LakeCumberlandBoaters.com

Can this Windless use rope and chain or just chain?
...and yes it DOES get the gelcoat pretty nasty every time I use it. (maybe that will stop once it gets used more often?)


Look closely and it says use 1/4" G4 ACCO Hi Test Chain and 1/2" premium 3 strand Nylon rope.
Does that mean it WILL pull the rope up as well or is the rope for something else. I'm pretty sure that is a dumb question and that the rope is ok too but before I do anything I just want to make sure I don't get myself in a bind.


Another question, if I go with all chainis there a substitue to 1/4" G4 ACCO chain? Would any 1/4" x whatever length/width that the chain is be ok or is there even other chain out there that meets that exact size? I know there is all kinds of 1/4 inch chain but most chains I have looked at have either been shorter or wider and I'm sure that would not work.

From this site - http://www.1st-chainsupply.com/chain/g4 ... _chain.htm

Also I see it says FreeFall but I have yet seen it do that, it seems when I let off the down button it stops.

I think you answered your own question yes it will work with rope and chain. I think it will only free fall with rope the chain will not do it.

You big dummy the phone number is there and even says questions just call them. lol sorry just had to

Oh the mess is part of it but it's well worth it to push a button rather than pull, pull, pull................

crwky wrote:you big dummy the phone number is there and even says questions just call them. lol sorry just had to

I called the number last week and it threw me off since it answered as Care Free international. I ended up finding the website (which ended up showing me that CareFree international is their parent company [dumb name]) and it went into detail on installation but not totally on the other questions. But I still was not sure about free fall of the anchor with chain or rope and how that worked etc. and now I have your reply I have been on conference calls a lot this week and thus instead of talking to customer service I figured I would ask here. Already got a reply on the lake cumberland boaters facebook page as well. I'd say I came to the right place. lol

Now if you can figure out how to braid the rope on the chain I will be impressed.

I was guessing you would feed it up through several links on one side and then come back down the other side and then knot back to itself. But if I went with rope I would check that out first.. lol

Looks like I was wrong! lol

http://www.anchoring.com/article_info.php?articles_id=5

http://www.spadeanchorusa.com/how-to-ar ... ice-2.html

Blow the money and buy 200 ft. of chain... it'll only cost you about 500 bucks but you'll never need to replace it...

I really would like to be able to freefall the anchor though... If I find it really will only do that with rope that would be my only reason for going with the rope.

Nearly wrote:Blow the money and buy 200 ft. of chain... it'll only cost you about 500 bucks but you'll never need to replace it...

Unless the anchor got hopelessly stuck! But maybe you could call Marine Assist to pull it loose. Wonder if he's ever had that kind of call?

I'm pretty sure he list that service. (Which is pretty cool.)
At least I think that is what he means here about 3/4ths the way down the page.

Is there a proper connector link to connect two pieces of this specific type chain? I already have at least 30 feet and since the chain seems to make the anchor hold with a LOT less rode I was contemplating only getting about 100' of chain and seeing how that goes. (that is where it would be critical if you could conennect it together and not cause a issue with the windless as I would need that extra 30' for sure AND if the 100' was not enough I would need to be able to add more.

OK, first of all.... Windlass, with an A.

It does say right on the side of the capstan it takes a rope to chain rode. It is also not a free fall type windlass. It is a power down, power up windlass.

You can purchase a rope/chain rode already properly spliced. It says 1/2" rope right on it.

Personally, I would not fool with an all chain rode for a 27' boat. Too heavy and probably not necessary.

Once you get decent galvanized chain running through that thing again, all thet rust staining will cease.


We do and we have gotten anchors unstuck from the bottom. I do about 3 per year. People do not always know hot to retreive their anchor properly I notice.

First of all.... take note of which direction the boat is currently pulling on the anchor at rest.

Untie the anchor rode from the cleat where it was properly tied while at rest ( you are not supposed to let the windlass hold the weight of the boat at rest and you are certainly not supposed to use the windlass to pull the complete weight of a stuck anchor from the bottom. It can damage the internal gearing).

Drive forward while taking in slack with the windlass until you are as near to a straight up and down anchor line in the water as possible.

