Electric Anchor Winch

[Mik]

Hi

Wondering if any Raiders have an electric Anchor Winch. I am looking to fit one & was wondering what type I should look for. I am not sure exactly how they work. I have seen on the net a few "Capstan" type but that looks to me to be more of a assist rather than full winch type? Do you still have to pay out the line & hand retreive / feed back into the anchor well with this type?

Not sure if a drum winch will fit (There is a mount bracket above the anchor well but I don't know if there will be room for a drum type.

I am going to change my anchor from a plough type to a Sarca anchor. Currently the bow roller (Folding type) is a MAJOR pain. I want to get a bow roller & anchor setup that will self align & seat in the roller so it stays at the bow & doesn't need to be lugged up over the roller & into the anchor well. When I have my petite & delicate wife aboard I need something that she can use.

Any ideas / experience would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Geoff]

I'm in the process of installing a winch onto my boat . I'v decided on a capstain style but more about that later.

From my research there are , in essence , 3 styles.

The drum type which is mounted on the deck & the rope is rolled onto the drum. From what I have seen these are limited in their capasity , ie the amount of rope they can hold . They are mainly suited to small boats using 6 - 8 mm rope.

The most common or popular are mounted on the deck with a gypsy wheel on the side which feeds the chain or rope (normally 12mm) down into a storage area under the deck. The space beween the deck & storage area needs to be a reasonable distance to allow free fall otherwise tangling can occur.

There are many brands to choose from & prices range from around $1300 to $2200

I'v decided to go with the capstan style . This is like the capstan you see on sailing boats when they winch on the sails but the electric version.

Ths main reason , both the drum & standard style are unsuitable for my boat . An added bonus , the unit cost $600

Instalation. Be aware the need to run seperate cables from you battery through a switch & fuze / circuit breaker. These winches can draw up to 60 - 70 amps when under full load so 80 - 100amp cable is required. Switch & fuze , I understand the 30 amp is suitable but check with the sales person

Suppliers , brands. Whitworth & Bias are a good starting point. I'v elected to go with the South Pacific brand for a number of reasons , mainly their size suited the space I have available.

Have a surf around this site

http://www.southpacific.com.au/new/product_H.html

There is a company in S.A. that make the drum style , cannot recall their name but if interested send me a PM & I will see what I can dig up

Geoff

Edited March 1, 2008 by Geoff

[Mik]

Thanks Geoff

I think there is a fair amount of free fall into the anchor well. If there is could this mean the winch could be operated from the cockpit & not have to have a deckie at the bow to guide the rope & chain on retreival?

That would be ideal for me but even something that took the pain from retreival & still needed to be hand guided would be ok. My main issue is the major pain & strength it takes to get the anchor over the bow & into the anchor well. I hope to get the bow roller sorted out so that the anchor permanently sits in the bow roller, just like those big fancy motor boats you see cruising around (Difference being I won't have a fancy chrome or polished S/S anchor to show off

Thanks for the reply. I will post a pic here later of my bow configuration with the anchor well.

Cheers

[Mik]

Here's my current setup at the bow. I really don't understand how these hinged bow rollers are meant to work, apparently they are better than a normal one but it certainly doesn't make any sense to me.

Here's the anchor well. I'm hoping that eventually I can operate my anchor from the cockpit & eliminate a deckie having to be on the bow.

Another question that I have, the "Anchor Mate" system (Not the retreival system but the bungy cord type anchor rope used to replace your anchor rope in shallow water for beaching purposes) Has anyone used these. They look like a brilliant idea. Basically its a bungy cord (About 14 foot long that stretches to 50 foot) that attaches to your anchor (Replacing standard rope, I think you'd still use the chain?)

You deploy anchor about 30 metres from shore, then keep motoring or drifting to shore, sling a small graple hook or similar to the beach / shoreline & pull yourself all the way into the beach. Once you are safely alighted onto the beach, hopfully minus a lot less water than normal, you then pay out your line attached to the grapple (If your bungy anchor was deployed from the bow your grapple hook would be attached to the stern & vice versa) and the boat gets pulled off the beach & out to deep water where it safely waits eagerly for its smiko Captain to re-board & stand erect at the helm, fondling her controls.

