Windlass replacement/upgrade

[Pitou]

The time has come for a new windlass. The boat came through with the Imtra Dorado which has never worked well and always required manual help by pressing down on the pressure finger when retrieving when the rode becomes 3 strand after the chain has been hauled. Deployment is fine. Someone will lose a human finger and most likely it will be me. Time to minimze risk. What I have done to the Dorado is : sent the windlass back to Imtra and they replaced the gypsy (they said this should be done every other season/ give me a break!) ... no help .... they also recomended replacing the rode ... I replaced the rode .... no help. I'm done with the Dorado.

This off season a complete replacement with a new windlass is in the wings. Curious what others have on their pulpet and how well they work.

I am considering the Horizon 400, which a friend has on his 28' express which works well without any manual assistance, and now on sale at Defender http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=1129685.

The other unit I am considering is the ProFish Free Fall. from Lewmar which I have no experience with. This is a bit more money and on sale at BoaterLand not to be confused with BoaterWorld. http://www.boatersland.com/profish700.html.

Any thoughts If many of you would, please jump in and share the good the bad and the ugly.

[Capt Paul]

Pitou,

I have an Horizon on my Albin and I have the same problem when retrieving, I was thinking of changing the gypsy since I'm sure it's the original that came on the boat. After reading your post , I am wondering if it is worth it. I still may do it.

Paul

[Pitou]

Pitou,

I have an Horizon on my Albin and I have the same problem when retrieving, I was thinking of changing the gypsy since I'm sure it's the original that came on the boat. After reading your post , I am wondering if it is worth it. I still may do it.

Paul

On the Horizon the Pressure finger is in the front and seems to have some ooomph wher the Dorado is to the stern of the the windlass and is like limp milk toast. The big difference as my thinking goes is that the heavy preasure finger forward and the gypsy on the Horizon & Lewmar have deep V's and beefy teeth to catch the rode .... the Dorado teeth are rounded and shallow and just does not seem to have any bite. A differnce I had noticed versus our ALBINS and my buddies boat is that his pulpit is very short as ours seem pretty long. Making a difference because of angle??? I don't know. Lots of scenarios playing around inside my head to try and understand. Wondering if it is a pulpit design issue. Just not sure and looking for input and hoping one of you guys have found the "holy grail".

[zinbaad]

I had a "Quick" brand windless on my last boat the Wellcraft. Made the mistake not to get the free fall model but loved not always having to go up and hand pull all the rope & anchor. the "Quick" looked just like the Lewmar, big teeth solid pull.
I am considering a new windless on my 31' but not sure if it was wired up for it. hate to have to run all those heavy wires up to the bow again.
<< Listening to recomendations

[Pitou]

Anyone running a Vertical windlass on there 28 with success?????? I hadn't put that in the mix thinking I needed the room in the anchor locker.

[RobS]

I am considering a new windless on my 31' but not sure if it was wired up for it. hate to have to run all those heavy wires up to the bow again.
<< Listening to recomendations

If my 2000 28TE is pre-wired I'd bet your newer 31' is.....but then again, this is Albin we're talking about...assume nothing

[jcollins]

I have a Maxwell RC on mine. Slips on the retrieve once in awhile. I just "jig" a couple of times and it catches.

[Russell]

The stainless Lewmar with freefall looks like the ideal windlass but the $299 price of the Horizon is mighty tempting. I have the Horizon and it is easy to pull the rode to the side of the pressure finger by hand and let down the anchor rapidly. You have to go up front but I have to to that anyway to get the anchor out of the pulpit. No problem with the capstan slipping on the retrieve.

[Pitou]

Russ, Thanks for sharing your success. Do you know which Horizon windlass you have? Defender also has the 500 on clearance. These units have been discountinued and that is the reason for the special deal. Here is a link to the Horizon 500 http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=1130522.

Rob/Zinbaad I took a look at an options price sheet I have that has a print date of 1/5/04 ; Wired for Windlass / 28 : $390 / 31 & 35 : $475 The full monty on the 28TE with a Dorado Windlass, anchor roller, 30 ft. of 1/4" HT chain w/ 300ft of 1/2 inch rode : $ 3545.00 (that's my set-up). I can't imagine any dealer ordering a hull as an inventory boat without at least having it wired.

Thanks to all who have shared. Any happy Dorado owners?

[mackidaddy]

Kevin,
I had a Profish 1000 installed on my 2008 28 and not happy with it.
Unless I am hovering over it and babysitting the retrieve, the rode will jam in the gypsy half the time. Pretty frustrating. Need to free it with the included tool quite often. Total kick in the jimmy.
I would not be a repeat buyer.

