Hi sea breezers. Because my finances won't stretch for an anchor winch I was wondering if one of the sheet winches would do the job after breaking the anchor free from the bottom.

That is the way I do it. Run the anchor warp back to the main winch so most of the chain comes back across the deck. Then just the last amount of chain to lift manually.

I have an anchor winch to install, but it is too large to fit where it needs to go. More pressing problems at the moment.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

The Simpson Lawrence Hyspeed 510 manual winch on my new old boat is seized. I have it partially dismantled and it appears that the shaft has seized on the bushes in the casing. I'm not entirely sure it can be fixed so I'm wondering about the limitations of hauling it in by hand.

I'm a not particularly strong 60 year old, the anchor is a 35lb CQR and I have 35 metres of 8mm short link, that I'm planning to double or even triple in length. The boat is around 6 imperial tons and I will be alone most of the time.

What is the practical limit of manhandling an anchor?

Think laterally everyone.
Trick question for bigger boats

Anyone got powered halyard winches?

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kimtrang said..
Sorry for hijacking the thread.

The Simpson Lawrence Hyspeed 510 manual winch on my new old boat is seized. I have it partially dismantled and it appears that the shaft has seized on the bushes in the casing. I'm not entirely sure it can be fixed so I'm wondering about the limitations of hauling it in by hand.

I'm a not particularly strong 60 year old, the anchor is a 35lb CQR and I have 35 metres of 8mm short link, that I'm planning to double or even triple in length. The boat is around 6 imperial tons and I will be alone most of the time.

What is the practical limit of manhandling an anchor?

that will be a real struggle !!! get the winch replaced !

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SandS said..

kimtrang said..
Sorry for hijacking the thread.

The Simpson Lawrence Hyspeed 510 manual winch on my new old boat is seized. I have it partially dismantled and it appears that the shaft has seized on the bushes in the casing. I'm not entirely sure it can be fixed so I'm wondering about the limitations of hauling it in by hand.

I'm a not particularly strong 60 year old, the anchor is a 35lb CQR and I have 35 metres of 8mm short link, that I'm planning to double or even triple in length. The boat is around 6 imperial tons and I will be alone most of the time.

What is the practical limit of manhandling an anchor?

that will be a real struggle !!! get the winch replaced !

Agree. You will be lifting the anchor and the chain from the bow roller to the bottom, say 8 metres if anchored in 6 metres. Fix the winch or take a gorilla as crew.

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Moppo said..
Hi sea breezers. Because my finances won't stretch for an anchor winch I was wondering if one of the sheet winches would do the job after breaking the anchor free from the bottom.

Yes it would.
I have used mine to haul the anchor up from the murky depths on more than one occasion.
Use a bit of common sense and you can do it safely.
Mind you, it was easy for me with electric winches

you can use the "float retrieval system" I have used it to haul anchors from 100m+ depths. I works in open areas but a crowded anchorage would be difficult. Just google "float retrieval system" there are lots of videos and explanations.

Thanks for the replies. I managed ok on my old boat alone, but was a Top Hat 25 with a 15kg anchor with mostly rope rode and I was almost 20 years younger. I just used to run the 8hp Yahaha slowly on autopilot while I pulled in and managed even in crowded anchorages. If I tripped or something though, I would have been screwed.

Anchor winches are so expensive and I don't want to overcapitalise or run cables, install a different winch etc. I really dislike working on boats, let alone spending money on them. @$%#?? boats!

A chain hook and length of old line will allow you to haul chain using sheet winches. I have done this when the anchor winch has been not working. Gets laborious though, running to and fro to move the hook as the chain reaches the winch, although by having two of these you can work both sides and cut the work down a bit. It's a handy backup, but I wouldn't want it to be the primary retrieval system.

Cheers, Graeme

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kimtrang said..


What is the practical limit of manhandling an anchor?

Pretty tough if there's a fair bit of wind or the bow is moving! Tough to do if there's an emergency too.
The novelty will wear off after the first 10 metres or so of rode I think.
Good luck tho'.

