[C320-list] Anchor Windlass Capability

[Dennis Harris]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  The Maxwell website lists the pulling 
capability of the VC-500 at 660 lbs.  I found a couple of websites wherein 
the authors presented extensive studies of wind force on anchored boats. 
ABYC also has formulas for calculating the wind force on anchored boats. 
ABYC calculations suggest for a sailboat the size of a C320, the winds, to 
reach the 660 lbs. pull on the anchor rode, would be about 27kts.  Both of 
the studies said that ABYC formulas were very conservative, on the order of 
a safety factor of 3 in normal conditions.  However, when waves were over 3 
ft., then additional dynamic forces come into play, and at that point, the 
ABYC formula predicted a something less than the real formulas.  Current was 
not a significant issue, and even a 6 kt. current was only equivalent to a 
15 kt. wind.

Since I most often single hand, or have on board persons who are not well 
versed in boat handling, it is difficult/risky to attempt to motor forward 
while I am at the bow taking in the anchor.  Based on all the information 
that has been provided, I plan to start using the anchor windlass to get the 
anchor and rode on board without trying to motor forward...just have the 
engine idling out of gear, so we ready to go when the anchor is up.  I 
shouldn't be tripping breakers under those conditions.  I'm not sure why the 
owners manuals say to move the boat forward with the engine (easy to do with 
two experienced persons however).   The chain and nylon of my rodes are 
spliced, so I think I will let the windlass lift the chain and anchor even 
though I don't have a chain gypsy. Again, thanks.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Utility Email
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2012 2:10 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Anchor Windlass Capability

My 2007 C320 MK II has a chain gypsy as part of the windlass.  We anchor out 
all the time and the windlass works great.  No tripping breakers.  Two 
winters ago I installed a seawater washdown pump under the head sink with a 
quick disconnect outlet in the anchor locker.  I connected the inlet to the 
head sink drain line so I can run seawater (or even freshwater from the 
sink) through the washdown pump to the anchor locker on the bow of the boat. 
Works great for cleaning the anchor and rode and also washing down the deck 
while at anchor.  We have 50 feet of chain and 250 feet of nylon rope for 
our anchor rode.

Dave Swanson
S/V Emily Ann
2007 C320 MK II, No. 1107
Mukilteo, WA

On Jul 12, 2012, at 8:50 AM, Dennis Harris wrote:

> As I understand it, the anchor windlass is not to be used to pull the boat 
> towards the anchor location when taking in the anchor.  If the wind or 
> current is high, doing so would put lots of force on the windlass and 
> probably trip it out.  But if there isn’t much wind, it would seem that 
> there wouldn’t be much force.  The windlass supplied on our boats has a 
> smooth drum and no gypsy for chain, and as I understand it, the chain 
> should not be used on the smooth drum.  My guess is that many, like me, 
> have nylon rode with a relatively small amount of chain at the anchor. 
> Taking in the nylon rode when there is no strain on it (because boat is 
> being powered forward) is easy to do by hand and power assist is not 
> needed.  Picking up the bitter end with the chain and anchor (assuming we 
> have already broken out the anchor using boat movement instead of anchor 
> windlass pull) can/will be relatively difficult and power assist would be 
> helpful, but the windlass (as delivered on boat) is not setup to handle 
> chain.  So, it seems that we have this nice piece of equipment that really 
> isn’t available when there is some heavy lifting to do.
> What am I missing?
> How do most owners use the windlass?
> And, most importantly, what is the line pull, in pounds, that can be 
> successfully applied to the anchor rode, or other line, using the windlass 
> without damaging windlass or tripping it out electrically?
> I don’t anchor out often, as you can tell, and when I do, it is in shallow 
> water, so I have done it by hand without the windlass in the past.  But as 
> 73 approaches, the idea of picking up a 33 lb. Bruce anchor and 20 ft. of 
> chain seems less and less attractive.
> Thanks for you guidance.
> Dennis Harris  C320  #694