Windlass questions

[keninaz]

I think I am going to buy a 24' cabin cruiser.
We are older and have anchored in mud and rocks on the West Coast before and had to break the anchor loose and then pull it up. I am thinking a windlass might be in order but never had one.
Now located in SC and not sure what the bottoms are like in the lakes and salt water.
What do I need to know to select a windlass for a 24' cruiser that weighes in at some 5000#?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Get yerself an anchor ball to free a stuck anchor, as you cant rely on just a windlass to pull loose a stuck anchor,......

 

[keninaz]

Jerked many loose in my time and then dragged them up by hand.
Just looking for advice on a windlass at this time.

 

[Scott Danforth]

What do I need to know to select a windlass for a 24' cruiser that weighes in at some 5000#?

How deep of water are you going to be anchoring in?

What is your scope?

How much chain will you be running?

Then make sure your anchor locker will hold all that line and chain and have more than 15" from the top of the pile to bottom of windlass

 

[keninaz]

How deep of water are you going to be anchoring in?

What is your scope?

How much chain will you be running?

Then make sure your anchor locker will hold all that line and chain and have more than 15" from the top of the pile to bottom of windlass

Most likely use will be in less than 100' water, mostly around 40' as my research has shown locally.
Scope? don't understand your query.
I used to run around 6-10' of chain in salt water on the West Coast using a typcial mud anchor. Used to fish for sturgeon in the Sacramento delta, Suisun and San Pablo bays for the most part.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Usual scope of 5:1 to 7:1. :1 to 10:1 if it gets windy. So in 40', that is 280-400 feet of line and chain.

In 100' of water, you will need up to 1000 feet of line and chain.

At a minimum you should have 25 feet of chain

 

[keninaz]

Wow, never used that much rope or chain on the West Coast and the tides ran 6-7 MPH at times.

 

[tpenfield]

Are you going to install one D-I-Y style, or have it done by a shop/marina?

You'll want about 15-20 feet of chain and a braided rode and probably a claw or delta plow style anchor . . . 22lb. should be fine.

 

[FunInDuhSun]

I think I am going to buy a 24' cabin cruiser.
We are older and have anchored in mud and rocks on the West Coast before and had to break the anchor loose and then pull it up. I am thinking a windlass might be in order but never had one.
Now located in SC and not sure what the bottoms are like in the lakes and salt water.
What do I need to know to select a windlass for a 24' cruiser that weighes in at some 5000#?

A windlass is only designed to pull the weight of an anchor and attached line/ chain, not pull itself loose from the bottom.
This is a common misconception. The proper way is to move directly over the anchor, then use engine power to break it free from the bottom. Once free, use the windlass to pull the anchor directly up thru the water column. Check this link: https://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/tips-using-windlass/
Concerning rope versus chain, do your research. Chain is nice but may be overkill on a small boat.
As far as recommendations, I like the Good brand. They’re based in Barnegat, NJ and have been in business for 50 years. Their website can help you decide the best size for your boat. I have one of their 500 series all rope units on my 34’ Silverton and it has never failed with my 45# Delta plow.

 

[keninaz]

I did not expect a windlass to break an anchor lose.
If I do buy one it will be a DYI install. Done a lot of that type of work in the past and owned many boats and RVs

 

[FunInDuhSun]

I installed mine, it wasn’t all that difficult but you need to be competent with the 12V wiring (solenoids, thermal breaker, switches). I had an electrician friend guide me thru the setup. Good luck with the project!

 

[tpenfield]

Here is a link to my thread about installing a new anchor and then subsequently a windlass.

https://forums.iboats.com/threads/new-anchor-and-bow-roller.647969/