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Windlass installation for a Morgan 384

D

dick

Dick Grimshaw
Recently I described to a Morgan owner how to install an electric windlass, I thought I would share the experience on the board.

Here are the images with some blurb, a apologies for the mud and dirt -- ts winter over here in the NW

<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/124.jpg" alt="image01">
Showing windlass and two foot switches. Windlass (Lewmar Concept) mounted on 1 inch teak block.

<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/125.jpg" alt="image02">
View of upper rode locker from bow to aft. Note the 3 inch diameter hawsepipe (which I think was about 16 inches long) passing from bottom of windlass through bulkhead and then through floor of upper rode locker. You can see the original hawsepipe to the front right. I sealed the latter.

<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/126.jpg" alt="image03">
Another view of the new 3 inch hawsepipe taken from directly above

<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/130.jpg" alt="image04a">

<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/127.jpg" alt="image04b">
The above two images taken in the focsle show the hawsepipe passing from the bottom of the windlass and then through the cabin bulkhead into the upper rode locker, thence through the floor of the latter to the lower rode locker. all of this was "glassed" in and some time I will make a collar to fit around the hausepipe where it passes through the bulkhead. I prefer to leave the windlass un boxed so that it is open to air and access. I used a 45 degree off the shelf copper bend to direct the hawser pipe from the windlass forward at a slope of 45 degrees. I cut the end of the hawsepipe off flush with the underneath of the upper rode locker floor, and galssed the edges to help make sure that the pipe was not cut by the anchor chain. It looks a bit grubby in the photos but in fact it is not.


<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/128.jpg" alt="image05">
A view into the lower rode locker. Note the small "dam" placed in the bow to retain the bitter end of the chain and about 50 ft of 5/16 anchor chain. I will probably make the "dam" higher to retain more chain, another 50 ft, leaving 150 ft to fill the main rode storage area. I found that the "dam" is essential otherwise the chain builds up where it drops from the hawser and eventually fails to fall and jams up the works.


<img src="http://morgan38.org/messages/1/129.jpg" alt="image06">
My windlass is a reverseable electric windlass so I installed the two solenoids on the forward bulkhead on the starboard side and led the cables back in the space above the cabin roof and below the deck, right next to where deck and hull join, to the boats batteries located under the quarter birth. I located a master switch for the windlass next to the boats master power switches that are located at the forward end of the quarter birth next to the battery compartment.

The windlass was used at $1000, and I spent about another $300 on cable, foot switches, master switch , and and solenoids (all used accept for the solenoids and foot switches). I also got 250 ft of used BBB 5/16" chain for a dollar a foot. The pipe and 45 degree bend I got from the local plumber for about $40. I guess the whole works coat me close to $1700 and two days of work. I had to eyeball in the hawsepipe, which meant that the holes I cut in the bulkhead were bigger than necessary, but that is why we have fibre glass!!
 
Your installation looks very similar to mine, but I have no "dam." And I cannot count on the chain going into the locker without binding up, so I have to manually help it fall over as it piles up. I use 5/16" high test. Does the dam do what you want and prevent all, or mostly all, binding of the chain as it enters? Any improvement here would be good, because mine always binds up unless I reach down into the chain locker and help it out. (I have an inspection plate built into the top shelf of the anchor locker to access the lower area). My Niilson/Maxwell is also reversing with foot plates. I would like to have a control in the cockpit for when I single hand. Do you have such an arrangement?
 
Dick
With my windlass installation, which is very similar to yours, I left the original hawsepipe in place and use it to "knockdown" the pile with a stick from the deck if there is a jam. I also installed a cofferdam in the chain locker (see photo gallery "382 Dana"). I carry 250' of 5/16" G4 chain. The first 90', which is used all the time, is directly under the chainpipe and rarely fouls. While the remaining 160' is forward of the dam readily accessable. If I ever need to use more than that first 90' I then have to reload the cofferdam from the V-bunk. I've also installed a windlass controller (mine are handheld) in the cockpit at the helm. Comes in handy when singlehanding and getting out of a tight anchorage when the wind is up and things are dicey. I'll break out the anchor from the helm then head for less congested, deeper water to get the anchor on board and squared away.

Jim
 
The coffer dam helps a lot. it holds 50ft out of a total of 250 5/16 inch chain. It makes all the difference in preventing jamming.

At one stage even with the coffer dam the chain was getting terribly twisted and knotted to the extent that the chain was unable to feed through the pipehauser when lowering the anchor. I found that the chain was twisting as it came in over the bow roller - the roller groove had a big "vee" in it which automatically twisted the chain as it came on board! I replaced the roller with one from West Marine that had virtually no groove and most of the problem has been resolved. I also have swivel on the anchor end of the chain. This helps a bit.

