Oh,the humanity!!!! Windlass, schmindlass

Hayden Sias

Member
Jul 17, 2019
47
Boat Info
2000 Sea Ray 270SDA. No tow...permanent dock, lowrance HD5
Engines
Single 7.4 mercruiser and a bravo3
I am having a problem with my windlass. Aside from the fact it is in fact a windlass,.....sometimes it works and sometimes not so,much.
Some days it works like a charm....up to speed and strong and other days it doesn't even click. Most of the time it is weak and when it gets some stress on it like, the anchor getting stuck on the pulpit,it is enough to stop it. Neither of the switches work(bow or helm) and I have to tap the solenoid lie a car starter and even then,there is no,guarantee.
What's up? Does anyone have a remedy for the nonsense?
The brand is marlin on a 2k 270 dancer.
 
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I had similar symptoms with my Lewmar and replaced the motor ($450).

All is good now.
 
Perhaps I should add that amount to all of the other things that make the sport fun? A buddy of mine seems to think it may he the relays which I guess are pretty close to the solenoid. I'm gonna dig into that.
 
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I had a Lofrans Marlin on the 280 Sundancer that was giving me simmilar issues. What i found was that the brushes were binding and causing the motor to intermittently fail....Obviously at the worst times! I removed the motor, polished the armature contacts, and filed the brushes (they still had plenty of meat left). It never gave another problem.
 
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The engine has 460 hours on it. Should that be around the time That would happen? If that makes sense?lllol
 
The engine has 460 hours on it. Should that be around the time That would happen? If that makes sense?lllol
Engine hours will not be a good indication of how much the windless was used. A 19 year old boat is going to have plenty of parts and systems that are end of life and or need servicing.
 
I completely understand they're different thing. I wasn't sure you could use that as a round about time frame. Nearly everytime my dock and I leave,we tie up and a bunch of us use our anchors. Coincidentally I have used my anchor quite a bit and only recently has it given me issue.
What is the armature? Is that the "relay"?
 

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