Windlass.... Engineered!

OK, my buddy MacGyver calls it "butt ugly", which, as he speaks with a southern accent, does not sound good.  My wife calls it "industrial"  which does not sound much better.

I prefer to call it "engineered" or even "over engineered".  This is the windlass install.  The box is an old fiberglass battery box, converted to hold the anchor wash down hose, the manual winch handle and the wired winch control.

  

Forward Battery bank.........

I have been undecided on the need for a forward battery bank for some time.  I will have a windlass (Lofrans Tigres) and possibly a 4HP Vetus bow-thruster installed.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and install two group 24 batteries (79AH each, installed in parallel)  in the port locker in the vee-berth.  I have connected the two banks (house and forward) with 1/0 cable via the Mastervolt DC Distribution 500. This cable is fused at both ends and has a switch at the forward battery end.  Most of the time this switch will be off.  The forward bank will be maintained by a Xantrex Echo Charger.  This will ensure that the forward bank is charged anytime a charging source is charging the House Bank.


My logic is as follows.

1.  The windlass needs a battery bank of a minimum of 100 AH - check.  Its max draw is 125 Amps.

2.  Under normal windlass operations I will switch the connecting switch ON.   This will allow the alternator/house bank to pass this amperage to the windlass should it be needed.  The 1/0 wire is far in excess of the minimum required for a 30 ft (round trip) of 125 Amps.  This setup will permit almost continuous use of the windlass.

http://circuitwizard.bluesea.com/

The bow-thruster is another ball of chalk;

1.  Interestingly it only needs a min battery bank of 108 AH.  It draws 350 Amps for a max of 4 mins.  In reality you use it far less that this or you are doing something wrong.  I would have to connect both banks using 3/0 wire to facilitate recharging from the house bank.  This was a non starter.

2.  Under normal bow-thruster operations I will have the connecting switch to OFF.  The bow-thruster will ONLY operate off the forward bank.  This is acceptable in my book.  Any current used will be recharged from the Echo Charge once a charging source (e.g. Alternator/solar/wind) is available.

All opinions welcome, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Windlass decision...

Regular reader(s) may remember my inherited Simpson Lawrence windlass. Well that has gone to a keen shopper at the Pompano Nautical Flea market. The price was right (i.e. cheap) and it had a "Flee market" guarantee (i.e. I took the money and fled).

I have now narrowed my search for a windlass to the MAXWELL MARINE HRC Series Windlasses, the 12V/120A HRC 10-10, to be precise. I have always liked the Maxwell's and despite the fact that this is a brand new design it looks good. I managed to grab a quick look at the Miami Boat Show.


Image © Maxwell Marine

Legacy Equipment........

When I purchased the "Hull" I also inherited some boat bits. One of these is a S-Lectric windlass. its been sitting on the floor of my apartment for over a year, so I decided to take a look at it.



Ooookkkk a rubber belt! That could be fun on a dark night when the wind turns your anchorage into a lee shore.





A Jolly old British motor. Siba was a part of Lucas, I believe.