[C320-list] Windlass question

[Troy Dunn]

Uh oh....a harmless windlass thread turned into an anchor thread...LOL.

We have a fortress and absolutely love it.   I think it is way better than
the danforth in the mud where we cruise.   Likewise 15-30 feet of chain
with 150-200 feet of nylon is all we will ever need.

If we were to go to the islands and money was not a consideration, we would
use all chain rode and a self righting scoop anchor.   That seems to be
what most full time live aboard cruisers down there use and it makes sense
considering the bottom conditions and peace of mind you would have using
that as your go to ground tackle.

One thing I think I'm hearing in the original post is the concept of using
the windlass to pull in the chain and anchor.   Keep in mind that the VC10
is woefully inadequate to do that on a regular basis, it was not designed
to pull the boat to the anchor, it was designed to lift the rode vertically
while the boat is driven up on the anchor and to secure the rode to free
the anchor.   I guess if money is no object you could get a beefier
windlass, but I don't know at what point you pull more amps than your
wiring and circuit breaker were designed for I think the VC10 at 135 amps
might be pretty darned close already for the 4AWG that runs to the windlass
on Hull#514....  keep in mind a new VC10 is something like $2K.

FWIW-

Troy Dunn
Hull #514