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Agent nods said..
you can use the "float retrieval system" I have used it to haul anchors from 100m+ depths. I works in open areas but a crowded anchorage would be difficult. Just google "float retrieval system" there are lots of videos and explanations.

Yep, works well - makes manually retrieving anchor quite feasible in many cases...

I was educated on anchoring by an old sea dog who said, "...never drop an anchor without a trip line!"
One could retrieve an anchor easier with one, for sure.

I was always intrigued by Granny Smith's setup. He seems to manage without an anchor winch. Here is an excerpt from his you-tube channel.

"Have kept the origional shallow locker at the front of the coach-house. The anchor lives on the bow roller and there is enough room in the locker for 50m of nylon rope and 45m of 8mm shortlink chain. I built an excellent chain pawl for the bow roller which makes pulling up the anchor a pleasure even in bad weather. The more the boat pitches the easier it is to pull up the anchor. I can make a video of it in action if you want. Just need to wait for a choppy anchorage. Cheers."



Does anyone know how he has set up his chain pawl - I want one !

I suspect it was something like this :



A

What a great idea. I reckon fig A would trap rope as well as chain. Might have to think about that.

There had been a chain pawl fitted to my boat at some stage,, I found part of it in a draw on board but it had been turned inside out. Must get around to repairing it.

I have a Muir manual vertical capstan anchor winch with a chain gypsy,,one of the older ones. It works well but you must ensure you have enough fall into the chain locker for the chain tail, small boats might be a little limited. Unfortunately, my chain tail has to travel over about 8" of deck then fall into the chain locker. The chain doesn't pile up much before you have to clear it otherwise the feed into the locker stops and the chain jumps straight of the gypsy and then out goes the chain in a hurry. I always get this terrible urge to grab the tail to stop it and so far I have been lucky I haven't jammed my hand up in it. A chain pawl might save my fingers one day.

For $35 it would be a good investment. Ww.cat.no.575, but two of the chain grab hooks, (Ww.cat.no. 43889) what l use, on a S/S strop would do the job just as well.
A 28 footer thou.

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Agent nods said..
you can use the "float retrieval system" I have used it to haul anchors from 100m+ depths. I works in open areas but a crowded anchorage would be difficult. Just google "float retrieval system" there are lots of videos and explanations.

I've watched a couple of videos, but I still can't get my brain to comprehend how that works.

As it turns out, it appears my winch may be fixable. A neighbour opened it up for me and insides appear ok, but the bushes are jammed. My younger and far stronger helper can move the lever with difficulty, but it is beyond me. I'm going to drain the diesel in my fuel tank and use that to let it soak for a few weeks.


I wouldn't minding spending money if I could find one of these

Ive been pulling my anchor up by hand since I burnt my winch motor out last year trying to winch myself of a sandbank. It's good for the biceps...

I have had to motor forward a little to get the anchor off the bottom at the end a couple of times.

I just wrap it around the gypsy for a break as I go and to wait till the boat goes back over the chain.

Someone suggested I use my block on my spinnaker pole that I use to lift my water up. Haven't tried it yet.

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lydia said..
Think laterally everyone.
Trick question for bigger boats

how about setting up a block and tackle on the bow.

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Bruski068 said..

lydia said..
Think laterally everyone.
Trick question for bigger boats

how about setting up a block and tackle on the bow.

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McNaughtical said..
Someone suggested I use my block on my spinnaker pole that I use to lift my water up. Haven't tried it yet.

That's what I was talking about.

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Agent nods said..
you can use the "float retrieval system" I have used it to haul anchors from 100m+ depths. I works in open areas but a crowded anchorage would be difficult. Just google "float retrieval system" there are lots of videos and explanations.

I know I already added my voice to Agent nods, but really people, I if you don't have an anchor winch you REALLY should investigate the float retrieval system. Besides it will usually free most stuck anchors.
Costs next to nothing if you make your own and it simply WORKS and doesn't require any muscle from you.

regards to all
Allan

This is a relief. My neighbour says he has freed the shaft of my SL anchor windlass of the stuck bushing. It would have been way beyond me to even dismantle it. Just have to order a new grease nipple from SL spares in the UK.

