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#1
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was
not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? |
#3
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
On Sun, 6 Mar 2011 19:52:41 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote: OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? Well, yes,it is a bit harder with a larger boat. Say something over 40 - 45' with 3/8 inch chain. 3/8th inch BBB chain weighs about 1.67 lb./ft. and say you are anchored in 30 ft of water. Being lazy you use a scope of 3 x water depth so you've got about 150 pounds of chain and say a 40 pound anchor in the water, 200 lbs. more or less. The current is running at about 3 MPH, or 264 ft./minute, and your boat is anchored 150 ft. off shore..... As for handling the anchor on a smaller boat you can mount a vertical spool winch on the foredeck and wind in chain or rope; run rope rode back to the sheet winches or halyard winches. Or just put on a pair of gloves and haul away. The vertical spool is much easier to handle the rode with single handed. For whatever it is worth I set out, some years ago, to make a 3 day trip to Malaysia. We usually anchor out each night as islands abound along the way. The first morning we got up, ate breakfast.... going to get an early start and all. Hit the winch switch and it didn't even grunt. Nothing. So I hauled the anchor in by hand... with frequent stops to catch my breath and we continued on our way. By the time we got back a week later my arms were an inch bigger and I made damned sure to get the anchor winch fixed. Cheers, Bruce |
#4
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
On Sun, 6 Mar 2011 22:12:34 -0800, Mark Borgerson
wrote: In article 07f06dc5-c126-4d4c-aa06- , says... OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? Here in the Northwest a lot of boats over 30' use all-chain rodes. Those are really not fun to handle manually. A winch might work, but it would probably have to be self tailing. It also might not last long with constant exposure to spray, mud and sand. There's also the problem of tailing it off and getting the line into the locker or bucket or whatever. How much scope do you usually have out? How well will you be able to handle things if there is wind or currents? These are the things that make a second person really handy. Mark Borgerson A good friend owned a Bristol Channel Cutter, built by Morse, that was fitted with a vertical, bronze, hand cranked anchor winch with a combination gypsy and rope capstan. It worked pretty well and was easier to handle the rode then the usual horizontal winches. Cheers, Bruce |
#5
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
I'm 68 and manage my Tartan 30 anchor by hand. It's a 25lb CQR with
40 feet of chain, then rope. Patience is the key, and maybe the fact that I never anchor in much more than 20 feet so the weight of chain I'm lifting is limitted. Of course in all but the calmest condition, it's the engine, not the anchor rode, that moves the boat up to the anchor. |
#6
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
"Frogwatch" wrote in message
... OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? If you find yourself actually needing an anchor windlass then it should tell you that what you really need is a smaller boat with smaller ground tackle. Or, you might need to examine your technique. If you can't brute force something perhaps you can finesse it - like using the displacement of your hull to break the anchor free or reducing the chain length or using the (heaven forbid) the auxiliary. Just a thought. Wilbur Hubbard |
#7
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
anews.com... "Frogwatch" wrote in message ... OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? If you find yourself actually needing an anchor windlass then it should tell you that what you really need is a smaller boat with smaller ground tackle. Or, you might need to examine your technique. If you can't brute force something perhaps you can finesse it - like using the displacement of your hull to break the anchor free or reducing the chain length or using the (heaven forbid) the auxiliary. Just a thought. Wilbur Hubbard A windlass is standard equipment on all serious boats, but as you say, a day sailor like yours can make do without one. |
#8
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
"Waldo" wrote in message
b.com... "Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message anews.com... "Frogwatch" wrote in message ... OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? If you find yourself actually needing an anchor windlass then it should tell you that what you really need is a smaller boat with smaller ground tackle. Or, you might need to examine your technique. If you can't brute force something perhaps you can finesse it - like using the displacement of your hull to break the anchor free or reducing the chain length or using the (heaven forbid) the auxiliary. Just a thought. Wilbur Hubbard A windlass is standard equipment on all serious boats, but as you say, a day sailor like yours can make do without one. Windlass = big electrical consumption = big motor with big alternator or = big, stand-alone generator = big wiring = big battery bank = big weight = big expense = big complications = big nuisance = big headache, etc. Is that what sailing is supposed to be all about? Waldo, the biggest part of the discussion here concerns aging sailors. There comes a time when we MUST recognize the limitations that age imposes upon us. In the case of ground tackle, the limitations are mostly due to a reduced capacity in the aged to handle heavy weights. Sure, a windlass can substitute but what happens when the windlass fails? Then the aged sailor is stuck with no viable options often in dangerous situations. Would it not be better to avoid danger than ask for it? Would it not be wise for aged sailors to consider downsizing? Is it not more gratifying to sail something one can still handle instead of being at the mercy of systems that often fail at the worst possible times? Just a thought. This bigger is better attitude is just plain stupid. Wilbur Hubbard |
