Lewmar Windlass

[Storm Dog]

My photos show a pic of the windlass on the Dory. It may be a 700 model but there's no way to tell at this point. I know nothing of it's care and feeding. Can anyone tell me any info and tips about it? I have no manual and I haven't found a manual online for it yet. There is also a photo of the chain and rode storage bin. Not really knowing the diameters and lengths of the contents.

Glenn

 

[Peter & Judy]

I have the same windlass on my boat. It works great but you do have to take care with it. Basically you will have a up - down switch near the helm. When lowering start slowly and you may have to be on the bow deck to help it get started. Just watch as it begins to lower as sometimes the anchor gets stuck and then drops quickly. When bringing it up make sure you are on the deck and giving hand signals to the captain. Watch as you raise it as you might have some problems when the rode and chain connection try to go through the windlass, I have to pull mine up manually for a foot or so and then get the chain into the cogs. Stop before the anchor breaks the surface of the water, this is the time to clean the anchor. This is also the time when there is the most danger to the boat and the handler. If you bring the anchor up too quickly a few things can happen. The anchor can damage the hull of the boat. The anchor can also flip up when it hits the bow roller and possibly injure the handler or damage the boat. I usually pull the anchor over the roller manually, then tighten the chain. Basic precautions are to go slow. Wear gloves and develop hand signals with the Captain. Make sure you tie off the rode to the cleat and do not just use the windlass to hold the anchor. Also by the photos you do not seem to have a bale on your anchor roller. I made one out of SS flat stock to prevent the anchor from flipping on retrieval. Finally watch your fingers when using this.

 

[Storm Dog]

A lot of good info for me to learn and practice! I'll be going solo on the ICW to MS from NY. I've read it's a real good idea to mark the chain and line at various points to let me know when the anchor is almost up.

Is this a model 700 and do you have access to a pdf manual?

Glenn

 

[PaulNBriannaLynn]

Our lewmar windless is a single handed operation from the helm. We run a 22 lb bruce claw and 15 feet of chain. The splice from chain to rode sometimes gets stuck when retrieving the anchor. Toggling back and forth on the switch a few times usually gets it past the splice and on the rest of it's way into the anchor locker. The windless came on our boat from the previous owner but I had to buy the wrench for the clutch. This is a necessity, at least it is for me. You need to maintain the right tension by tightening the clutch down just right. Every so often I have to tighten it up a little bit.

I used to consider the windless as a luxury item when I didn't have one, but now that I use one it's turned into the best modification I've ever had on a boat.

 

[thataway]

Looks like a 700. There is the manual in PDF form on the internet: Google search:

[url-https://www.windlass-anchor.com/v/vspfiles/pdf/lewmar/lewmar-pro-sport-manual.pdf]Here is the manual. [/url]

I would get a remote control for it, considering that you are gong to single hand.

Always power up to over the anchor, use the windlass to take up slack. Use the boat to break out the anchor. If there is mud, leave the anchor about a foot under the surface, and back the boat down until the mud is clear.

Never leave the windlass to take the load after anchoring. Take the rode to the cleat behind the anchor.

 

[Peter & Judy]

I don't have a pdf manual. I put red spray paint on my chain. First I put a section paint that indicates the anchor is close to breaking the water. This is time to slow down, then another section of chain painted just before the anchor.

I keep my anchor secured with a strong bungee cord. If you are going solo you might find that releasing the chain a bit with the windlass so that it dangles over the bow before lowering, mine would sometimes catch on the bow roller. When pulling the the anchor up, stop just before the roller, bring the anchor into the storage position and then attach the bungee before the final tighten on the chain with the windlass.

The best thing is to go into a calm area and practice so there are no surprises when you need to anchor for real. I am sure other brats will have their own ideas. I had a few surprises learning to use the windlass. One thing is the anchor often comes up backwards and you have to flip it over before you bring it in. I installed a swivel to make this easier.

 

[anchorout]

Be very careful. This windlass is powerful and you can damage your boat and yourself. I bumped the up button a little to long once and the anchor hit the roller and launched straight up and hung itself on the pulpit. I designed a two roller system that made it easy to fully recover the anchor while at the helm, but I could never figure out how to keep the rhode from chafing as the boat "hunts" while on anchor.
If the company would sell a device to slow the motor when the anchor nears the roller, they would have an instant market.

 

[hardee]

Personally I don't see much point on having a windlass if you are doing most of the work by hand from the foredeck. I single hand almost always, and run the windlass from the cockpit. Mine does not go slow or fast, (It is a Swift), so the switch is either Up or Down, and On or Off. I have 70 feet of chain and rarely anchor in depths that I need to go past the end of the chain onto the 3 ply nylon rode. DO mark your chain and rode and I would suggest at increments of something less that 25 or 50 feet. I have mine marked in the under 50 feet range, marked at 10 feet, and the first 20 in 5 foot. The last 5 foot mark has the anchor just below the surface. There is also a mark just before the top of the shank comes to the roller. ON retrieving, at that mark I will drop it down a couple more feet, then, making sure I have plenty of operating room aft, will back the boat straight for a bit, 50 to 100 feet, then stop and raise the anchor and it is usually all clean buy then. The backing prop wash cleans the anchor in almost all cases. The anchor, when up and in the bow roller (anchor launcher) should release and launch when the tension on the chain/anchor shank head is released. On mine I had to drill new holes to adjust the the balance point slightly, but I never have to go up on deck and manually deploy the anchor.

