Installing a windlass

[blfuller123]

I am wanting to add a windlass anchor to my boat. The front deck has an eyelet that goes through it all the way through the compartment, to the eyelet that the trailer winch connects to. When I got the boat, the anchor chain was run through this eyelet. This seems exactly where the windlass needs to go. It seems like if I put the windlass in front of this eyelet, it will be too far forward, if I put it behind it, the chain will not fall into the forward compartment. Any suggestions here?

 

[grouperjim]

That forward compartment looks kind of small. Personally I'd stick with using an anchor ball. FWIW if that topside eyelet is a continuos piece of hardware then it's likely set up for lifting the boat out the water rather than as a guide for the anchor rode.

 

[warthog5]

A closer pix would be better.... Kinda far away.

Need both pix's.

But Your going to need to move some things.

It appears there is No anchor locker or rather "Rode Locker".

A milk crate or 5gal bucket is not going to hold enough rode to be worth anything. A custom box with drain holes is probably in order.

 

[rwp48]

What is forward of the opening hatch by the bucket?
Is the anchor hawse pipe located forward of the bulkhead?
You will likely find the small forward locker too small to be effective. You may need to add an additional bulkhead. Even a half height bulkhead would probably be OK.

You need to locate the windlass so that the chain or rode falls into the locker at or near the aft end...the deepest part. I would strongly recommend using eight-plait nylon for your rode. Make sure that the gypsy matches your chain and rode. You can purchase chain with the rode already spliced on.

 

[sydngoose]

I added a Lewmar Profish 700 to my previous Parker and had ZERO regrets. Looking at your bow set up, you could do exactly what I did, but you may need to build a fiberglass "bubble" like Warts project to increase your anchor locker's capacity.
One noteworthy consideration when using the Lewmar free fall anchor (what you DO want for fishing) is the rode is best utilized when it drops DIRECTLY DOWN into the deepest portion of the anchor locker…in other words, it does not enter the anchor locker at an angle. Another must is matching your rope, chain, rode to the windlass: for the Lewmar free fall anchor, you must use the 8 plait rode… it will NOT bind, ever….

Here's my project pics. Let us know if you have more questions:

before:



after: notice the angle of drop from the windlass to the anchor: self deploying: nobody needs to kick it off the pulpit… THIS is ideal



project:









backer plate
























switch placement and remote









notice in this next pic how pretty the 330' of rode with 25' of G4 chain lays into the locker: this is 100% due to the straight down drop into the deepest locker portion…not one , never a single fouled rode upon deploying or retrieving…amazing addition to the boat… since sold..but exactly how I'd do it again…

 

[blfuller123]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and photos. I'm glad I asked the question because this is going to be much more than just mounting up a windlass. Here is what I am starting with.

 

[Lucky John]

Syn, you are very talented. I had it factory installed on my 25 and have not had any troubles with the 8 plaite.

 

[rwp48]

I can't take credit for the installation of the Lewmar on my Parker, but it works great. It launches without assistance and self-stows too. I'm using about 30' of chain, backed by a couple hundred Ft of 8-plait nylon rode. Nice straight drop to the deep part of the anchor locker is key. I'm planing to replace the Danforth with a Delta next season.

BTW, a work-around for a locker that doesn't stow rode properly is to place a small orange traffic cone in the bottom of the locker. Small, like they use on a kids soccer field as sideline markers. The cone causes the rode to fall around it which helps it self-stow. I suspect this only works if you have an ample sized locker. One guy I know did this and it was successful for a while but the cone finally collapsed. He pulled the whole thing out and filled the cone with concrete before reinstalling.

 

[warthog5]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and photos. I'm glad I asked the question because this is going to be much more than just mounting up a windlass. Here is what I am starting with.

Another pix of whats under the deck would help also.

I Highly recommend the Lewmar 700 Free Fall and the Remote Control.

The hole is oval that goes thru the windless.... They say drill a round hole.... But I didn't I matched the oval hole.

Drill 2 holes with holesaw and connect the lines to make it Oval. It's just a cleaner install.

Your chain will need to be changed... I dought the existing is 1/4in G4 or 1/4in BBB ?

Any other chain will not go thru the wildcat. It's 1/4in so get 25 to 30ft IE: the length of the boat.