I don't have a windlass control in the cockpit, a good idea - but extra bucks!!
 
Jim,

I suspect that I copied your ideas in the first place to give credit to you. I follow similar procedures as you do. Good idea to use the original pipehauser to knock down the chain if it piles up too much.

dick
 
I'm about to embark on a windlass installation project and wanted to add a second bow roller and washdown while at it. It was suggested to me by the yard mechanic, to consider instead of another bow roller, putting a beefy, reinforced hawse hole angled forward through the bulwark, and some protective stainless around it, and use that for anchor deployment and retrieval instead of a bow roller. The theory being that the rode would not be able to jump out like it could off a roller and I guess it would be slightly closer to the water and overall more intregal to the boat. I told him I've never heard of any other Morgan 38 owners having done that but that I'd ask the group for their thoughts. (FYI: my cruising plans are to retire next year and cruise the East Coast and the Caribbean until the spirit (or circumstances) moves me to do something else. I will have 200 feet of 5/16 chain plus 150 three strand as the primary rode, another 100 feet of chain and 200 feet of three strand, a plow, delta, danforth, and bruce.)

In addition, I want to make sure I'm looking in the right place for that 300 lbs+/- of lead that many have talked about. On my 384 there is a small hatch on the V-berth platform aft of the forward locker and forward of the water tank. It is maybe 12" deep at its aft end and to me looks quite empty. I mean I'm looking at a V section that continues in line from the bow. Is this where others have found the lead that was glassed in and that they had to chisel out? Can I drill through the bulkhead that is forward of this lower stowage and connect with the forward locker? This would be where my excess anchor rode would live but would have to snake forward up into the locker and then up and back past the windlass. The alternative of putting a pipe straight through the V berth does not appeal to me for obvious asthetic and comfort reasons. But, I guess my question is, is this what you who have removed the lead have done?

Thanks in advance for your comments,
Ken "Mary T"
 
Ken
If the locker you are looking at is all the way forward and down at the hull in the v-bunk, then it sounds like the lead was not there to begin with or it was previously removed. In either case you've been spared a nasty job. I had thought about opening a space in the bulkhead between that locker and the chain locker but felt the area to be too small to be of value. I also worried about the chain getting jammed up at the turn.

Jim
 
Just my two cents: a good roller is the way to go, I think. Puts the anchor and rode a bit away from the bow. You can put a stainless hoop on it so nothing jumps out under the worst conditions. An identical bow anchor can be made by the company in Florida that made the originals, although it will not be cheap. There are past email chains about this. Also, someone recently was negotiating with an M38 owner who is also a machinist about making new rollers. Check recent threads as well.
 
I have a 40 gl. watertank (aft) under the v-berth on my 383. What I would like to know; does any of you know if there still are ingots for ballast forward?

Hans-Edgar
 
I have a 384 and as best I can determine, I have the ingots. I determined this by measureing from the forward tank compartment forward and from a small compartment in the msot forward end of the V-berth aft. There was a space between the two that I was unable to access. I believe this mysterious space is filled with trim ballast.
 
Jay:

See what you are saying!It seems like a lot of space alotted for 300#, and I have to cut out a hole to find out!
I have also entertained the idea to take out the forward water tank and install a watermaker when that time comes!
 
One last item. I drill a small hole through the V-berth setteeinto this space and inserted a dowel rod into it. The dowel would only go in about three inches before it bottomed out. The space is definitly filled with something.

Jay
 
Jim & jay!
Jim, what I ment was take away the watertank forward, thereby gaining more storage space, and then place a water maker in a suitable place. Maybe an advice from som of you regarding this?
Jay,seems like you are right! Going to be a b....... to get those ingots up from there!!

Hans-Edgar
 
You might consider converting the forward water tank to diesel storage tank that can gravity feed into the bilge tank. It makes sense if you have a good water maker. I placed my maker in the engine compartment.
Jim
 
Jim:

Capital idea that with the water tank convertion, and posibly I can use the same tank?
Could you e-mail pictures of the watermaker instalation?

Regards
Hans-Edgar
 
Hans-Edgar,
I would not advise using the same water tank because diesel would most likely permeate the plastic and smell up the cabin. But a gravity feed into the main fuel tank makes a lot of sense to add fuel capacity. I would use a specialty vented fuel tank well secured.

What is your email for pictures of the water maker installation?
Jim
 
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