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Related message board Windlass discussions:
Windlass
Recommendations and Tips
batteries
under V-berth
Electrical
system upgrade
Windlass
in the double door anchor
Mike Smith's "Breezer" Windlass
Project details:
The
windlass straddles the forepeak bulkhead, with the chain rode
dropping down into the anchor locker and the windlass motor
and electrical connections inside the forepeak protected from
the weather. Battery is mounted beneath
the starboard forepeak area just forward of the hanging
locker. Circuit breaker and additional remote control
are installed there also.
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the
Simpson-Lawrence windlass, the new bow roller,
5/16" chain, and 33 lb Bruce anchor in
relation to the bow pulpit and stem. |
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a
closer view of the windlass alone. (I'll take
one with the doors open to show how the chain drops
down into the locker) |
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shows
a closer view of the bow roller and anchor
configuration. Note additional monster cleat. |
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overall
arrangement from portside - neat, huh? |
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nifty
($$$) teak box which hides unsightly windlass motor and
electrical connections. |
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unsightly
windlass motor and electrical connections hidden by
nifty ($$$) teak box. |
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remote
up/down control with coiled cable for operating windlass
from practically anywhere forward of the cockpit on Breezer.
Handy "push & turn" connection is on the
side of the coach roof. |
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remote
cable extended all the way forward to the stem. |
Mike Smith "Breezer" C34 '88 #688
Mike's project brought lots of questions to my
mind. Here's the body of an e-mail exchange regarding
the questions. Mark
[Mark] Mike, these descriptions are
good for clarifying the pictures. Together they
provide a lot of clarity about the final installation.
But I now wonder about the installation process and various
"hidden" details. Could you answer a some
questions related to the installation process itself?
[Mike] Let
me dig out my list-o-specs and my digital camera and I will
get back with you ASAP. My diesel mechanic helped me
out a lot with the installation and it is always a good idea
to have a pair of experienced eyes around when doing a
project like this. We even fabricated a plywood
mock-up to try everything out first!
Mike
[Mark] What factors made you decide on this Simpson
Lawrence model verse other vertical windlasses?
[Mike]
My mechanic was visiting relatives in
the Tampa/St Petersburg area where the Simpson-Lawrence
dealership is located. Since he insisted that I buy
the chain (200' 5/16) from the manufacturer of the windlass
- regardless of who that was - all other variables being
equal, Simpson-Lawrence was the geographical choice! I
wasn't about to pay the shipping costs for the
chain! He picked them both up on his visit and was able
to talk to the factory rep in person about the installation
at the same time.
[Mark] How easy/difficult was it to cut through the
forepeak cabin roof where the windlass is mounted? Did
you use a jigsaw or a hole-cutting drill or any special
tools? Did you seal the exposed core with epoxy or
other material?
[Mike] A
template comes with the windlass and we used that to
verify the size and shape of the hole. We
measured everything 14 ways from Sunday and drilled a lot of
tiny test holes with the smallest bit we could find to make
sure we didn't screw it up. "No 'Big Hole - Wrong
Spot!' this time." We used a cutting bit to
do the actual surgery and dressed the edges (of course) with
epoxy. Wear latex gloves, a surgical mask, safety
goggles, and disposable paper coveralls to do the
fiberglass cutting - the powder gets everywhere!
[Mark] The windlass's chain/rode guide appears to
overhang the anchor locker in Anchor02x.jpg.
That's fully understandable. Did you trim away the
corners of the locker doors to clear the windlass? If
so, did you add a fiddle or extra fiberglass on the
underside to re-strengthen the doors at that corner?
[Mike] The
edges were rounded out to accommodate the windlass cover so
they could still open and shut, but, other than the epoxy,
no additional treatment was done. The edges are not
visible when the doors are closed and, after four years
of use, I don't think strengthening is necessary, although
some teak trim would be nice. The edge of the anchor
locker has to be routed out (again, wear protective gear) at
about a 3/4' radius to accommodate the chain as it exits the
windlass on its way down into the locker. I applied
epoxy and some paint to the cut surface.
[Mark] You mention the battery. Is it a wet cell
or gel cell or AGM? What size, i.e. amp-hours, did you
use? Is the battery mounted on a shelf to keep it
fairly level, or is it just strapped to a bulkhead?