Re tie your anchor line to the forward cleat ( you do have a forward cleat, right? I bet the Sea Ray did LOL)

With the anchor line tied to the cleat, power the boat in the direction noted earlier of the last known direction where the anchor line was heading away from the boat at rest.

The boat's forward movement and straight upward pull will cause the anchor to release from the bottom. You can usually feel the release, if the anchor was set well at all.

Once released from the bottom, untie the line from the forward cleat and use the windlass to retreive the line and pull the anchor back up to the boat. Use the windlass remote on the bow to retreive the line and the washdown outlet and hose on the bow to rinse the line as it comes up. (you don't have either one of those things? The Sea Ray probably did )



Now, when you buy the new anchor line, I suggest getting some rope marking dye and mark the line every 10' or so with a system you can recognize as the line pays out. This way you will know when you have the proper amount of line out for the area where you are anchoring. If you geta couple different colors, you can use one color for 10' intervals and anothe color for 50' or whatever works for you.

When you anchor and you are just going to swing in the wind with no stern line, you will generally face the boat into the wind and hold about stationary while you drop the proper amount of line you want out for the area. Then you can either back up slowly or let the wind carry you until the line comes tight. At that point you would probably back up with the engine a little more to make sure the anchor is set. You may want to tie the line to the cleat again to make sure not to pull too hard on the windlass, as long as you are sure you have enough rope out.

If you want to tie the stern to the bank, make sure you set the anchor in the direction exactly opposite of where you intend to have a stern line tied to the bank, or a stern anchor out.


Now, when you get that new spool of anchor rode, DO NOT uncoil it with the spool lying flat faced on the ground. This will introduce nasty twists in the line that will foul up the windlass operation big time. You need to use a broom handle through the spool and pull the line off of it while the spool spins. I also generally lay the line out in the yard straight, when coming off the spool and then pull it into the boat.

You will also want to use a swivel in the line where it attaches to the anchor to try and keep any twist out of the line on a regular basis.


Help or confusion??

That helps.

Windlass WindlAss WindlASS. lol ok I got that.

Where do you see that on the capstan and what is a capstan?

But...

The wheel in the pic says Free Fall Anchor winch


Thus I thought it should be able to free fall. Figured maybe there was a button sequence or something. Maybe down for 10' and let go or down for 10' and then hit down one more time or something weird.

.... and if I remember correct I don't think the Kansas SeaRay had a winch on it. As for the DC one I pulled up IMG-20120512-00312.jpg and I can't tell if that is a VERY low profile Windless or just a cap to the rope locker. There is no wash down host etc. (But it did have a remote spotlight... ....and seats that were falling apart. lol)

AH HAH! I found it!
http://www.boatingsuperstore.biz/Windla ... PGWYKC.htm

Its Sad the site above had more info that the manufacturer site.

Amazon.com Product Description


Free-fall anchors offer several advantages over power-down models: They drop up to four times faster, they stop when the anchor has reached bottom, and they allow you to quickly anchor in poor conditions. Enter the Windlass 31 free-fall anchor, a patented anchor system that drops up to 200 feet per minute. Built for 31-foot class boats, the Windlass 31 sports an exclusive stainless-steel rope and chain guidance design, with durable stainless-steel fasteners and watertight seals that resist corrosion and stand up to years of use. The ultra-smooth motor, meanwhile, uses fewer amps than power-down anchors, helping preserve your battery life during the battery-free free-fall process. And thanks to the heat-treated, oil-impregnated gear structure, the Windlass 31 runs smoother and lasts longer than most of its competitors.

The Windlass 31 is a breeze to use: just hold the helm switch for five seconds to release free-fall, as opposed to one to three minutes when using a power-down anchor. By dropping almost immediately, the Windlass 31 also lets you anchor in a precise location, so you won't drift to a new spot while waiting for the anchor to activate. And free-fall anchoring truly is the easiest way to anchor, as the free-fall stops when the anchor reaches the ocean or lake floor. No more letting rope collect on your deck while you waste time and effort powering down. Other features include stainless-steel drive shafts; a replaceable Rode-Glide that smoothly channels the rope and chain below the deck; and a safety-conscious design.

this one also had some info http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/P ... dlass.html