Hi All,
So I decided to upgrade the anchoring system on my 34' Catalina in anticipation of some Bass Strait cruising.

I've always thought the system was too lightweight (10kg Bruce anchor with 1/4in (6mm) chain) to be reliable in a serious blow.
So, step 1 was to get a 45lb Mantus - huge bloody thing, but fits well on my bow roller.
Now to upgrade the chain from 6mm to, maybe 8 or even 10mm.

Trouble is, Maxwell don't make any gypsies other than 1/4in for my Maxwell VW500 windlass - so I'm facing getting a new for big $$$$
Or....maybe somebody out there has an old, unused, faulty, etc windlass that I could canabilise the gypsy from and adapt to my existing winch. I've got the necessary tools (lathe, etc) to do this.

Not necessarily looking for charity, happy to pay what it's worth.
Any suggestions,etc gratefully received

regards,
allan

I did see a gypsy either on ebay or gum tree not very long ago I think it was 5/16 chain

or this below

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/moorooduc/boat-accessories-parts/anchor-windlass-quick-antares-1012d/1099247862

Just having a look at the 500VW specs and comparing them to my Muir Storm 2200. The Muir has a Max load of 1000kgs but a working load of 250kgs. When I spoke to the guys at Muir they said it was the correct winch for my ground tackle because the total weight of the 100m of 3/8 chain and anchor were about 250kgs. This means I can haul my anchor up even if I was in 100m of water.

Looking at the the 500VW, it say it has a max load of 225kgs so I'm wondering what the actual safe work load rating is for this this winch. Is it worth discussing this with Maxwell prior to increasing the size of the ground tackle. Maybe there is a reason that they don't have larger chain gypsies for this model.

When I was looking around for which anchor winch to put on my boat, I visited the local maxwell dealer and he had a heap on units to repair and most were failed gear boxes.

Just something to mull over

Thanks for the thoughts Crusoe - a comprehensive answer like yours deserves a comprehensive response.

As you probably know, many experts (with strong engineering backgrounds) are seriously questioning the traditional concepts of rope/chain ratios, particularly with respect to 'modern' anchors such as the Rocna, Spade, Manson, Mantus, etc.
They are now recommending much less chain and going away from the 'all chain' philosophy.

Off the top of my head (I'll follow up with references) according to this 'new' thinking, I'm looking at the order of around 50 mtrs of chain (plus rope of course) which, for 3/8in will total around 150kg including the new anchor.
Given the Maxwell VW500 'PULL AT CHAINWHEEL' specification (dunno what the definition of this spec is, but let's assume it's working load) is 250kg, then it would appear my 150kg figure will be acceptable.

Given my boat is 34ft and 5.7tonne, I can't see how it could manage 250kg at the bow like yours does - I think it would submarine in heavy weather. What do you think?

I'd be interested in your thoughts on this - meantime I'll chase up the references I spoke of.
regards,
allan

Hello Datawiz, I suppose the point I was raising is, what does does the "Pull at the Chainwheel" really mean. My muir has 2 different load ratings and I was wondering if the Maxwell did as well.

As far as the ground tackle goes, I didn't mean to imply you needed what I have on my boat, but just trying to give more detail on my setup and how the Muir guys use their "Working Load" specification to determine if the Winch was suited to the dead weight of the ground tackle on my boat. Got the impression from the Muir specifications was that it could handle a shock load of 1000Kg (called Max Load) but the working load (called Work Load) was only 250kgs.

If the "Pull at the Chainwheel" load of 225kgs is what your winch can handle continually under normal working conditions, then you shouldn't have any issues modifying the unit with a larger gypsy and associated ground tackle.

I used to use a Delta anchor, which (for me) worked well in sand but not much chop in mud or fine silt. I never skimp on the amount of chain with always more than 5:1 out. Brought a Rocna (same weight as the delta) and have never ever dragged again and that also goes for tidal places where the anchor may be called upon to reset itself every change of the tide.

Crusoe

Do you know much about Rocna Vulcan. Cant use a Rocna with the rotator ring.
Think the bow spit bob stay gets in the way along with the bow spit

Hello HG, Sorry, I have no experience with the Vulcan. I did try and use a Manson Boss (very similar Shank shape) on my bow roller, but it would not lock into place when the chain was pulled tight. The continuous curve in the Shank means it can move up and down slightly even when the chain is tight. It also wobbles. My original Delta had a definite spot where the bow roller locked into it and the Rocna is not as good but still okay. I normally have to remove the Rocna if waves start to slap it around. I always take it off at the start of an ocean passage.

The other problem with the Boss was that the end of the shank came down and touched the deck due to the big curve in it. Not good.

My advice would be to try and find someone with the same anchor (vulcan) and ask them if you can borrow it to try out on your boat before buying it. The Boss was another financial learning curve for me.

Some times the manufactures have printable designs you can print out and stick together (and maybe most on cardboard) to enable you to see how it will fit on your existing bow roller.

Select to expand quote

HG02 said..
Crusoe

Do you know much about Rocna Vulcan. Cant use a Rocna with the rotator ring.
Think the bow spit bob stay gets in the way along with the bow spit

The Vulcan is Peter Smiths version of the Spade. Some styling changes on the shank and it does not unbolt. The profile for the spade will be the same if you want to make a wooden mock up. Probably cheaper than the Spade and I should imagine be as good. The curved shank might be a problem if left on a roller unless you use the correct set up. Rocna added this design to their range for people who wanted to stow their anchor in an anchor well. The rollbar version wont fit a lot of wells.

This is a roller set up for a Spade. Takes up a bit of room and would be troublesome if your on a swing mooring. The secret of a good anchor is a sharp point and a sharp leading edge which will make short work of a rope mooring riser in a Westerly gale!