Windlass Fail

[knotflying]

shackle [/i] actually is a likely CAUSE of the fouling. I ORDERED a good-quality DOUBLE SWIVEL...problem solved?

CORRECTION: Intended to say "USCG guidelines seem way beyond actual NEEDS of RTs." 1 foot of chain-1 foot of hull seems more reasonable, but still begs the question why RT installs 50 FEET of chain?

Also, I ACTUALLY haven't been able to install the new double-swivel since the OEM shackle seems 'welded' in place. Some blue thread-lock prevents removal (no way to get enough torque on the flat side to work it loose). SUGGESTIONS??

Try heating it up with a torch. Also the bigger the wrench the better.

 

[Osprey]

Use a hacksaw to cut the shackle. A replacement shackle is not expensive.

 

[SLyle01]

OK, this is exhausting. Nothing seems to work with the anchoring system as designed/installed on our R27.
We decided to give it one last try: installed a new double-swivel to let the 'twist in chain or line unwind. Then did as "Chino" suggested: found a 110' deep hole in the Patuxent River and let out a LOT of rode.
Chain fouled in the gypsy repeatedly deploying, but finally got it all down. Another 50' of line deployed pretty much by free-fall after that. Waited 20 mins. in a fairly strong current for the anchor to twist and allow chain to unkink.

Then could NOT retrieve even the line! Anchor was dangling 100' down, so maybe with that extra hanging weight, it was too heavy for the Lewmar windlass motor? Repeated stopping (clutch full tight), "Down" & "Up" cycling over and over to clear the gypsy. Considered cutting the line and just going back to the dock!
Ended up, my friend actually volunteered to pull up ALL the line hand-over-hand while I took up the slack at the windlass. Not safe or easy to do. The system actually worked "as advertised" that way, but USELESS for practical anchoring purposes.
Finally, the chain began to come aboard -and surprisingly, all the links looked well aligned going into the gypsy and it retrieved reasonably well, with just a few stops.

My conclusion is that 50' of 5/16' is WAY too much for the boat..and certainly for Lewmar Model windlass installed. For this Model, 25' of 1/4" chain MAX. would be my guess. Next year there will either be a smaller, shorter chain -or a better windlass.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

i have a cutwater 28. Im in the PNW. i would prefer more than 50ft of chain so i can reduce scope in busy anchorages. but find 50ft is fine.

the boat design by liquid motion recommends not having more than 50ft of chain due to weight in the bow.
whilst the locker is not perfect I find i only have to move the chain once per raising the chain: as simple as letting it pile up to about 25ft of chain in and then pushing it forward and away from the entry way.

i initially had challenges with twisted rode fouling the anchor returning the right way up, but letting out the rode and letting it unspin resolved that. I do not have a swivel as these are known to be a failure point and I dont need it.

I had to tighten the clutch nut as it was slipping when raising the anchor but the windlass has no problem raising the chain and rode off the bottom in more than 50ft of water (i.e. when its all hanging free and not resting on the bottom)
I do tend to give the windlass a rest after about half the retrieval (whilst Im still holding to let the motor cool a little)

I upgraded the anchor to a rocna which added a little total weight but it still works well.

 

[Red Raven]

OK, this is exhausting. Nothing seems to work with the anchoring system as designed/installed on our R27.
We decided to give it one last try: installed a new double-swivel to let the 'twist in chain or line unwind. Then did as "Chino" suggested: found a 110' deep hole in the Patuxent River and let out a LOT of rode.
Chain fouled in the gypsy repeatedly deploying, but finally got it all down. Another 50' of line deployed pretty much by free-fall after that. Waited 20 mins. in a fairly strong current for the anchor to twist and allow chain to unkink.

Then could NOT retrieve even the line! Anchor was dangling 100' down, so maybe with that extra hanging weight, it was too heavy for the Lewmar windlass motor? Repeated stopping (clutch full tight), "Down" & "Up" cycling over and over to clear the gypsy. Considered cutting the line and just going back to the dock!
Ended up, my friend actually volunteered to pull up ALL the line hand-over-hand while I took up the slack at the windlass. Not safe or easy to do. The system actually worked "as advertised" that way, but USELESS for practical anchoring purposes.
Finally, the chain began to come aboard -and surprisingly, all the links looked well aligned going into the gypsy and it retrieved reasonably well, with just a few stops.

My conclusion is that 50' of 5/16' is WAY too much for the boat..and certainly for Lewmar Model windlass installed. For this Model, 25' of 1/4" chain MAX. would be my guess. Next year there will either be a smaller, shorter chain -or a better windlass.

We have a 2014 R27 with a Lewmar Windlass and 80’ of 5/16” chain and no swivel. We pulled our anchor in Alaska over 35 times for over two months in up to 100 feet of water. I clear the chain pile in the locker several times with each retrieval. It sounds like something is not right in your system. Perhaps your Thruster battery is the issue?

Curt

 

[Connerkip]

Personally, I prefer more chain to less. When anchoring in strong currents, wind or adverse conditions, more chain is better. When it comes to anchoring theory, the chain (and rode) really does most of the work.

I never had a problem with the windlass pulling the chain and anchor up.

As previously mentioned, less rode is needed for chain than rope. The chain helps set the anchor, hold the anchor and reset it.

 

[stwendl]

The anchor locker in the r27 ( and perhaps other models ) is not deep enough. When I had my catamaran there was 4 ft of depth in the anchor locker and plenty of space around it. Never had any issues retrieving the anchor which was all chain.

In my 2015/16 r27 the locker is a bit more than 1ft deep which causes the pileup to jam the rode and chain. Havin a remote anchor retrieval button in the cabin is useless unless someone clears the pileup. The design is not well thought thru. There is plenty of space inside the bow to make a significant deeper anchor locker to avoid this issue altogether.

The point of having a cozy safe cabin from which to control the boat fails in case of the anchor, considering the elaborate efforts one has to undertake to get from inside to the anchor locker. Luckily I rarely have to use it.

It would be easy to cut away the bottom of the anchor locker and replace it with a deeper “bucket” extension. The existing locker already is comprised of a “bucket” that is glued to the upper part. Having access to that part would make it easier to construct a deeper extension. Factory, how about a kit?