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Anchor windlass installation on CS36T - What's your set-up?

10K views 21 replies 6 participants last post by  ooeybc 
#1 · (Edited)
I want to add an electric windlass to my CS36T and would like know how other CS36t owners have done this and what you like and don't like about your set-up.
-What kind of windlass have you got, vertical or horizontal?
-How have you provided for a deep enough rode locker for the chain to fall without jamming?
-Will I have to glass in a new bulkhead to provide a sealed off, deeper rode locker so as to keep the muck the rode brings in out of the bilge?
-Will I have to sacrifice the existing shallow, deck-accessible anchor locker or is there a way I can keep it to house a secondary rode? If so, What happens to the shore power connection that lives in that locker?
My present, hand-over-hand method of weighing anchor is ok for the part of the season when I have crew, but I single hand for a couple of months every year, most of that time at anchor, and getting the anchor up manually in any significant wind and chop is a challenge my old bones can now do without!
I hope that your collective wisdom and experience will prevent me from making (too many) mistakes.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply, Jim.
Did you like your set up? I imagine the existing anchor locker was left intact, and the mounting box was bolted to the bottom at the aft end of it. Is that correct? Since the anchor chain would angle down slightly to get to the gypsy, was the fall angled forward to provide a 90 degree turn around the gypsy? Did the chain ever slip? Did you glass in the new chain locker?

Alex
 
#6 ·
My 1982 CS36T had one already when I bought it. The motor hangs a bit down into the cupboard at the foot of vee berth. The chain is fed into the large chain locker just ahead of vee berth. I leave the lid open when deploying or retrieving the anchor
This arrangement has worked well for me.
Margo
 
#5 ·
The position of the mounting box was as you stated.It worked well and left me w/ storage for a secondary anchor. The chain did jump off the gypsy early on when my wife was learning first how to use it. Fortunately she remembered my instructions to not try and grab the chain.
Jim
 
#7 ·
Hello Margo,
The installation you describe sounds less labour-intensive than modifying the anchor locker and that makes it attractive. I guess if your windlass is the type with an integral chain pipe the makes the 90 degree turn down off the gypsy, the locker lid has been cut away to accommodate this. If I am visualizing this correctly, given that the anchor locker is relatively shallow, do knock down the chain manually to keep it from piling up and jamming? Or does the windlass have an open gypsy, where you tail the road off it by hand and flake it in the anchor locker?

Alex
 
#8 ·
Alex,
I wish I could post a pic for you. But I am not at my boat right now.

The chain locker on my boat is double: one shallower part nearest the bow, and a deeper one aft of that. Both share a lid. The vertical windlass is like a self tailing winch in that as the motor runs the chain flies into the locker and falls on its own. There is no "pipe". Given the depth of the locker, I only occasionally have to knock the pile down. The lid has a small notch cut in the side nearest the windlass to allow it to close fully with the chain hanging from the gypsy into the locker.

Hope this is clear!

Ciao,
Margo
 
#9 ·
Thanks Margo, I think I've got it now. I have seen a couple of boats (not CS) with a vertical windlass in the deck just aft of the rode locker and no visible chain pipe through the deck. I assumed that one would have to manually tail the chain or rope off the windlass and flake it into the locker. Hearing that yours flies off the gypsy and into the locker makes this option even more appealing.
Can you tell me what make and model of windlass you use?

Alex
 
#21 ·
Thanks. I can't post images of my setup apparently, as I need more than 10 posts to be part of the "club". And I can't upload images from my computer either. Pretty clunky, ancient interface here. Anyway, it's all good. Suffice it to say we have the standard CS30 chain locker hatch cover. A quick image search will show you what I mean.
 
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