View Single Post
Old 06-15-2015, 08:57 AM   #3
Carolena
Guru
 
Carolena's Avatar
 
City: DC
Vessel Name: Carolena II
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 32/34
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 635
Quote:
Originally Posted by jskinner30PII View Post
I was hoping this may have occurred to someone else that might have some insight?

Weekend raft up.

Arrived at location early and decided I would put out the anchors for this weekend. I turned my Windlass control rocker switch at helm to the on position. I used the up / down rocker switch at helm to drop anchor. I asked the Admiral to use the foot switch on bow to pull up some slack on line.
The next thirty seconds were unbelievable.
She hit the switch and released and would not stop. I told her to let off on the foot switch at the bow and she said I did? I looked while the Windlass continued to wind in and I hit the up down switch at the helm. I hit the down on the helm switch and it temporarily stop the motor but as soon as I let off it continued to wind in. I than hit the on / off power switch at helm and nothing. The windlass continued to pull in until the anchor had hit the pulpit. I ran down below and used the main 12V cutoff switch to kill power for the entire boat. Just in time for my brother in law to show up in his boat and watch?
Now I’m dead in the water and shaking my head thinking, WTF? I ask him to throw me a line and pull me away from another party of boats until I could disconnect my Windlass and throw the main switch back on. He ties me off and I’m looking at the chain locker, motor and solenoid valve for the motor. The Admiral looks at me and says I didn’t do anything? Everything looks fine. I pull the three Amp fuse in locker for deck switches and turn power back on and the motor takes off. Finally I cut the red wire going to the windlass motor. Turn main switch back on and start engine. Since I have limited tools and came out to relax I do not look at it until I got back to the marina the next day.

So I start pulling switches and looking at them thinking I’ll find a bad wire or something obvious, not? So I break out the multi-meter and think to myself don’t know if I’m going to figure this out? The specification sheet, electrical diagram shows two wires going to a 35 Amp 12 V breaker/ isolator switch. I do not have this switch at the helm. I have a on off rocker switch with five wires going to it, two red on one side and three yellow on other side of switch. The boat is a 30' Mainship pilot with Lewmar V700 windlass.

What would be the best way to test the switches?
Sounds like a possible problem with the foot switch on the bow (frozen in the closed position) or the solenoid. I start by checking the switch for continuity with a multimeter. Not sure how to check the solenoid.
Carolena is offline   Reply With Quote