[Mike] The
battery is a standard deep-cycle Group 27, I'll check the
amp-hours. The battery sits in its box strapped to
a platform which I assume is standard on the 1988
34. It is accessed by removing the starboard
forepeak cushion and inset. The only thing I
don't like about this installation is the difficulty in
checking the electrolyte level in the battery - it has to be
disconnected and lifted out - it's a pain. I am
thinking of installing an inspection port/hatch directly
over the battery to facilitate this maintenance chore.
Since being generally conservative and an old acquaintance
of Murphy, I never engage the windlass without the engine
running. I am seriously considering removing the
battery from this circuit altogether!
[Mark] What gauge wires lead from the battery to the
windlass? What route do the wires follow from the
battery to the windlass? (No wires are visible in Anchor05x.jpg
and are barely visible in Anchor06x.jpg.)
[Mike] I'll
get out my spec sheet and camera.
[Mark] What is the recharging circuit for the
battery? Where does the recharging current
originate? Is the windlass battery isolated by a
switch, a circuit breaker, a combiner, or an
echo-charge? What gauge wire did you use?
[Mike] The
battery is charged off the alternator offshore and a Sentry
charger at the dock as is the house bank. There is a
circuit breaker installed on the starboard bulkhead to the
right of the forepeak drawer along with an additional
remote control switch and cable coiled up in the
drawer. Again, I am seriously considering removing the
battery from this circuit altogether!
[Mark] Any other details
would be appreciated by our members.
[Mike] Here
is some more detailed, play-by-play on the windlass
installation. If I can be of any more help, please don't
hesitate to ask.
We removed the starboard outside flange of the bow
roller/chain plate fitting and fabricated a level mounting
surface for the new Windline BRM-3 bow roller using WEST
system epoxy w/high density filler. We removed the old
undersized bow cleat and fabricated a 1.5" mounting pad
for the new 12" Marinium cleat by laminating two pieces
of 3/4" marine plywood and bonded it to the deck
surface and fabricated a mounting pad for the new Windline
chainstopper. We fit the new cleat on its mounting pad and
through bolted it to a 1/4" thick aluminum backing
plate with 3/8" SS machine screws. We fit the new bow
roller to its new mounting pad with 1/2" machine
screws. We cut out a hole in the deck using the template
provided with the Sprint 1000G windlass and sealed the
exposed surfaces with epoxy. We cut out small sections of
the locker door and relieved the lip in the anchor locker to
accommodate the windlass and sealed those exposed areas as
well. We mounted the windlass and installed a 3/4"
marine plywood plate under the deck and sealed the windlass
to the deck with silicone sealant. We carefully checked
everything for proper alignment and tested the windlass with
a 15' length of 5/16 chain. We then removed the bow roller
and chainstopper and applied one coat of Easyepoxy white to
the mounting surfaces. We reinstalled the bow roller and
chainstopper with 3/8" SS machine screws and a
1/4" thick aluminum backing plate mounted so that it
shares the two rearmost mounting screws of the bow roller,
tying the system together. We then loaded 200' of 5/16 chain
into the anchor locker, first securing the bitter end to the
fixture in the anchor locker. We remove the 15' length of
test chain, loaded the anchor windlass and attached the
outer end to the 33 lb Bruce anchor set in the bow roller.
We removed the teak bulkhead liner between the forepeak and
anchor locker and routed 4 gauge battery cables to the
windlass from the forward battery area. We installed two
terminal posts on the bulkhead, made a cutout for the cables
and replaced the bulkhead. The cables were secured with line
clips at the top of the bulkhead and underneath the
forepeak. We mounted a circuit breaker opposite the air duct
and installed a dual direction relay and coiled cable in the
forepeak drawer. We mounted a group 27 battery box and
battery in the forward battery tray and attached the cables
to the terminals, dual direction relay, circuit breaker and
battery utilizing swaged terminal lugs and sealed with heavy
walled shrink tubing. We installed an in-line fuse holder
and a terminal block for control switch connections. We then
tested the system and it all worked.
Important: The opinions expressed here are those
of the individual contributors to this page, and not those of
the Catalina 34 National Association or Catalina Yachts, Inc.
Additionally, this material has not been reviewed by Catalina
Yachts, Inc. for technical accuracy. This page's maintainer
cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information or the
desirability of suggested modifications or upgrades. Please
obtain assistance from a competent marine mechanic or boatyard
prior to making any significant modifications to your vessel. |
