Use of the Capstain

[PLKennedy]

The manual that came with the new c34 talks of how to use the line on the capstain, but is silent about chain.  I read some posts last winter about the effect of using chain on the chrome plating.  Is that the only effect?

PLKennedy

[Stu Jackson]

Peter

HERE'S SOME CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE OLD MAILING LIST.  SUGGEST YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THE AUTHORS DIRECTLY AND SEE IF THEY CAN ADD ANYTHING IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS.

Best regards, Stu

*******************************************

Subj:  RE: [C34] Securing Anchor Rode
Date:  1/11/2001 7:42:54 AM Pacific Standard Time
From:    rpalaia@cpcus.jnj.com (Palaia, Rocco [CPCUS])
Sender:    owner-c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us
Reply-to:    c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us
To:    c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us ('c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us')
 

Charlie,
I asked about that.  They said all drums start out un-plated.  Then they chrome plate them.  So basically, it's the same drum in all respects.  Don't be afraid to buff the chrome off.  My friend (works in metalurgy R&D) said the chrome was so thin it just came right off.  Maxwell said I could do it myself, but not knowing what it would entail, and since I know someone who works with metals, I asked him to do it.  If you are not comfortable doing it, find a local Tool & Die shop, I'm sure they could do it for you.  Or maybe an autoparts store with an inhouse machine shop (resurface rotors, etc), maybe they could help.  One thing Maxwell told me was that over time (years of use) a few dings could develop on the drum.  But they said if it ever does, just tap them smooth with a hammer.  The alternative to this is to buy the conversion rope to chain gypsey with all the related change parts needed for the unit at a cost of about $650.00.  Maxwell said most people opt for just taking the chrome off.  Hope this helps.

Roc
Sea Life, #1477

-----Original Message-----
From:   Charlie Pearsall [SMTP:cpearsall@smcplus.com]
Sent:   Thursday, January 11, 2001 9:27 AM
To:     'c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us'
Subject:        RE: [C34] Securing Anchor Rode

Thanks.  Good tip.  Do you know if Maxwell offers a non-plated drum as a replacement part?

Charlie Pearsall
C-34 MkII '00 #1515 TRWK
D E L I R I O U S
L a n s i n g, N Y

-----Original Message-----
From:   Palaia, Rocco [CPCUS] [SMTP:rpalaia@cpcus.jnj.com]
Sent:   Wednesday, January 10, 2001 3:54 PM
To:     'c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us'
Subject:        RE: [C34] Securing Anchor Rode

Charlie,
It seems to me that you use that little line as a means to use the windlass
to bring up the chain.  Well, I contacted Maxwell, and they told me that the
drum can be used for chain.  The trick is to take OFF the chrome plating so
the drum is down to the bronze.  The chain can then be used, just like rope,
on the BRONZE drum.  The chrome needs to be taken off because the chain will
take shards of it off and it would get into the line and act like pieces of
glass into your skin.  I had a friend take the drum to his company machine
shop and he just buffed the chrome off very easily.  I also noticed in the
Maxwell manual that it says the windlass can be used with chain if the drum
is Bronze, so this isn't really a trick, Maxwell says it can be used that
way.  It doesn't look as pretty without the chrome, but the bronze does give
it a 'salty' look.  

Roc
Sea Life, #1477

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charlie Pearsall [SMTP:cpearsall@smcplus.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 12:57 PM
> To:   'c34@ripley.chokey.mo.md.us'
> Subject:      RE: [C34] Securing Anchor Rode
>
> My 34 has a very beefy Herschoff style cleat in the well.  Unfortunately,
> mounted athwartships instead of in the direction of load.  I have
> installed
> an anchor lock (aka chain stopper) on the stem bulkhead in the well.  It
> has a keyed captive 5/16" locking pin.  It is of the type that allows the
> chain to be completely removed, not the toggle kind.  I mounted it with a
> stainless plate and two large s/s fender washers on the backside of the
> well bulkhead.  There is a handy inspection port on my C-34 for access to
> the anchor windlass so I could get in there to work.
>
> The hardest part was mounting the stopper so that the anchor was under
> tension and held tight when stowed.  There just is no stretch or play in
> chain.  I attached the lock to the chain and then marked the spot I wanted
>
> it using a pencil.  I have been mostly happy with the result.  Under very
> rough conditions it is no fun trying to re-attach the pin to get under
> way.
>
> I also keep a six foot length of 3/8" line tied off to the base of the
> anchor rode cleat.  On the end of this I have mounted a chain hook.  This
> allows me to bring the chain aboard four foot at a time and control it at
> all times.  I loop the small line around the windlass drum and use it to
> haul up the chain (I have 35 ft of 5/16" chain on my 35# CQR).  It is not
> fast, but takes 75% of the gorilla work out of raising anchor.
>
> Charlie Pearsall
> C-34 MkII '00 #1515 TRWK
> D E L I R I O U S
> L a n s i n g, N Y
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chuck Hughes [SMTP:chuckhughes@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 12:24 PM
> To:   C34 Mailing List
> Subject:      [C34] Securing Anchor Rode
>
> My boat has no padeye or other means to secure the
> anchor rode to the boat in the anchor locker.  I've
> been using the forward cleat backed up by securing the
> rode to the mast.
>
> What do you folks do?  Any ideas about installing (and
> backing) a padeye in the anchor locker?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chuck Hughes
> Sand Save #223 (1986)
> Long Beach, CA
>
>
 ;)

[Roc]

Peter and Susan,
Stu posted the discussions about this which should answer your question about the chain.  But if you have the same Maxwell manual as I have, on one of the first few pages there is one small sentence near the top of the page that mentions using the bronze drum with chain.  Also, I spoke to them at the Annapolis boat show a couple of years ago and was told about the two options: buying the retrofit kit or just taking off the chrome.  Hope this helps.

Roc-

[PLKennedy]

Thanks to all for the information.  FYI, the windlass on "Snow Goose" is mounted not in the anchor well, but vertically, behind it, on the deck.  This appears to be a change from the drawings and the one c34 that I looked at last Fall.

Peter

[PLKennedy]

We took delivery of "Snow Goose" on Saturday and motored and sailed from Marblehead to Wickford, RI over the weekend.  I had a chance to work the windlass.  It is not the Maxwell 500, but an upscale model, 850?  It is mounted vertically in the center on the anchor well hatch, through a hole in the cover.  The rode goes through the base, and feeds automatically.  The rode is spliced to the chain.  Just pull in the slack, press the fot switch, and the line goes into the locker.  All you have to do is to loosen the drum to let the pressure off the rode, and feed the line out.  Then tighten it to retrieve.  The chrome barrel is used to winch to a dock, pull in your nets, or whatever, but the chain never touches it, being enclosed in hte base.  The manual for it is coming.  We got the old manual.  Apparently this upgrade is a new feature on the c34's.

Peter

 :)

[PLKennedy]

Everything on "Snow Goose" comes as a pleasant surprise.  The manual for the windlass came, and our boat came with the 800, the more powerful of the windlasses.  There is a cautionary note not to use the windlass as a bollard, but to cleat the rode instead.  Ergonomically, it would be easier to do this after the rode passes through the windlass, rather than before, since the rode falls into the chain locker as it exits the windlass, and that is where the cleat is.  If the windlass is left free, and the pull on the rode from the cleat is up and down, I don't think there would be to much strain on the mounting of the unit.  Any thoughts?

Peter