Anchor/windlass operation

C

C-WEED

New member
I haven't made the CD purchase yet but am getting close. Just installed a 40' x 36' x 15' all metal car-port to store her. Next project is to replace the manual transmission in my truck with a stronger unit for better towing. I have been studying these sights for the past couple years. ANYWAY, could someone please explain the operational steps of anchoring with a windlass vs. a standard setup?

I.E. when the anchor is dropped with the windlass: Do you simple push a button for "Anchors away"? Do you then have to climb forward to secure the line to a cleat? Or is the windlass strong enough? When retrieved does the rope feed into the locker without additional work? Can all this be done at the helm? With the manual anchor: When you retrieve: do you pile all the rope on the deck and then go below and pull again thru the deck pipe into the locker???
Thanks for explaining the anchor drill.

Chris
 
Congratulations, Chris. You are the first person in the United States of America to build the boat shed before getting the boat. I sense a wife needing just a little more persuading? "Geez, honey, it sure is silly to let the carport go to waste."

The windlass anchor drill is as simple as pushing the switch one way for down, and the other way for up. A pivoting bow roller is pretty close to a must for self-launching (I just today put one on my boat!). The rode tails off thru a hole under the windlass and into the locker just fine. The CD22 anchor locker will hold 300' of 1/2" rope and 15' of 1/4" chain. Oh, sometimes a good bump will make the chain bounce off the top of the pile and spill into the berth, but it pays out from there no problem.

I have always trusted the windlass to hold the line at anchor without tying it off to the cleat, and it has never let me down. If ever I were to anchor overnite, I would secure it for sure, but not for fishing or short-term anchoring.

The only problem I ever had was having to jog the anchor up and down a couple of bumps to get it to enter the bow roller facing the right way. But even that is kinda fun.

It's an unwritten rule that you never leave the helm seat when you anchor with a windlass. If you have to get up to tend to the anchor, you will not catch any fish.

Congratulations also on your decision to get a C-Dory. You made a great choice. Now if you just trade the Ford off for a Dodge, you'll be in great shape.
 
Anchoring procedure with no windlass (in the Columbia river).
Find spot you wish to anchor and yell at person on bow to release the anchor. Motor back to spot you want to anchor and yell louder at person on the bow. Set anchor and tie off. RETRIEVAL, yell at person to hoist anchor, drift down river while worrying if person on the bow will fall off. Yell at person on bow to hurry cuz freighter is coming. Stow line in a neat pile of misc. knots on deck. There are anchor retrieval floats that you allow you to motor up river using the resistance of the float to lift the anchor, they pull the anchor and clamp the line so all you have to do is bring in the line.

With windlass.
find suitable spot to anchor. Hold boat in position and hit the down button. One should tie the anchor rode off but I rarelly do (I suppose if I was going to stick in one spot for a long time I would). When ready to move on, motor up to the anchor while winding up the rode, break the anchor loose with the boat and finish bringing it up. Windlass stows line in the locker ready for next use.
If you plan on anchoring much, put the windlass on the top of the wish list. I was going to wait a few years before I pungled up the boat bucks for one but Mike shamed me into buying one a few summers ago. tis one additon that makes fishing MUCH more enjoyable because it's not a big event to change spots
 
TyBoo":mq5ad5fb said:
Now if you just trade the Ford off for a Dodge, you'll be in great shape.
Click to expand...
I know it's hard to accept advice from a Dodge guy, but TyBoo knows more about windlasses than he does trucks.

Don't worry, Chris - you've got plenty of Ford friends here. Now the Chevy guys - we don't let them in the door... :mrgreen:

Only thing I'll toss in about TyBoo's advice - another well-respected fellow around here doesn't like the pivoting bow rollers. Says they increase the chance you'll nail your gelcoat when retrieving.

Me - I don't know, but I took the other guy's advice since he was the one selling me the boat. Probably doesn't make much difference either way if you are careful.
 
Chris --

I know diddley about windlasses, but if yo can fit an automatic transmission behind your engine you'll be much better off as a tow vehicle. You'll probably have to bring the lever up thru the floor.

-- Chuck
 
Just an intersting "wind lass" story which will support the use of a mechanical/electrical device.

Anchored at Cobb Island on the Potomac River sometime mid 1980's when a 45-50' houseboat chugged in around dark to anchor for the night. The "captain", and I use the word loosely, hollered at the lass on the bow, into the wind (at least he knew to come into the wind) to "throw out the anchor". At her protest, he made his request stronger, punctuated with invectives, &%#@$$#@%& or words to that effect. After several more commands of that sort and more protests on the part of the "wind lass" she finally threw the apparently new 25-30 lb Danforth over the side off the bow. The "captain" backed down hard, all the way into the pier. The poor "wind lass" was trying to tell him was that the "ropey thingy" wasn't attached to the "heavy thingy".