[joe.baar]

We have a Lofrans Dorado vintage 2003, original invoice $1,320.00. The invoice shows a 700 watt unit but the one on the boat is marked 500 W.

This windlass sat out in the weather for a whole year, unattended and un-maintained, and lit right off as soon as I pulled the "on" switch. It has foot switches on the fo'c'sle and a toggle at the helm, all of which always work - as opposed to the bow thruster which operates about 10% of the time.

This year I cut up a brown tarp, glued line around the edges and secured it over the windlass, chain locker hatches and running lights, much happier even if it doesn't fit quite the way I thought it would. I'll try to get some photos to post next week.

Last summer after I used a 24" length of 1 1/2" pipe over a winch handle to loosen the gypsy head I was able to get the freewheeling functionality to work just fine. We anchored easily and securely for an afternoon in 130'. The anchor looks like a boatyard-built stainless steel version of a Danforth, maybe 10 lb.

The 3/16" BBB chain flakes down in the locker as it should, as does the 265' of 1/2" nylon braid after that. I did wash down the locker and installed DriDeck (?) squares under the rode so it would drain a little better.

I agree, there's way too much temptation to have fingers involved with the rode and I'm still contemplating what a better set-up might look like. One thing I'd really like is an honest bitt on the foredeck - and one somewhere in the cockpit area as well. But those things are low on the list right now.

All in all I'm very well pleased with this windlass.

[Russell]

Kevin, I believe my windlass is the 400 model but I see the 500 drops faster than it retrieves. That would be worth the extra few dollars. Much of the problem we have on our Albins is due to the shallow anchor rode locker. The rode piles up and pushes the line off the gypsy. The best thing that you can do is to replace it with the special 8 plait line that is limp. If you are getting new gear you may want to switch to that. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... &id=675054

[chiefrcd]

My Albin came with a Muier (not sure of the spelling) and I had all kinds of issues with retrieving my three strand anchor rode. I finally switched out to"brait" which is 8 strand braided line and have not had any issues. No hockles, no twist.

[Pitou]

Russ, I hear you on the 500 it makes sense to me. Chief & Russ the plait makes alot of sense and I have considered it for a while now. My 1st consideration came after viewing a thread where Chief, as I recall, you had highly recomended it on a previous thread dicussing rodes. I have searched this site hard on windlass and rode discussions lately and read every post. I think you guys are right on this score.

I also posted this on the Hull Truth and prepared for the flames that often follow on that forum. Surprisingly, the replies have been pretty civil so far, but the Albin Owners Group has been naturally more helpful. FromThe Hull TruthI did get a response from Jim Thomas (Imtra) the US Distributor of the Dorado asking me to give him a call. I reached him this morning. He was very cordial and wants to help me find a solution to the troubles I have had. He has also offered a site visit to my marina. They are located in New Bedford, MA. He has 1st recomended the fabric softener and warm water soak of the line. My line is pretty supple and no hockles and am not confident of this process though I have heard of others doing this annually at spring commissioning. He also shared a story of someone on Cape Cod this past fall with an Albin 28 that went to 8 strand brait to solve the problem successfully of which he made a nice offer of to work something out if the soak did not work. I'd prefer to go straight to brait, but with his offer I'll follow the process. He said NewEngland Ropes (Imtra's rode supplier) is putting together a 12 strand brait which they believe will be even better for those of us with shallow lockers. Another recomended option from Imtra was 100 ft. of chain and 100 ft. of rope which the 100 ft. of chain will cover most of my anchoring which is in 30 Ft or less and more ideas and offers to follow. The Dorado hauls chain without problem.

Oh what to do! I'll probably buy the 500 and leave it in the box stored in the area of wayward boat parts and follow along and fish with Imtra until mid June and at which time if not resolved .... cut bait and install the 500 with brait.

Again, thanks to all and keep it coming .... I'll keep you all posted on the Imtra / Dorado story .......

Hey MackDaddy .... do you have 3 strand rode or brait on that ProFish?

[mackidaddy]

Kevin,
3 strand.
I bet you anything you just solved my problem.
Great, simple solution. Plus, I like your suggestion of adding more chain. Thanks very much.
Mechanically (aside from jamming which as you imply might be a problem with the line, not the windlass itself), the ProFish is a beast. Lots of torque.
Far better stainless than standard issue Albin hardware too. Quick spritz with freshwater and it looks mint. Zero Nevr-Dull required. Zero.