Chain Counter

This is probably electronics but... it involves an anchor
This past summer I converted to all chain but now I have this crazy notion that I need to add a chain counter. The actual counter may not really be the issue. It's really the sensor at the windlass that has me concerned. looking for ideas. If someone has a great turnkey system then bring that on as well.

I add zip ties, though I doubt we could all agree on what color at what distance.

What is your windlass make and model? We installed one a few years back on our Lofrans Tigres and love it. Just drilled the chain gypsy and epoxied in a magnet, mounted the sensor in the modified reshaped thru hull mount under the gypsy.

rochepoint said:

We installed one a few years back on our Lofrans Tigres and love it. Just drilled the chain gypsy and epoxied in a magnet, mounted the sensor in the modified reshaped thru hull mount under the gypsy.

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Details please. What parts, where did you get them, etc.

Try this:

CruzPro CH55 Chain Counter

or for the racing model:

CruzPro CH60 Chain Counter and Intelligent Windlass Controller

Cruzpro stuff is available in the US from

Downwind Marine

and is, in general, very good and reasonably priced stuff.

Steve

dwhatty said:

Details please. What parts, where did you get them, etc.

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This is what we bought, total programmable.........
http://www.lewmar.com/products.asp?id=9075&type=157&channel=1

Muchas gracias. Now to find the pricing.

Can of spray paint.

dwhatty said:

Muchas gracias. Now to find the pricing.

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It is made by Auto Anchor in New Zealand and rebranded.
Online Suppliers | Auto Anchor

Found this at defender
Marine Counters on Sale

ghost said:

I add zip ties, though I doubt we could all agree on what color at what distance.

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Not quite what I had in mind, but thanks.

The windlass is an Ideal, here's a pic

I would send an email to Ideal or Auto Anchor and ask them what they recommend. I am not familiar with that make of windlass.

ghost said:

I add zip ties, though I doubt we could all agree on what color at what distance.

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Our approach as well. White only, with 1 at 25', 2 at 50', 3 at 75', 4 at 100', repeat.

And they never seem to fall off.

We anchor in anything from 15' to 75', and the 25' spacing works well.

Anchor Chain Markers - Marine Systems - Imtra Marine Products

Or weave colored line in between the links. Color never wears off and you can see it from the flybridge.

We have the Auto Anchor counter, attached to our Maxwell windlass.


The counter works from a magnetic sensor, and there's a small magnet located in and rotating with the chainwheel.


Counts chain great. We have a combo rope/chain rode... and it doesn't count rope for squat.


So our rope is marked at intervals. Cost about $3 for a pack of zip ties...


-Chris

SteveD said:

Try this:
CruzPro CH55 Chain Counter
or for the racing model:
CruzPro CH60 Chain Counter and Intelligent Windlass Controller
Cruzpro stuff is available in the US from
Downwind Marine
and is, in general, very good and reasonably priced stuff.

Steve

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Absolutely. Good suggestion I can personally endorse. They are originally made in Auckland NZ. I picked one up there some years ago. (2008) Installed it myself - piece of cake - well almost, nothing is on a boat, right, but pretty easy. Works like a charm. Below is pic of the helm counter and the winch with the sensors mounted on winch body opposite the chain wheel. (pic 2). The magnet was epoxied into a hole drilled thru the gypsy chain wheel inner rim, just in from the edge. (third pic)

Now I have it, I consider it essential and would hate to be without it. Easy to know exactly how much chain you have out, day or night. No more messing around with paint, ties or clips. Press centre button briefly and it gives batt voltage SOC readout as well.

This unit is quite cheap. Not automatic retrieve, like some fancier types, but still very easy to use. I just watch the counter, and when I know the anchor is up to point of just under water surface, (2.5m), I tend to gently move off and get a fee anchor wash. Then for last part of retrieve I have the last metre of chain painted white, to warn me when its entering the roller assembly. Luvit..!

Or, you could time how many feet per second (or seconds per feet) as you deploy your anchor, and use that to calculate how much chain is deployed. No drilling, messy epoxy, etc., you just need a memory(sigh.....).

For the past three years I have used lightweight sail cloth (spinnaker weight) strips tied onto the chain links. One strip per 15' with the length marked in permanent marker on the strips. Works great. They go right around and through the chain gypsy w/o fouling.

Last summer I bought a small battery powered magnetic rotational sensor/counter on eBay.. it came from china and with shipping was less that $20.00. I mounted the unit ( the same basic display as some of the small dc volt meters i see on the market ) in a small electrical box and have it mounter to the windless with HD Velcro. The sensor was installed through the side of the box and "counts" the rotation of a small magnet that I epoxied to the edge of the rope gypsy part of the windless. I measured the chain vs rotational count and have to add 10% to the normal footage of rode out.

It was a cheap experiment that I did while taking a week cruise last summer and so far it works really well.

HOLLYWOOD

I can strongly recommend AutoAnchor...I have their original model and it operates flawlessly (and I use the anchor frequently). The auto-set and auto-retrieve functions are very handy (though you don't have to use them) and the counter itself is very accurate. Installation is easy, too. And the remote wireless handset can also be set up to operate another device, for example the anchor washdown pump; or docking lights; or the thruster (which is what I've done...means someone picking up a mooring buoy can wear the remote around their neck and when the bow is at that point where the buoy cannot be seen from the helm, the last few feet of adjustment can be done with the thruster by someone out on the pulpit).

dach side said:

Or, you could time how many feet per second (or seconds per feet) as you deploy your anchor, and use that to calculate how much chain is deployed. No drilling, messy epoxy, etc., you just need a memory(sigh.....).

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Yes: "one one-thousand, two one-thousand, ..."

I've had two different chain counters go kaput on me on previous boats. Both times the magnet disappeared. I grabbed colored electrical tape and wrapped it every 20 ft. on a link.

Hasn't failed once.

The magnet is easily replaced. The one that came with mine rusted and lost a chunk, then would not activate the reed switches. A replacement was so expensive it was a joke. So I ordered a minimum quantity of ferrite barrel-shaped types off the iNet, which are 10mm x 10mm, (i.e. twice the side of the original) and the one I replaced it with (see pic 3 in my post above) is still going strong, and certainly activates the reed switches in no uncertain way. So, as the minimum order for ~ $10 was 50, I have 49 left. PM me your address and I'll send you one.