End of story. Buy the windlass..
 
First off, I am not against having a windlass on a small boat, ie, a C-Dory, what ever works for the Captain is the way to go. I have had windlass's before on my bigger sailing boats in a previous life. But I do like anchoring by hand. When I got the C-Dory my wife would not touch the engines (twins), so she did the anchoring while I was on the controls. I felt I was missing out! Then my wife joined Search & Rescue and after a year's training she now handles twin 250 hp Yamahas blind folded. I am very proud of her. So now when we anchor, the admiral is on the engines and I get to do the anchoring. The down side to all this, my wife is so good on the engines (probably better than me) that she hogs the controls and I don't get to drive the boat so much any more :( Anyone else have this problem?

Martin.
 
bridma":24zub58q said:
First off, I am not against having a windlass on a small boat, ie, a C-Dory, what ever works for the Captain is the way to go. I have had windlass's before on my bigger sailing boats in a previous life. But I do like anchoring by hand. When I got the C-Dory my wife would not touch the engines (twins), so she did the anchoring while I was on the controls. I felt I was missing out! Then my wife joined Search & Rescue and after a year's training she now handles twin 250 hp Yamahas blind folded. I am very proud of her. So now when we anchor, the admiral is on the engines and I get to do the anchoring. The down side to all this, my wife is so good on the engines (probably better than me) that she hogs the controls and I don't get to drive the boat so much any more :( Anyone else have this problem?

Martin.
Click to expand...

I had this problem with the car, so I don't let her drive the boat. :)
 
bridma":3bu6co3d said:
First off, I am not against having a windlass on a small boat, ie, a C-Dory, what ever works for the Captain is the way to go. I have had windlass's before on my bigger sailing boats in a previous life. But I do like anchoring by hand. When I got the C-Dory my wife would not touch the engines (twins), so she did the anchoring while I was on the controls. I felt I was missing out! Then my wife joined Search & Rescue and after a year's training she now handles twin 250 hp Yamahas blind folded. I am very proud of her. So now when we anchor, the admiral is on the engines and I get to do the anchoring. The down side to all this, my wife is so good on the engines (probably better than me) that she hogs the controls and I don't get to drive the boat so much any more :( Anyone else have this problem?

Martin.
Click to expand...

You didn't even wait until the 10 year anniversary of this thread to reply?

Spoiler alert:
He got the windlass.

And for anyone who finds this thread in another ten years and is wondering about the windlass.. It's money well spent.
 
I have replaced manual transmissions with automatics. Twice, which proves that I'm certifiably stupid (throw in stubborn.) Once on a 74 Ford as a matter of fact. Never one with a fuel injection, controlled by a computer. That ought to be interesting.

My first recommendation is to get a C-dory you can tow with the manual. Towing includes backing it down the launch ramp. I believed in manuals, but soon learned that I'd better get an auto. My mistake was not getting another truck.

My second recommendation is that if you're going to change, have someone else do it.

And, finally if you do change to an auto, you'll replace every part from from crankshaft back to the driveshaft, and a few more you didn't expect to, such as the radiator & steering column and maybe the computer. You'll also get to know the junkyard guy on a first name basis.

Depending on the sized of the boat a manual with compound low might be easier. I'd say 4-speed, but that probably dates me.

And to continue my sage advice, never let the windlass hold the anchor, go up and tie it off at the cleat. Saves surprises, such as the windlass slipping. The windlass isn't made for that, and the mfg sternly warns against it. Though windlasses are lovely.

Boris
 
For windlass/chain concerns, any comments on the use of
*chain snubbers, hooks or stoppers
*anchor tensioner or lock
to protect your windlass and decrease chain shock loading?

After anchoring, I've heard snubber lines with chain hooks detach with slack loads on the chain. Why not omit the hook and tie a rolling hitch on the chain (or rode) with the snub line? Or, with a loop in one end of the snub line, pass the free end thru the loop over the chain to 'grab it'; no knot required?

Aye.
 
The snubber/chain hook. Many chain hooks are designed so that you can "mouse" the hock in place with some fine line. There is also the "plate? type of "chain hook/plate", with a slot for the chain, in the center, and holes on each side for the pin of a "D" or "bow" shackle to the snubber. I have anchored with snubbers thousands of times, and never had one fall off. You leave a loop of slack chain between the chain hook and the boat, that keeps the chain hook in place.