Have your frolick on the beach, meet up with Bo Derek & do the slow-mo-bouncy jog to impress your mates then when you're ready to re-board, just pull in the grapple line & the bungy stretches to let the boat back to shore. Gather your grapple & rope, let the bungy pull you back to deeper water & hoist anchor. Smile smuggly at your mates beached & busting their guts to get boat off sand or watch them swim out to the boat which has come to rest amoungst a school of feeding sharks.

In principle these look great as I experienced a rather embarrasing beaching recently at Watson's Bay whilst trying to impress the family how easy it was to get a feed of Fish & Chips. Feed was great, better than having to wait for the skipper to catch a feed (Poor buggers would still be waiting!) But trying to wrestle a 6 metre + boat off the sand was kinda deflating to say the least. The only problem I see in using the above system is the potential (Very real) of a law suit from some Watson Bay Snob after I accidentally drop his bling laden missus onto the sand with a small but weighty grapple hook

Edited March 2, 2008 by Boofhead

[Geoff]

Thanks Geoff

I think there is a fair amount of free fall into the anchor well. If there is could this mean the winch could be operated from the cockpit & not have to have a deckie at the bow to guide the rope & chain on retreival?

Other than making life easier , provided the rope is feeding on to the gypsy wheel through the bow spit there should be no need to have any one up front when retreiving

That would be ideal for me but even something that took the pain from retreival & still needed to be hand guided would be ok.

Having fingers or hands near the rope when retreiving may not be wise.

My main issue is the major pain & strength it takes to get the anchor over the bow & into the anchor well. I hope to get the bow roller sorted out so that the anchor permanently sits in the bow roller, just like those big fancy motor boats you see cruising around (Difference being I won't have a fancy chrome or polished S/S anchor to show off

I have attached some pic's. As you will see , the anchor remains in the bow spit. It could be removed & into the well but the idea is to have it in place so when you decide to anchor , just hit the release button & the anchor drops away , well in theory any way.

Thanks for the reply. I will post a pic here later of my bow configuration with the anchor well.

Cheers

There may be a problem mounting the unit so that there is sufficient strength in the hatch cover. These winches have very high pulling power. The small units , suitable for your boat have a normal working load is around 30kg but the winch has the capasity up to 120 kg so the deck / hatch need to be able to support that type of load

Here are a few pic's for interest.

Geoff.

[Mik]

That's great Geoff thanks very much for the pics & reply. Useful info indeed.

I think I may need to get some additional info from boat builder (Quintrex) to check plate strength. In theory I think I may be able to strengthen the mount plate with some bracing going back through the well wall & into the front vertical plate that is positioned in the cabin (To finish the cabin, basically the front wall of the cabon) this could be done by myself without a need to do any welding, just some thick brackets & bolts. Only down side is the holes I'd have to make in the rear of the anchor well. But I think I could re-seal these with some hot glue & plastic inserts (Well is rotamould)

Anyway, time to get serious & check out some options with builder & also a few chandlers. Thanks again.

[Geoff]

Another question that I have, the "Anchor Mate" system (Not the retreival system but the bungy cord type anchor rope used to replace your anchor rope in shallow water for beaching purposes) Has anyone used these. They look like a brilliant idea. Basically its a bungy cord (About 14 foot long that stretches to 50 foot) that attaches to your anchor (Replacing standard rope, I think you'd still use the chain?)

Another option , which is a bit more involved , is a pully system.

Undo the rope from the anchor then feed the end just removed through ring or what ever the rope was attached to.

Tie the rope to the front or stern of the boat , depending on which way you want the boat to face when at anchor.

Approx 20mt or so from shore , drop the anchor feeding the rope from the it's storage area.

Drive or reverse up to the beach.

Everyone out , then taking the anchor rope along with another rope , tied off to the boat with an anchor attached , jump out.

Pull on the rope attached to the pully anchor now 20mt out & the boat will move out to the required position.

Tie it off to the anchor now on the beach.

When you want to want to pull the boat back in release the pully rope , pull the other rope & the boat will come back in .

As mentioned , it is a bit more involved but it works

Geoff