I'll have to see how this anchor retrieval system works. Guess I'd better watch a few more YouTube vids. Damn stupid brain of mine.

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McNaughtical said..
Ive been pulling my anchor up by hand since I burnt my winch motor out last year trying to winch myself of a sandbank. It's good for the biceps...

I have had to motor forward a little to get the anchor off the bottom at the end a couple of times.

I just wrap it around the gypsy for a break as I go and to wait till the boat goes back over the chain.

McNaughty, why not get the winch motor re-wound. When I was looking for electric motors recently, quite a few motor re-winders (companies) appeared in the search results. The motor should be reasonably easy to remove from the winch.

Oh, and BTW, you need to treat an electric motor gently, like a person, and not over-tire or drive it like a slave. Give it a rest when there is hard work to be done, and it will live longer.

I'm just looking at installing a vertical electric windlass with a capstan and gypsy, the free fall works ok, so I'm wondering if there's any real use in being able to reverse the motor to lower the anchor ? Or am I just being really dense ??
Also Ive got no desire to operate it from the cockpit as you have to go fwd to deal with the snubber etc. or am I missing the plot here as well ? Have the years of manual taught me well or am I stuck in the mud ?

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kimtrang said..
This is a relief. My neighbour says he has freed the shaft of my SL anchor windlass of the stuck bushing. It would have been way beyond me to even dismantle it. Just have to order a new grease nipple from SL spares in the UK.

I'll have to see how this anchor retrieval system works. Guess I'd better watch a few more YouTube vids. Damn stupid brain of mine.

Thats a good neighbour,

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Jolene said..
There had been a chain pawl fitted to my boat at some stage,, I found part of it in a draw on board but it had been turned inside out. Must get around to repairing it.

I have a Muir manual vertical capstan anchor winch with a chain gypsy,,one of the older ones. It works well but you must ensure you have enough fall into the chain locker for the chain tail, small boats might be a little limited. Unfortunately, my chain tail has to travel over about 8" of deck then fall into the chain locker. The chain doesn't pile up much before you have to clear it otherwise the feed into the locker stops and the chain jumps straight of the gypsy and then out goes the chain in a hurry. I always get this terrible urge to grab the tail to stop it and so far I have been lucky I haven't jammed my hand up in it. A chain pawl might save my fingers one day.

Keep on keeping on saving those fingers. I rescued a guy once, he had both hands stuck between the gypsy and the chain and no room to free him because the chain was too close to the deck. Had to dismantle the winch to free him. He lost all his fingers from the left hand, three fingers gone from his right hand.

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Yara said..

McNaughtical said..
Ive been pulling my anchor up by hand since I burnt my winch motor out last year trying to winch myself of a sandbank. It's good for the biceps...

I have had to motor forward a little to get the anchor off the bottom at the end a couple of times.

I just wrap it around the gypsy for a break as I go and to wait till the boat goes back over the chain.

McNaughty, why not get the winch motor re-wound. When I was looking for electric motors recently, quite a few motor re-winders (companies) appeared in the search results. The motor should be reasonably easy to remove from the winch.

Oh, and BTW, you need to treat an electric motor gently, like a person, and not over-tire or drive it like a slave. Give it a rest when there is hard work to be done, and it will live longer.

Thanks Yara

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McNaughtical said..

Yara said..

McNaughtical said..
Ive been pulling my anchor up by hand since I burnt my winch motor out last year trying to winch myself of a sandbank. It's good for the biceps...

I have had to motor forward a little to get the anchor off the bottom at the end a couple of times.

I just wrap it around the gypsy for a break as I go and to wait till the boat goes back over the chain.

McNaughty, why not get the winch motor re-wound. When I was looking for electric motors recently, quite a few motor re-winders (companies) appeared in the search results. The motor should be reasonably easy to remove from the winch.

Oh, and BTW, you need to treat an electric motor gently, like a person, and not over-tire or drive it like a slave. Give it a rest when there is hard work to be done, and it will live longer.

Thanks Yara

Hey Mcnaughtical, did you get your anchor windlass motor sorted ? I have one that maybe suitable it's of an older Muir, motor spins ok, worm drive is no good.