#9
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
On Mar 7, 11:38*am, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote: "Waldo" wrote in message b.com... "Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message tanews.com... "Frogwatch" wrote in message .... OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). *Am I missing something? *Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. *That is when it requires a bit of pull. *I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? If you find yourself actually needing an anchor windlass then it should tell you that what you really need is a smaller boat with smaller ground tackle. Or, you might need to examine your technique. If you can't brute force something perhaps you can finesse it - like using the displacement of your hull to break the anchor free or reducing the chain length or using the (heaven forbid) the auxiliary. Just a thought. Wilbur Hubbard A windlass is standard equipment on all serious boats, but as you say, a day sailor like yours can make do without one. Windlass = big electrical consumption = big motor with big alternator or = big, stand-alone generator = big wiring = big battery bank = big weight = big expense = big complications = big nuisance = big headache, etc. Is that what sailing is supposed to be all about? Waldo, the biggest part of the discussion here concerns aging sailors. There comes a time when we MUST recognize the limitations that age imposes upon us. In the case of ground tackle, the limitations are mostly due to a reduced capacity in the aged to handle heavy weights. Sure, a windlass can substitute but what happens when the windlass fails? Then the aged sailor is stuck with no viable options often in dangerous situations. Would it not be better to avoid danger than ask for it? Would it not be wise for aged sailors to consider downsizing? Is it not more gratifying to sail something one can still handle instead of being at the mercy of systems that often fail at the worst possible times? Just a thought. This bigger is better attitude is just plain stupid. Wilbur Hubbard My 28' S2 is a day sailer? Then how on earth did I manage to sail so much on overnight passages? |
#10
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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how necessary is a windlass
"Frogwatch" wrote in message
... On Mar 7, 11:38 am, "Wilbur Hubbard" wrote: "Waldo" wrote in message b.com... "Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message tanews.com... "Frogwatch" wrote in message ... OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55). Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not hauling all chain. Does it get that much harder with a larger boat? In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow and use it to help haul it in? If you find yourself actually needing an anchor windlass then it should tell you that what you really need is a smaller boat with smaller ground tackle. Or, you might need to examine your technique. If you can't brute force something perhaps you can finesse it - like using the displacement of your hull to break the anchor free or reducing the chain length or using the (heaven forbid) the auxiliary. Just a thought. Wilbur Hubbard A windlass is standard equipment on all serious boats, but as you say, a day sailor like yours can make do without one. Windlass = big electrical consumption = big motor with big alternator or = big, stand-alone generator = big wiring = big battery bank = big weight = big expense = big complications = big nuisance = big headache, etc. Is that what sailing is supposed to be all about? Waldo, the biggest part of the discussion here concerns aging sailors. There comes a time when we MUST recognize the limitations that age imposes upon us. In the case of ground tackle, the limitations are mostly due to a reduced capacity in the aged to handle heavy weights. Sure, a windlass can substitute but what happens when the windlass fails? Then the aged sailor is stuck with no viable options often in dangerous situations. Would it not be better to avoid danger than ask for it? Would it not be wise for aged sailors to consider downsizing? Is it not more gratifying to sail something one can still handle instead of being at the mercy of systems that often fail at the worst possible times? Just a thought. This bigger is better attitude is just plain stupid. :: My 28' S2 is a day sailer? Then how on earth did I manage to sail so :: much on overnight passages? :: Waldo is a nut and an agitator! He's been on the rag since Jessica B gave him his comeuppance. |
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