Vertical Windlass choices solicited
 

Some of you may be aware that we had to saw out the old one in the
course of trying to service our antique Lewmar 1000 vertical drum/gypsy
windlass (follow the link in the sig - and follow the comments on the
first page - to see what's up with the refit).

So, we are in the market for a (similar) replacement. We've had the
opportunity to review the survey of Seven Seas Cruising Association
members on the subject.

After replacement of the rotted substrate and repair of the surface, we
expect installation to be pretty straightforward. Our boat is 45' LOD
with fairly substantial overhangs fore and aft; it's got a design
weight of 33000# and an anticipated real weight closer to 40k, after
final loading and provisioning.

We currently have a 20kg Bruce, a Chinese knockoff of same design and
weight, forward, both all chain, and a 34# Fortress with mostly rope
rode. We'd sort of like to move up one grade in anchors, but it's not
a critical event at this juncture in our refit.

Unfortunately for us, our boat appears to be right in the middle of the
high or low end of most of the various different classes of vertical
windlasses available, at least based on boat length. Having had a
replacement motor in my hand at the local WM Bargain Center, I agree
with the assessment of the Lewmar Sprint series, which is that they're
not worth having.

We also know that prices vary all over the map; what is quoted on one
site may be double that of another. So, "street price" is what matters
in the end.

So, given a gypsy/drum arrangement on a vertical windlass with a chain
pipe (automatically feeds the chain below), and a street price of under
or very close to $2k, who's replaced theirs recently with something
like that, and what's been the experience?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, rehabbing (well, waiting to rehab) and champing at the bit to get
back to refitting

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 - the vessel as Tehemana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Subject

After Light House in Colton, Ca, everything else is down hill.

The 1500 would do an excellent job.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:
Subject

After Light House in Colton, Ca, everything else is down hill.

The 1500 would do an excellent job.

Lew

I like Lofrans and Muir. Lofrans because they have been
around for a long time and seem to use quality parts, and
Muir because I had one on the last boat and never gave any
trouble in 8 years and many many anchorages.

Evan Gatehouse

Skip Gundlach wrote:

Some of you may be aware that we had to saw out the old one in the
course of trying to service our antique Lewmar 1000 vertical drum/gypsy
windlass (follow the link in the sig - and follow the comments on the
first page - to see what's up with the refit).

So, we are in the market for a (similar) replacement. We've had the
opportunity to review the survey of Seven Seas Cruising Association
members on the subject.

After replacement of the rotted substrate and repair of the surface, we
expect installation to be pretty straightforward. Our boat is 45' LOD
with fairly substantial overhangs fore and aft; it's got a design
weight of 33000# and an anticipated real weight closer to 40k, after
final loading and provisioning.

We currently have a 20kg Bruce, a Chinese knockoff of same design and
weight, forward, both all chain, and a 34# Fortress with mostly rope
rode. We'd sort of like to move up one grade in anchors, but it's not
a critical event at this juncture in our refit.

Unfortunately for us, our boat appears to be right in the middle of the
high or low end of most of the various different classes of vertical
windlasses available, at least based on boat length. Having had a
replacement motor in my hand at the local WM Bargain Center, I agree
with the assessment of the Lewmar Sprint series, which is that they're
not worth having.

We also know that prices vary all over the map; what is quoted on one
site may be double that of another. So, "street price" is what matters
in the end.

So, given a gypsy/drum arrangement on a vertical windlass with a chain
pipe (automatically feeds the chain below), and a street price of under
or very close to $2k, who's replaced theirs recently with something
like that, and what's been the experience?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, rehabbing (well, waiting to rehab) and champing at the bit to get
back to refitting

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 - the vessel as Tehemana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test on the smaller
windlasses. The October issue will have tests on the mid-range windlasses.

Paul
SV Jeorgia

Paul L wrote in
:

Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test on the smaller
windlasses. The October issue will have tests on the mid-range
windlasses.

Paul
SV Jeorgia



Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

--
Larry

Larry wrote:

Paul L wrote in
:


Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test on the smaller
windlasses. The October issue will have tests on the mid-range
windlasses.

Paul
SV Jeorgia




Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

It mainly takes the manufactuers' claims, like max pull, speed, etc, and
compares them to actual tests that they did. It helps to keep the
manufactures honest. What the tests can't tell you is how long will the
windlass last - probably the most important question.

Paul

Practical Sailor mag just did a writeup and test on the smaller
windlasses.


Larry wrote:
Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?


Practical Sailor doesn't carry advertising.

Their tests aren't always definitive, but it looks to me like they do
try to objectively evaluate the gear they test. And they wouldn't say
"This windlass sucks" they'd just give it a lower rating.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

Have you ever looked at a "Practical Sailor?" If not you should do so.
They accept no advertising whatsoever and tend to be pretty straight
shooters about things that don't work. I've been a subscriber for
about 20 years because they are about as good as it gets. Not perfect,
but better than anything else I've seen.

" wrote in
oups.com:

Have you ever looked at a "Practical Sailor?"

I'll take a look. I normally don't look at boat rags because they look
like sales brochures. You can hardly tell the "articles" from the
advertising in them. Just once I'd like to see one of them say,

"BAYLINER SUCKS!"

--
Larry

Larry wrote:
Does it say "This windlass sucks! Don't buy this awful product!", or does
it say what boat magazines always say that every advertiser's, or potential
advertiser's products are just wonderful and you can't live without them?

Uhh Larry, Practical Sailor doesn't have advertisers and
does sometimes say exactly that. They are the low budget
Consumer Reports of Sailing. Check them out at:

www.practical-sailor.com

Evan Gatehouse