The Delta was replaced in 2016 with a Rocna 9kg, no swivel and still with the 70 feet of chain. At some point I will go to 100 ft of chain. I rarely anchor in more than 10 feet of water on the low tide.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

 

[tsturm]

Be very careful. This windlass is powerful and you can damage your boat and yourself. I bumped the up button a little to long once and the anchor hit the roller and launched straight up and hung itself on the pulpit. I designed a two roller system that made it easy to fully recover the anchor while at the helm, but I could never figure out how to keep the rhode from chafing as the boat "hunts" while on anchor.
If the company would sell a device to slow the motor when the anchor nears the roller, they would have an instant market.

I put a piece of red electrical tape on the chain 10' ahead of the anchor, the cheap crap only last's 8 yrs or so & I have to replace the tape. When I see the red tape I let off the s/w & just bump the s/w to bring the last 10' in. :thup Also a guy needs to pull the gearcase apart every couple years & clean, grease & re seal as nec.
https://www.lewmar.com/sites/default/fi ... %20WEB.pdf

 

[DayBreak]

Excellent advise so far on this subject. One thing that I would like to mention is to trust your partner if you have someone on the bow working the anchor. Trust his or her direction (not anticipate) when you power the windlass. Do not even have your finger on the Windlass switch while at the helm unless you can see that the one giving direction has their fingers, body parts, clothing etc. free from the operation in progress.

 

[journey on]

Well, you're lucky. You have a horizontal axis windlass, which keeps the "stuff" off the anchor rode from falling down onto the windlass drive. Or so I think. Journey On came with a Lewmar vertical axis 600 and failed when sand got past the seal. Since this happened on a trip, I replaced it with the same type, a vertical axis 700. When I got home I disassembled the 600 and found it was full of sand. Lewmar upgraded the seal and moved the factory to Thailand. So far so good. The factory changed to a horizontal axis soon after.

However, after replacing the windlass, I tried to keep the rode clean by installing a salt water washdown with a flexible tube and a hose adapter. Now when we pull the anchor, Judy (or I) uses a garden hose from the cockpit to the bow and washes the rode and anchor down. The pump uses the same through hull as the head, so I didn't have to put another hole in the hull. Just T-ed of the existing fitting. 25' of hose gets the water up front. Installed the pump under the floor of the aft cabinet near the through hull.

A washdown outlet was an option on the 25. I was too cheap to get it, and I suffered.

Boris

 

[smckean (Tosca)]

When lowering start slowly and you may have to be on the bow deck to help it get started.

I singlehand a lot. About 1 time in 3 my anchor gets stuck in the roller and won't drop as I give it chain from the helm. It used to bug me to have to go up to the bow just to release the anchor about 2 inches to "unstuck" it. Finally last season I got smart. Now I give it 2 or 3 inches of chain from the helm while still going forward at a slow pace; then I put her in reverse and do quick rev. So far that always gives the anchor the bump it needs to start the drop on its own.

 

[B~C]

boy Harvey, you aint joshin about anchoring in shallow water. You know they make dock lines that allow you to just tie off to the dock

I've been using a free-fall, horizontal, windless for about ten years mainly on the Columbia river. We might anchor up several times a morning in search of the right fishing spot. In all those years I have yet bothered to dog off the anchor line, if I was leaving the boat or sleeping for the night it would be a different story. The point being, your windlass isn't going to blow up if you don't tie off your anchor line..
If you are running solo, in waters that have some current, you want to avoid having to get out on the bow. It's best to stay at the helm and operate the windlass controls and keep and eye on your position. It's real easy to get focused on the anchor and the next thing you know you're about to get tangled up in something you don't want to tangle with.
Another thing to worry about, if you are going to motor back up your anchor line when you're retrieving it, don't get carried away and overrun your line and end up with line in your prop. Again, if you're in any water that has some current it can spin you around and swamp you in seconds. Always have a knife ready to deploy in in stern area.
be safe, have fun

 

[Storm Dog]

Thanks all for your responses and replies. My windlass was tried at survey but not in water yet. With the info you've all given I'll be able to adjust and service it and hopefully be able to operate it as I slowly cruise down the eastern seaboard :smiled

 

[hardee]

"boy Harvey, you aint joshin about anchoring in shallow water. You know they make dock lines that allow you to just tie off to the dock "

Ken, the best things about anchoring in that shallow water, I don't have to put out fenders, and I can see the bottom coming up at me. Rarely have to puch off though.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[B~C]

ya, shallow is good I was just razzing you for anchoring up on the dock...I know you where just laying out your anchor line.