like a couple inches per stroke. Does that ever drive you nuts?