4A4: Anchor Windlass
The anchor on Patos is raised and lowered by a Lofrans Tigres Windlass on the bow pulpit. The
windlass is controlled by foot switches at the bow. The control circuit breaker for the windlass is on the
windlass breaker panel on the starboard side of the saloon helm console
.
The windlass raises/lowers
the anchor.
Be sure to leave the breaker “Off” when the windlass is not in use. This
prevents damage in the event that a footswitch fails due to salt water
contamination!
If the windlass should fail to operate when its foot switches are operated, trouble-shoot as
follows:
!
Be sure the windlass breaker and switch are “on”;
!
If the breaker/switch was on, try the manual up/down switch at either helm (if this works,
use these switches instead of the foot switches until the foot switches are repaired);
!
If the manual switches don’t work, you can quickly determine if the windlass itself has failed:
Remove the back cover from the windlass and, with a voltmeter, check to see if while a
switch is depressed, there is DC voltage on it’s terminals; if not, check the actual wires
themselves where they connect to the windlass. The windlass uses so much current that
sometime the connection — though it appears tight — may have failed. If there is voltage
on the wires, tighten the nuts firmly on the terminals.
!
If all this fails, use the brake wheel (green arrow) to keep the wildcat from letting out chain
while you loosen the clutch (red arrow) on the starboard side of the windlass, then put the
handle in the collar on the left side (yellow arrow) , and “ratchet” the windlass up with the
handle, tightening the place after each lift to keep the chain from slipping back.
Ratcheting collar.
Insert bar in slot.
(Collar can be
rotated by hand to
access slot.
)
Insert bar here (or
turn this wheel by
hand hand) to
release clutch for
manual
lowering/raising.
This is the brake
wheel.
Be sure it is
released when
operating the
windlass normally!
Section 4A: Systems: Anchor & Ground Tackle 4.3
