[C320-list] Windlass advice

[Jack Brennan]

So I’m looking for some advice from people who have dealt with the windlass issue.

I’ve been raising my anchor by hand for the last five years because I sail in western Florida and the Keys, where the average depth is 8 to 10 feet. But now that I’m 70, I’m thinking I could use a little mechanical assistance.

I just took out the trim in the V berth and realized the Maxwell VC 500 on my boat is like new. Never been used. Works perfectly. But the gear oil presumably is 25 years old and needs to be changed before I experiment with it and decide whether to keep it or go for a VW 10.

So, a couple of questions:


  *   Does the shelf in the V berth come out, or is it a glued-in bulkhead, as I suspect. If it isn’t, how do I get it out and gain more work space? I don’t see any screws.
  *   Is there a way to accurately check/change the oil in the gearbox without removing the entire unit? From the manual, I suspect this is a big no.
  *   How do you change the oil? The manual is strangely vague on this. I suspect you remove the sight glass after leaning the unit up horizontally, but that is only a guess.

     On a positive note, the manual says the capstan will indeed haul in short-link chain, and my brief experiment showed that is so with two wraps of 5/16. One reason I’m thinking of keeping the VC 500 is that I only use 30 feet of chain. The capstan handles my anchor line easily.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Jack Brennan
Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
Tierra Verde, Fl.





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