Willard 30 Maxwell Windlass Reviews

I will be purchasing an electric windlass soon.

I am looking for reviews and recommendations.

I plan on 30-50' chain to rode. I also want a free fall function, preferably that I can control from the Flybridge.

Thanks for your help.

John

John,
I don't care for chain.

Here's what I use on my Willard Nomad. Mostly all nylon rode w about 3' of 3/8" chain next to the anchor, 14' of 5/16" chain and 5/8" Nylon Brait. I have a noisy little drum winch (capstan) w a foot switch. The winch is small as you can see and costs $425. I have secured on deck a box of sufficient size to carry all the rode. Holes in the bottom to drain water. My last boat had an anchor locker open to the fwd berth and eventially started to stink so I now store the rode on deck.

My working anchors are 14 to 22lbs and are easy to handle w this setup. unless you have a Claw or a CQR anchor you shouldn't need an anchor over 22lbs. Consult old anchor threads about other anchors.

Just in front of the winch I have a very large 4 bolt cleat dedicated to tying off the anchor rode. There are port and stbd mooring cleats on each side of the anchor cleat. I mounted it all to a 1 1/8" plywood plate that distributes loads over a wide area of the foredeck .. Bedded in Dolphinite.

If you had an average size trawler this setup probably wouldn't work as the anchor would be too heavy to handle easily by hand.

If you settle on chain you should probably have a washdown system.
Attached Thumbnails

__________________
Eric

North Western Washington State USA

Thanks Eric,

Your foredeck looks just like my Fales 30. If those cleats are positioned the same as mine, then they are backed up inside the forward berth. That leaves a very small fore triangle to mount a windlass with a vertical drop. I see why you have it set up that way.

I am in poor health and will not be able to retrieve an anchor. And, my wife, well, nuff said.....

I definitely need a system though. I am not a slip person. We cruise Down East Maine and if we get to civilization once or twice a week, its a lot.

My boat has rollers and two big anchors. One looks like a 22 lb CQR and the other a large Danforth. Both have old rusty chain that needs to be replaced and lousy looking three braid.

I will try to post a picture.

I think I would like to work with the CQR with minimum chain. Some tell me 15 feet is plenty. On my 37 foot sailboat, my set up was a CQR with 50' of chain and 3 braid, and a Lewmar vertical with capstain, . That worked, but the chain and rhode would kink under deck and needed manhandling. On that boat I could leave the helm and go forward. On the Fales, it is a long way around from either helm in a hurry. I am looking for a remote drop and retreive.

Here are the two anchors, I think I will take the Danforth off roller and keep as a spare.

I would like to use the CQR as my overall working anchor. I also keep the boat on a mooring so I bring the pennents through one of the rollers as well. The chocks aren't quite big enough.

This picture was taken as I found her. She no longer is in a slip.

John

My thoughts;
Get a windlass that gives you the ability to raise and lower the rode from the helm station as you say you'd like. You may need a tube to guide the chain fwd into the chain locker. Someone else should make the call about whether it should be a horizontal or vertical windlass but I'm guessing a vertical may be a little more of a bush button operation. Use more chain (about 100' min.) 1/4" HT chain matched to your windlass. Use the CQR if you don't have hard bottoms in your area. Otherwise I suggest a Delta about 25# or a tad larger. A Claw of 33# minimum will be adequate also. Get a bow roller that self launches the anchor you have but I suggest you go out on deck and secure the rode with a locking device to secure the anchor so it can't off or come loose in rough going. Provide a method of securing the rode to the boat. Don't use the windlass as an attach point. Go to your marine hdwre store and ask about such a device.

There may be much more and some very different advice or suggestions but if your'e in doubt read older posts re anchoring and windlasses. And if you ask somebody in a store they will never recommend that which they don't carry. And lastly you may want to wait (if you have time) until this thread runs it's course before making decisions.

You say "she's no longer in a slip". Where then?

Investigate "Brait" if you use anchor line.. Not braid. The Brait can occupy a space half as big as 3 strand and always comes out and goes in w/o a hitch. For you though w a short rode and push button operation I'd suggest all chain. I'm usually very much against chain. Very heavy.

I see now John that you're from Maine. Somehow I got the impression you were from Florida where everyone anchors in 20' of water.

You'll be needing much more than 100' of anchor rode. Personally I think long rodes of all chain is too heavy but many here use and abide by it. I think (as does Chapman) that a combination is best. Probably 200' min. I personally have over 400' of working anchor line. Part of the reason I have a long rode is to possibly keep our boat off the beach if the engine fails. I don't know the Maine waters at all but you'll need to anchor at a scope that allows the anchor to stay buried w/o breaking out or dragging excessively. Anchors like the Danforth/Fortress, Claw, Manson Supreme and Anchor Right SARCA are more capable at short scope. Anchors like the Spade, Rocna and Delta offer really high performance at 5-1 scope or more but their holding power falls off at 3-1. So if you have or need a short rode pick an anchor w better short scope performance but most experienced trawlermen choose to anchor at 5-1 or more. Then the Rocna,Spade and Delta are better.

Sorry about the previous posts and I don't know where I got the impression you were from down south in shallow waters. Please see the anchoring posts of the past. There's more information there than will ever be posted again. Remember though that in anchoring the greatest variable is the bottom. Very hard bottoms, some weedy bottoms and very soupy mud will turn the highest performing anchors into draggers or worse.

The Boat is moored in a tidal river in Massachusetts, on the New Hampshire line. We cruise Down East to Maine, through the various bays up to about Mt. Desert Island.
There is not much in New Hampshire except the Isles of Shoals which we frequent. That is only a two hour run from the mouth of the river.

Anchor ground is mostly mud, hard sand, and sometimes a little rocky. We anchor mostly in about 15-30 feet of water.

I am thinking all chain, but then I would need a washdown system. The mud is black and heavy like clay.

I like the look of the braight, chain combo. But if I use any chain, I will have to do the washdown. I might as well do all chain, I think the boat can handle the weight. I would think 200 feet would be plenty. If I can get to the boat today I will take some pictures and measurements of the chain locker and see what I have to work with. I researched the Lofrans and they look like a good reputable product. However, the distributor that is selling the most reasonable locally has the Maxwells in stock.

Good and glad to hear all of the above.

For interest sake you can see the Brait in my anchor rode box in my deck picture above. That's 5/8" but 1/2" should be fine.

You can help balance the boat w all chain by keeping the water tanks in the Laz full.