Rope only Good Windlass?

[sailor723]

New to me 1995 330 has a rope only Good anchor windlass. The rope rode was shackled directly onto the anchor (Danforth 20H). I may have led a sheltered live but in 35 years of boating (mostly sail) I've never seen a rode that didn't have at least a short chain leader. How do people deal with this? I've added a 6-7 feet of chain so that when the thimble hits the windlass the anchor is just at the water's surface. Obviously you have to have someone on the bow to manually pull the anchor the rest of the way onto the roller and then secure it with a short length of light line. Not the best system (especially as this windlass doesn't have controls at the bow) but it's the best i can think of. Anyone got any better solutions? :huh:

 

[CliffA]

add foot switches on the bow?........definitely should have some chain leader.....

cliff

 

[Lazy Daze]

Well, the "good" thing is that some owner before you put an excellent (fantastic company) windlass on there. Because you have minimal chain, it means you'll simply be letting out more rode than if you had a decent length of chain. Also, keep an eye on the rope as it could get worn faster from bottom contact. If I remember correctly, I think Good has a trade-in program - check out their website or give them a call - they're very good to deal with.

 

[northshore]

I have a 'Good' windlass with 'rode only' constraint. The swivel I put on between the rode thimble and the anchor is really, really heavy. It helps.

Very similar (if not the same) to this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Seachoice-4...ash=item5d6750f9bc:g:7SwAAOSwIgNXo3Sn&vxp=mtr

 

[rondds]

Had a Good on my previous boat. I bought a length of the heaviest chain I could get on there (7/16"??) and cut it so that the shackle ended right before the point where it would have to fit through the hole. Helped keep the shank down. Never had a stitch of trouble with that system.

 

[fwebster]

I've got a Good rope only windlass and love it. How well they hold is a product of how much scope you let out and the anchor you use. I added a swivel and now use an FX-37 Fortress aluminum anchor. I do use a 7-10:1 scope and have never once in 20 years had it come loose. On the other hand, many friends with newer Sea Rays with a load of chain and plow anchors do regularly have holding problems.

Good is a great company to work with. I have had my windlass rebuilt once and when they had it, I upgraded to the sealed relay system and the new 4-pole motor and revised gear set. It is now 2X as fast and still works flawlessly. Never mess with the Good yourself….it is just too easy to let the pros repair/rebuild it. Also, Good's anchor ropes are superior to generally available line so get replacement lines from them.