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

Skip Gundlach wrote:
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.


I've heard at least a dozen stories of grief from Lewmar windlass
owners... a bad rap, possibly, but then I know of at least a dozen
owenrs of Ideal windlasses who use them hard and never think about any
trouble with them.


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?


http://www.idealwindlass.com/choosing_a_windlass.htm

You won't get a new one sized for your boat (I'd be thinking about 1200
or 1500 watt) for under $2K that's for sure.

Considering price, last fall we bought a 1000W 'Quick' windlass, made in
Italy, and installed it. Only used it about a dozen times, and under
benign circumstances, but at this point I have no apprehension about
it's service.

Ordering something like this is a risk that the gear won't work as well
as you want, but OTOH an Ideal windlass/capstan is going to cost you $2500.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Muir-... 7452639QQrdZ1

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Lewmars are the old Simpson-Lawrence windlasses I believe. Installed a
new one on my old boat and it turned to junk just before the warranty
expired. Close call. They are an elegant, attractive design in many
respects but engineered too much like a swiss watch to withstand
conditions on the foredeck of a boat. Mine developed a leaky seal
around the main shaft which allowed sea water into the gearcase with
inevitable results. To S-L's credit they replaced the whole thing with
no quibbles but I wouldn't bet a nickle on the same thing not happening
again.

My present boat has a Galley Maid which is still going strong after 24
years of rough usage which is a strong recommendation, but if the time
comes I will replace it with an Ideal. Maxwell looks good on paper but
I know nothing about them. Ideal has a very strong reliability track
record coupled with good service.

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

DSK wrote:

Considering price, last fall we bought a 1000W 'Quick' windlass, made in
Italy, and installed it. Only used it about a dozen times, and under
benign circumstances, but at this point I have no apprehension about
it's service.

I've looked at the Quick brand due to the low prices
especially on Ebay through their importer. Some of the
models use a mixture of bronze/aluminum and stainless steel
in the big castings. A bit of a battery & corrosion problem
waiting to happen I think. Some of their models only use
bronze & s.s. in the base castings/drum/wildcat and I think
these are less likely to give trouble.

Evan Gatehouse

Evan Gatehouse wrote:
I've looked at the Quick brand due to the low prices especially on Ebay
through their importer. Some of the models use a mixture of
bronze/aluminum and stainless steel in the big castings. A bit of a
battery & corrosion problem waiting to happen I think. Some of their
models only use bronze & s.s. in the base castings/drum/wildcat and I
think these are less likely to give trouble.


We'll see how it goes. Ours seems quite well made, very little play in
the gears & bearings, castings very solid. I think the drive motor end
housing is cast aluminum, but the rest seems to be SS. It was so much
cheaper than the Ideal that I'm sure there are corners cut in mfg'ing
them, but if it lasts 1/4 as long then I'm still ahead of the game... as
long as it doesn't crap out during a hurricane!

DSK

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