good windlass slipping!

Y

Y Knot

New Member
Nov 11, 2007
120
Richmond VA
Boat Info
1995 290 Sundancer
10' inflatable
Engines
two 4.3 V6 TKS 2013 and a 2009 with alpha 1 Gen 2's
My windlass is slipping and is making it a pain to raise the anchor. I thought it may be the old rope, so i turned it around and tried it with the "new" end. It still slips.......any ideas on whats causing it and how to fix it?
 
I have a Good windlass and if too much rope piles up directly beneath it and creates slack in the rope it will slip. Hope that's all it is, "Good" luck.
 
You can send it to Good to be rebuilt.
Mine was inop when I bought the boat; I didn't want to stay with an all-rope rode so I upgraded to their newer chain model.
 
Just to make sure I understand, the windlass is not slipping but the rode going through it is? Is this a new problem? Is your clutch tightened down on the windlass? Sometimes stiff anchor rode will make it tough to gripe when pulling also. You could try putting a 1/4 cup of fabric softner in a big bucket and soak your anchor rode. Then dry it out and try that...
 
Sounds like a bad windlass to me.
 
Y Knot said:
My windlass is slipping and is making it a pain to raise the anchor. I thought it may be the old rope, so i turned it around and tried it with the "new" end. It still slips.......any ideas on whats causing it and how to fix it?
Click to expand...

Is that old style good windlass? If so you may have lost a hex screw which holds rope guide in place or guide is broken.
It is also possible that clutch (not adjustable) is getting old or has stripped teeth (it uses plastic gears). Both repairs involve opening windlass, and remember that gear case is filled with oil.
 
techmitch said:
replace finger tension spring!!!!
Click to expand...


This is what I was asking about also.

My understanding is the gipsy is spinning, the rode is simply slipping over the spinning gipsy.

Also, how is the alignment of the gipsy to the rode? Did you loosen it (or have it come loose) then re-tighten? Did you get the gipsy back so the rode is parallel to the gipsy? The gipsy height can be adjusted by loosening the cap then spinning the gipsy. These things are touchy so even being off a little can cause them to slip, at least that’s how my Lofran’s windlass works.

Hope that helps.
 
We boat with Y Knot. He has the exact same symptons we had. I've been on his boat when it occurs.

We replaced our line and now ours is good to go. My guess is it's the line, even though he turned it around.

The line will shrink over time such that the windlass cannot get a bite on it. Has anyone else seen this?
 
Good recommends that you have the windlass services at the factory every 5 years. I use mine every day and one of the symptoms of wear on the line handling side of the windlass is when it slips or won't take up the line.

Call Tom @ Good and get instructions for getting yours serviced. You boat is a '95 and trust me it needs it. The Good folks talk funny (they are in NJ) but they are great to work with. I've had mine serviced twice and they usually turn them around in a week.

ALso, with a Good, you can't get to fingers and springs since all the line handling gear is inside a sealed case and whatever you do, DO NOT put fabric softener on a Good line.
 
greg,

Have you heard about putting fabric softner on the rope? i wonder if that will fix it like go aweigh says????
 
Never heard of that one...per Frank W above, don't do it.

As much as you like to anchor out I would pack it up and send it off to Goode for an overhaul.
 
The reason not to use fabric softener on a Good anchor line has to do with the way the windlass works. It requires a hard or stiff line to conform to the internal line handling parts in the windlass and so the windlass can spit the line out under the deck with enough force so that it doesn't accumulate under the spool. Fabric softener will only make the slipping worse.

If you are going to send the windlass in for repair, ask about upgrading to the 4 pole motor and new gear set for that motor. It really improves performance, power and line take up speed of the regular windlass. It will require a new motor and better relays/solenoids that are sealed as well as a new set of gears, but it is money very well spent.
 
techmitch said:
replace finger tension spring!!!!
Click to expand...


There is no tension finger on Good winches.
There is cast aluminum guide over main pulley, which keep rope in place and let pulley grab it down. That guide is being hold by two screws (on side of windlass) and if one of them is missing whole "thing goes out of whack" and and rope slips on pulley
If only screw is missing you can use piece of wire or something similar to lineup guide and screw hole and install new screw.
If guide is broken - you need to take out top of the winch to replace it
 
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