Through-keel windlass on 257 advance

Elins9iron

New Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2025
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
40
Model
Advance
Has anyone installed a through-keel windlass on a 257 advance? Is there enough room?

Thanks,
 
Can you explain what is a thru-keel windlass and maybe post a link to it?

Windlasses are installed on the bow area, either together with anchor in a holder/roller on deck or windlass is belowbow deck under a hatch and anchor exit thru a hole on bow.

If you don't have the windlass cover hatch then you should install the windlass on deck and use a bow roller who can lock the anchor in place.then you need to drill the small holes for the windlass and a bigger hole for the chain dropping down in anchor locker.

Your 257 Advance has a anchor holder but it's made for manual recovery and storage and from th photos i found i don't see enough space for a on-deck windlass and installing one below deck would be a hefty fibreglass job to make a box with a sturdy basement and cutting a big hole for a access hatch.

Much more simple and definitively much less expensive is the use of the old school Anchor Ball for retrieving a anchor, but you need space for the retrieve maneuver, nothing for the sand bar or crowded places.

Chris
 
Last edited:
Aside from the massive job and cutting a hole in the structural part of your bow keel...

Open up your anchor locker... look at about where the windlass would mount... is there room for it? How much "fall" will there be for the windlass you choose and what are the specs for that measurement of the windlass you choose? Assuming you're good at doing the structural work... the answers to those two questions will let you know if it's even possible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sardinia306Canyon