I do use a rolling hitch, when I am using snubbers on rope rode. The reason for snubbers is to allow chafing gear on the snubbers, and avoiding chafe on the main rode. You can adjust the snubbers, adjust the chafing gear.

Back to the markers--which I thought I had posted on last night: The plastic markers (Yellow with red or black numbers) will be torn up by the chain/line gypsy. Better is using marking systems, either with electrical ties--I use 1 black at 50 feet, 2 black at 100 feet, 1 white and 1 black at 150 feet, 3 red or black right before the end of the rode. (The end of the rode is affixed to an eye in the anchor locker, with multiple passes of light line--this allows the rode to be cut free if necessary, yet will stop the rode from all running out at the bitter end.

You can also spray paint the line or use yarn, thread, etc to mark the distances. We rely to both the angle for a 7:1 and putting load in reverse to be sure the anchor is set.
 
Foggy":2t07ntsm said:
For windlass/chain concerns, any comments on the use of
*chain snubbers, hooks or stoppers
*anchor tensioner or lock
to protect your windlass and decrease chain shock loading?

After anchoring, I've heard snubber lines with chain hooks detach with slack loads on the chain. Why not omit the hook and tie a rolling hitch on the chain (or rode) with the snub line? Or, with a loop in one end of the snub line, pass the free end thru the loop over the chain to 'grab it'; no knot required?

Aye.
Click to expand...

OK, this could be a whole new discussion!

1. The tie-off is to avoid having the shock loaded onto the windlass directly.

The shock loads work over the water seal on the windlass (the one between the capstan and the motor), and, in time, allow water down into the motor and gear box.

Any water is bad, salt water much worse.

Starcraft Tom has a thread and photos on this site that demonstrate the results. Not pretty! And expensive.

2. Using a tie-off avoids the problem. However, you do have to tie it off before you set the anchor, or the loading takes its toll there, too!

3. However, one of the secondary reasons of having a windlass is to avoid going up on deck to lower and raise the anchor in dangerous seas.

Using a tie-off puts us back up on the deck to tie-off the anchor rode both before setting and before raising the anchor. :crook

4. What to do?

A. Could the windlass be faced backward to feed the rode to a reversing pulley (turning block) before going forward, placing much of the shock on that pulley?

B. How about putting a "brake" of some type on the rode between the windlass and the bow roller?

An electrically controlled one would be preferable, of course. Would have to accommodate both chain and rope.

Current on=brake off. Current off=brake on.

Could replace manual chain tensioner.

The turning block under "A" above could be electrically ratcheted on and off, too.

C. What do you think? Ideas welcome!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
My thoughts:

For 3. and 4. above, why not less chain and more nylon rode (you choose the length of each). The rode acts as a shock absorber without going outside. When conditions permit, add a bridle snubber (or double bridle) to the anchor rode with a rolling hitch to take stresses off the windlass.

With less chain (instead of 80' or more, why not 2 boat lengths?), get a heavier anchor. This could save weight (increase anchor weight by 10 lbs, lose 25' of chain equates to about 180 lbs less weight) and increase holding.

Aye.
 
Cantenary effect of chain, does help with some shock absorption up to about 30 knots to 40 knots of wind (depends on weight of chain). There still have to be shock absorption, more than what is present in heavy nylon lines. In reality we don't use heavy chains on the C Dory, nor do we anchor in bad conditions--we tend to move to a place more comfortable. Once the wind is up to 60 knots the chain is going to be close to bar tight.

One advantage of longer chain, is in deeper water, you may get away with less scope. (100 feet depth, plus 3 feet of the bow height), one may use 300 to 400 feet rode, with 100 feet of chain. Instead of 25 feet of chain, and 700 feet of rope rode. Disregard unless you routinely go to AK…where you might anchor in very deep anchorages.

As for chain stoppers (rode stoppers)--they are used on large ships/yachts with springs. Not practical for C Dory because of size of fore deck. A spring loaded reversing pulley? OK--but just not enough room, and you still put load on the windlass.

If there is likely to be chafe, or some shock load on the rode, I will use lighter lines with rolling hitch on the main rode. For example I might use 3/8" snubber. For larger boats, with 5/8 to 3/4" primary rode or 3/8 HT chain (1/2" chain for storm anchors) we used 1/2? as primary snubber, as it came close to full elasticity, the load would be taken up by the second snubber which was 5/8" For the C Dory 22 or 25 I would be using 3/8" 3 strange at least 25 feet long as a snubber, and a second snubber of 1/2" as a "safety" if you have to anchor in really heavy weather. A dock line can do dual purpose.

One disadvantage of rolling hitches, is that they have to be removed when you are bringing the line in--especially thru a windlass. If by hand, they can just be lead below with the rest of the rode.
 
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