Windless anchor

Jeff Delbuono

Jeff Delbuono

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2018
1,126
Edison New Jersey
Boat Info
1998 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer
Engines
5.0 efi w/ alpha 1 gen 2 drives
The other day i went to the shallows and dropped anchor for a day in the sun. When i was done i attempted to pull up the anchor from the helm and got nothing. I went to the bow and hit the up and down foot peddels and only heard a click and no movement. I hand pulled the anchor rope up and and was trying to figure how to keep it up. So i tried the foot peddel again and it worked fine. What should i be checking. Is it a soloined or something going bad. Its a 1998 290 sundancer
 
wayne0 said:
The windlass is to bring up the anchor, not break it free, if that's what you were trying to do.
Click to expand...
What Wayne said - but I'll add one other point - was the engine running when you tried to initially pull up the anchor? If it was off you may not have had enough battery juice vs. engine on (and charging the battery).
 
You could also check all electrical connections in the system... dirty, loose, corroded, etc.

FYI... the windlass should not be used to "store" the anchor. Continual use of the windlass to break free the anchor and store it can overtax the motor and the wiring. Use the manual lock button and the safety strap. In an emergency, you can always tie it off to the cleat.
 
also just in case you did not know this, don't use the windlass to pull the boat toward the anchor when retrieving the anchor....bump the transmission in and out of forward gear at idle speed at the same time you are winding up the anchor rode via. the windlass....this will give the boat some forward momentum as it gets to and overpasses the anchor...as the boat moves past the anchor stop using the windlass for a few seconds....the forward momentum and weight of the boat should be enough to break the anchor free from the bottom....then continue to wind in the rode/anchor with the windlass....

cliff
 
This only pertains to the foot pedals, not the helm switch.

Often the connections in the foot switches get corroded. When I first got my boat the foot switches did the same thing. Sometimes they worked sometimes not. I took them apart, cleaned the connections and they began to worked as expected.

This might be something to look at and add to your yearly maintenance.
 
Thanks all. The boat was running and the anchor was slack. I was in fairly shallow water and was not using it to pull the boat to the anchor but only to get the anchor up. All 3 batteries are brand new this year. The boat is new to me and have only used the anchor a couple times without any problem. I have read that when u get it up to the boat to bump it a couple times to keep it tight and then put on safety line
 
Little Ducky said:
What kind of electrical cleaner and/or treatment is recommended?
Click to expand...

Once apart I used some emery cloth to remove the surface rust from the contact points and then coated them with a layer of 3-in-1 oil. I do this at the beginning of summer and then again after the rain has stopped.
 
Emery cloth is perfectly fine. A small, brass/bronze brush works very well, too. Just stay away from using steel-based things as they can lead to corrosion. Probably one of the "best" protectants out there is Tef-Gel - but that is not cheap. Di-electric grease is great, too. Heck, even wheel bearing grease is good. Even spray-on coatings like Boeshield or Amsoil.

The trick is to not apply much at all to the mating surfaces - just a VERY thin coating. Very thin - so as not to "insulate" the mating connection surface. Apply more ON TOP of the connection after it's made.
 
Next time it gives you a problem, try tapping the windlass motor lightly with whatever you have available (hammer, handle of screwdriver etc). If it starts working then you may need to remove the motor and take to an electric motor repair shop. For a few hundred bucks they refurbish and it will be good as new.
 
CliffA said:
also just in case you did not know this, don't use the windlass to pull the boat toward the anchor when retrieving the anchor....bump the transmission in and out of forward gear at idle speed at the same time you are winding up the anchor rode via. the windlass....this will give the boat some forward momentum as it gets to and overpasses the anchor...as the boat moves past the anchor stop using the windlass for a few seconds....the forward momentum and weight of the boat should be enough to break the anchor free from the bottom....then continue to wind in the rode/anchor with the windlass....

cliff
Click to expand...
My windlass wont pull the rope unless it is very tight, otherwise it just slips. I feel like the "teeth"may be worn. Is that a replaceable part?
Also, where the rope meets the chain. it is all frayed and it won't feed into the storage locker unless I push it down. I'm afraid that will eventually break and I'll lose my anchor, how do I resolve that?

Thanks for your help!
 
Steve OD said:
My windlass wont pull the rope unless it is very tight, otherwise it just slips. I feel like the "teeth"may be worn. Is that a replaceable part?
Also, where the rope meets the chain. it is all frayed and it won't feed into the storage locker unless I push it down. I'm afraid that will eventually break and I'll lose my anchor, how do I resolve that?

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

there is a 'tension finger' on the windlass that is supposed to keep enough pressure on the rope to keep it from slipping....but the spring inside this finger gets weak over time and needs to be replaced....also the rope might need to be replaced as well since it can become hard and slick over time....lots of info in the archives about the 'tension finger' if you want to learn more....

many members (including myself) have gone to all chain and eliminated the rope....the chain does not need the tension finger....in fact I removed the tension finger on my windlass because it was weak and not needed....the links of the chain are grabbed by the windlass without any slipping....this makes deploying and retrieving the anchor MUCH easier and more reliable....this will also eliminate the splice between the rope and chain as you have now.....

cliff
 
I have the same problem. My rope when pulling skips and spins. I stand in the anchor box and pull on the bottom of the rope and it works fine. I never knew of a tension finger but will be doing some research on it. How much chain did you get and what was cost?
 
Jeff Delbuono said:
I have the same problem. My rope when pulling skips and spins. I stand in the anchor box and pull on the bottom of the rope and it works fine. I never knew of a tension finger but will be doing some research on it. How much chain did you get and what was cost?
Click to expand...


we normally anchor in 20-25' water....I already had 25' of chain so I bought another 100' for roughly $280 delivered to my house.....so total I have 125' of chain after I linked the two chains together.....

cliff
 
CliffA said:
there is a 'tension finger' on the windlass that is supposed to keep enough pressure on the rope to keep it from slipping....but the spring inside this finger gets weak over time and needs to be replaced....also the rope might need to be replaced as well since it can become hard and slick over time....lots of info in the archives about the 'tension finger' if you want to learn more....

many members (including myself) have gone to all chain and eliminated the rope....the chain does not need the tension finger....in fact I removed the tension finger on my windlass because it was weak and not needed....the links of the chain are grabbed by the windlass without any slipping....this makes deploying and retrieving the anchor MUCH easier and more reliable....this will also eliminate the splice between the rope and chain as you have now.....

cliff
Click to expand...
Thanks Cliff
That's a great tip, I'll order the chain this winter, what size?
Thanks
 
Dido. Gonna check the finger next time at boat. also gonna look into ordering 100 ft of chain. Might be the way to go
 
I believe most windlass use a 5/16" chain......be sure the chain is designed to be used with a windlass.....the size and shape of the links are important....

be sure to use a strong anchor swivel also...Mantus makes a nice swivel....I just switched to a Mantus anchor and swivel and they work GREAT!.....

cliff

Mantus - swivel.jpg
 
Last edited:
Jeff Delbuono said:
I have read that when u get it up to the boat to bump it a couple times to keep it tight and then put on safety line
Click to expand...
Many windlasses have a manual "lock" - a little lever that you flip down to take the stress off the motor. Check to see if your windlass has this. If not, it's not a huge deal.
 
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