228 Windlass install completed.

[Ky Grady]

Got the same Lewmar windlass on my 228 but with a Lewmar plow type anchor. I love the windlass; was a big selling point on the boat and I anchor much more often since it's easy. I call it the marriage saver. That pin lock does look slick. May add that. Boat came with a vinyl-coated wire clip like KY shows. Definitely want the lock since it slowly loosens sometimes.

Good idea with the acorn nuts. I may do that. My rode hangs up sometimes on deploy and retreave. Love my plow anchor.

What size anchor do you have? What's your bottom like where you anchor?

 

[PNW_Drifter]

Is yours on a pulpit? Anchor locker door?
Would like to do one myself, 288, no pulpit.

Ky's pulpit looks so much better than mine, all chipped up.

Same as above drilled through pulpit.
here’s mine, One difference is mine came with the large bracket attached to the bow I that I can attach the end of the rode to.


I anchor overnight a lot in the San Juan Islands and BC coast. So all kinds of bottoms, water is not clear so most of the time I have to go by a guide book or chart to know and how it feels when I back down on it. Our tides can vary 12' so that's alot of current and power pulling on the boat.

Sand and mud are easy for most anchors weeds and rocky bottom are not. Then when the tide changes the anchor needs to reset really quick in a different direction.

That aluminum danforth is probably the best stern anchor made KY, because it's light and easy to handle. I use a danforth for my stern anchor with vinyl coated chain (wish it was an aluminum fortress).

 

[Ky Grady]

Still playing with windlass all weekend, the Fortress FX-11 is just to light to get the chain to pull out of the locker without help.

After watching some videos on different anchors, I ordered a Mantus 17# anchor for the windlass. Having to go forward to nudge the anchor off the roller defeats the purpose of why I installed a windlass. I called Mantus and spoke with them and told them the boat I had and the setup and they recommended the 17#. I'll try out the windlass again in South Carolina the end of October with the new anchor and report back.

 

[nuclear]

Still playing with windlass all weekend, the Fortress FX-11 is just to light to get the chain to pull out of the locker without help.

After watching some videos on different anchors, I ordered a Mantus 17# anchor for the windlass. Having to go forward to nudge the anchor off the roller defeats the purpose of why I installed a windlass. I called Mantus and spoke with them and told them the boat I had and the setup and they recommended the 17#. I'll try out the windlass again in South Carolina the end of October with the new anchor and report back.

Someone is going to have to go forward eventually once you install that safety. But not having to push the anchor down will still be nice.

 

[glacierbaze]

KY, can you explain the wiring in your original post? I read it as the black and red runs from the battery in the rear, to the windlass in the front, with the two lugs in the red cable being at the helm, to accommodate the circuit breaker and up-and-down switch.
I am moving my windless from my Tournament to my Seafarer, and my circuit breaker and rocker switch are also at the helm. My red from the battery goes through the circuit breaker, and then the red & black from the battery attaches to the switch, and red & black from the switch goes to the windlass. How do you accommodate those four connections from the switch, with just the break in the red cable? Is the solenoid actuator that you referred to another piece of equipment at the windlass. My wires run straight from the switch to the windlass, with nothing in between.
Everything I read says that we should have our circuit breakers as close to the battery as possible, rather than at the helm, to protect the run from the battery to the circuit breaker. Since my breaker and switch are mounted side-by-side on a little starboard panel that I mount near the helm, I will probably just add another breaker at the battery, and use the one at the helm as an off/on switch.

 

[Ky Grady]

Glacier,,,
6 AWG wire begins at battery, runs up to helm, red wire is cut and lugged for breaker at helm and then continues to the contactor that I mounted just inside anchor locker access door located in the cuddy, to the set of lugs designated for main power. The red/black power leads from windlass connect to a second set of lugs on contactor. Switch power comes from positive lug on contactor, through a 3 amp inline fuse using 16 AWG wire, back to the dash mounted switch, center spade connector. 2 more 16 AWG wires run forward to contactor spade connectors to control up and down of the winch. I chose to mount the breaker at the helm as I've seen other installs with this same arrangement with no ill affects. The directions do say to mount in a dry area close to battery. Figured the helm location was dryer than the bilge.

