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[Wobegon]

I have a Maxwell 500 windless on my 1992 C34 that only allows use of rope anchor road.  Is there a conversion gypsy that can be added to allow chain?  My back can't take the last 30 feet of lifting anchor...getting too old I guess.

[Roland Gendreau]

I don't know the answer to your question. However I have the exact same unit and find that if apply 2-3 wraps around the capstan,and I tail the rode,  the windlass will haul in the chain portion of my rode with no issue.   If you have tried that and it does not work, perhaps your chain is not the correct size.

Roland

[Ken Juul]

I've been doing doing what Roland described for about 15 years.  Initially thought it would chip the chrome off the windlass.  It is holding up fine.

[Ron Hill]

Wo : You can tail chain on a rode (drum) gypsy.
 
The only problem that you might run in to is that the chain can "chip" away at the chrome finish and produce sharp chrome chards. 
Some people have taken a grinder and removed the chrome finish - there is bronze under the chrome.

A thought

[Dave Spencer]

Wo,
I have a Maxwell 500 with a chain gypsy.  I'm not sure if there is a conversion kit to go from straight capstan to a capstan and gypsy.  A quick email to Maxwell might answer your question. I rarely use the capstan.  I usually haul the rode up by hand and let the gypsy haul in the 86 ft of chain and 15 kg anchor.  I rarely anchor in more than 25 ft of water.

[Mick Laver]

Maxwell did have an option for a combination capstan-1/4" chain gypsy for the VW500. Whether they still carry the part for a windlass they no longer make is another question.

[tvorgitch]

I have a horizontally Maxwell 500 Windless installed in the anchor locker. Based on this discussion I assume I can use it for both the chain and the rode.
The windless only as an up button. Is this a bidirectional windlass?

In searching for a Maxwell 500 Windless manual, I've found several documents, but none of them seem to match what I have. Does anyone know if this winless has a clutch? If I need to service it, how to I remove the cap?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

[KeelsonGraham]

I have a chain gypsy on mine.

[Noah]

I would recommend just calling Maxwell/Vetus customer support. You can use rope drum to haul chain but it is awkward and it will eventually wear the chrome off of the drum and perhaps embed shards of it into your rope rode. The chain gypsy wheel for the 500 is no longer available.
There is no clutch to my knowledge. To test the motor, reverse the wires on it and see if it turns the other direction? If it does you will need a solenoid and another foot switch or wireless remote to operate.

[tvorgitch]

Ok, I dug around in the manuals on the boat and found one for a Maxwell VC 500 Capstan windlass.

The manual states: "Short link chain can be run on the drum when anchor hauling, however in such applications the
bronze drum version is recommended."

It also states: "The MAXWELL 500VC Capstan can operate in either clockwise or counter
clockwise rotation depending on how the electrical connections are made." so I assume it could be reversed with a suitable solenoid.

There is no mention of a clutch in the manual.

I found a 2005 article on the C 320 association on modifying the 500VC to a rope/chain windlass, but I suspect the kit is no longer available: https://c320.org/article.php/20050312123201892

I will give the chain a try on the existing drum and then go from there.

[Jim Hardesty]

The manual states: "Short link chain can be run on the drum when anchor hauling, however in such applications the
bronze drum version is recommended."

It also states: "The MAXWELL 500VC Capstan can operate in either clockwise or counter
clockwise rotation depending on how the electrical connections are made." so I assume it could be reversed with a suitable solenoid.

I often buddy boat with a friend with a 42 foot sailboat that uses his drum only windless to haul his chain/rope rode (100 feet of chain).  Works.  The chrome is worn off, he always wears gloves when handling the rode.  Only has up function.
I wouldn't go to the trouble of wiring a reverse.  I think reverse may encourage overruns.  Just need to take turns off the drum to play out rode.
FWIW  I really like my drum/gypsy.  Disconnect the rode from the gypsy and use the drum to go up the mast and other heavy hauling.  Like lifting my dinghy on deck.
Jim

[Ron Hill]

Guys : IF you are installing a windlass and IF you solenoid has the duel capability (most have it!) I surely would recommend wiring it to both have the UP and the DOWN capability - because you have everything apart and it takes only a few minutes to wire in BOTH!! 

I'm not too sure what happened, but I've jammed my chain up a couple of times and had to do some dismantling - where as if I had that reverse switch I'd only have had to hit that button!!

When I installed mine I talked to two friends one with just the UP and one with BOTH.  I definitely listened to the wrong person!! 
I later found out that the installations of a windlass in the C38s ALL had a Up/Down solenoid, but the factory only wired in a UP switch!!

A few thoughts

[Ron Hill]

Guys : On my Lewmar gypsy (1/4" chain) they Lewmar) says that you can ALSO use braid on braid nylon in that same gypsy.  You need a special splice between the chain and the rode.  I've never tried it.

I just pull in the 1/2" BoB nylon rode by hand (easy to do) and then put the start of the 50ft of 1/4" HT chain in the gypsy.

A thought

[tvorgitch]

Probably a stupid question, but if I only have a drum and one direction, what is the risk of winding the line/chain in the other direction for "down?"

[Jim Hardesty]

Probably a stupid question, but if I only have a drum and one direction, what is the risk of winding the line/chain in the other direction for "down?"

Override and jamming up the rode on the drum.  Best to remove turns on the drum and carefully tail the rode. 
FWIW.  If you use the windless to ascend the mast, as I do, always tail the line hand over hand with at least one hand gripping the line at all times.  Don't let the line slide through your hands.  That's the way I was taught on a tall ship where it's common to lift heavy loads by hand. 
Jim