From reading your description of your setup, looks like you don't have the contactor like mine that is mounted forward, below the windlass. I've since cleaned up the wiring at the contactor after this pic was taken. You mentioned a second breaker you may install back by battery. I personally wouldn't do it, it just makes another connection that could possibly fail. Trying to keep things with less breaks/connections from start to finish makes for a more efficient circuit in my mind.

 

[steveditt]

Installed a 12 inch bar of solder 1/2 x12 heated shaped to the underside of the pulpit 4200 and few screws , Anchor kept damaging the pulpit after a few other attempts this seems to work the best .

 

[wspitler]

KY, can you explain the wiring in your original post? I read it as the black and red runs from the battery in the rear, to the windlass in the front, with the two lugs in the red cable being at the helm, to accommodate the circuit breaker and up-and-down switch.
I am moving my windless from my Tournament to my Seafarer, and my circuit breaker and rocker switch are also at the helm. My red from the battery goes through the circuit breaker, and then the red & black from the battery attaches to the switch, and red & black from the switch goes to the windlass. How do you accommodate those four connections from the switch, with just the break in the red cable? Is the solenoid actuator that you referred to another piece of equipment at the windlass. My wires run straight from the switch to the windlass, with nothing in between.
Everything I read says that we should have our circuit breakers as close to the battery as possible, rather than at the helm, to protect the run from the battery to the circuit breaker. Since my breaker and switch are mounted side-by-side on a little starboard panel that I mount near the helm, I will probably just add another breaker at the battery, and use the one at the helm as an off/on switch.

Agree with KY. But, unless you have a huge heavy duty switch (not circuit breaker) at the helm, you also have a contactor (relay) very near the windlass to handle the high current load. The switch at the helm simply activates the contactor to provide high amperage power to the windlass. Most switches cannot handle the 50+ amps needed.

 

[Ky Grady]

Someone is going to have to go forward eventually once you install that safety. But not having to push the anchor down will still be nice.

Figured I would just unhook the safety before I leave the dock so once on sight, I'll be ready to drop anchor without going forward. Or it can be done on slow approach to the sandbar so when in position I can just drop anchor. Any number of ways to release the safety without dealing with the anchor.

 

[doug228]

The breaker at the helm is a good idea, winch contactor's can stick and its nice to have a emergency shut off. However, it does leave a whole bunch of unprotected 6 gauge wire in boat. I believe there are rules about circuit protection being within 12" (maybe less...cant find it right now) of the battery.

 

[glacierbaze]

Thanks for the pictures and the explanation. My windlass is a 10-year-old Simpson Lawrence Horizon, And did not come with a contactor. Everything runs through the switch.

 

[Ky Grady]

Thanks for the pictures and the explanation. My windlass is a 10-year-old Simpson Lawrence Horizon, And did not come with a contactor. Everything runs through the switch.View attachment 16088

Definitely a different arrangement than mine. As long as it's still working, no reason you can't move it over to the Seafarer.

 

[Ky Grady]

Got the Mantus and assembled it. Should definitely self-deploy.

 

[wahoo33417]

Wow. Really nice install.

 

[Ky Grady]

A better option than the short safety cable. Found a longer one at West Marine. 2 1/4" eye bolt to attach with. I upgraded to SS fender washers and Nylock nut.

 

[Halfhitch]

John, That's a genuine Bristol installation. That setup should make anchoring a breeze. Maintaining the ability to flip the hatch open to deal with any eventuality will pay off.
There is one thing though, ...every time I see a picture of your work bench I start feeling very inadequate. When I go out and see my work area, I realize how far I have slid into sloppiness. Maybe you could just smear a little grease on it or maybe lay an old rusty, bent screwdriver there before you take the picture. I realize you will probably have to go to a yard sale to buy one, but it would make me feel like we had a little more in common.

 

[Ky Grady]

Best I can do for ya Halfhitch,,,,, crusty pair of ViseGrips and a rusty nut driver I lost under main fuel tank for a year,,, retrieved it this past year when I replaced my main fuel tank.

 

[Halfhitch]

Now yer talkin Kentuck! By gosh you are human after all....

 

[Divajean]

Now yer talkin Kentuck! By gosh you are human after all....

I like the mustang decor,got a few ponies in my stable

 

[Ky Grady]

I like the mustang decor,got a few ponies in my stable

Thanks. Had a 1969 Mach 1 and a 2014 Shelby GT500.