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Windlass Installation for Ericson 32-III [Master Thread]

nquigley

Sustaining Member
I've had a few requests for a write-up of my recently completed windlass installation project.
A planned knock-on benefit of strongly reinforcing the forward bulkhead for this project was that it gave me a strong anchor-point for an inner forestay, which I've now added so I can fly a staysail or storm jib (this will be a separate write-up).
 

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dochecht

Sailor Leon
Thanks for your detailed write-up Neil. Have you deployed your anchor system yet? I'm wondering how the hawse pipe works and are chain castles and rode fouling an issue? Can you operate the system from the helm?
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Hi dochecht,
The only hawse pipe I have is the one that's integral to the windlass itself (through the anchor well lid, under the windlass) - works perfectly.
I do not redirect the chain through a conventional hawse pipe to another compartment. I considered letting the chain slide down under the bottom of the forward bulkhead to encourage it to lie further aft in the bilge, but I decided instead to make the anchor well a water-tight space, with just a small drain out through the bow, just above the waterline - as originally designed. I made this choice mostly to keep mucky anchor well water out of the bilges, but also as a possible collision safety element.
I was worried about castling since I had to mount the windlass so far forward, but I find it slides down to the bottom of the anchor well just fine. To encourage this sliding, and to protect the new paint in there, I lined the sides of the well with thin acrylic sheet (from Home Depot). But, if I ever have a castling problem, the opening aft 2/3 of the anchor well lid gives excellent access. Also, I made that lid proportion large enough for me to go completely into the well to work on any of the fittings and electricals that are in the well.
Cheers,
Neil
 

dochecht

Sailor Leon
How tight is the windlass platform? Did you have to tap it into place? Does it rattle around when the windlass is in operation? How did you get the 'wings' under the windlass platform adjusted so they hold the windlass in place securely?
I'm thinking of mounting a windlass in a similar way, but not modify the anchor locker liner. in hindsight, do you think this was necessary? My goal is to be able to single hand and stay at the helm to deploy.
Thanks, Leon
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Hi Leon,

My entire reason for installing an electric windlass was exactly the same as yours - so I can safely single-hand the boat, including operation of the windlass from the helm.

The main two reasons I took out the anchor well liner were that:
(i) I wanted maximum volume inside the well for stowing the chain, a lot of nylon rode, and perhaps the anchor for long passages, and
(ii) I needed access to the V-berth bulkhead, so I could reinforce it, because I was also installing an inner forestay which needed to be terminated in that bulkhead. (see my separate thread on the Ericson forum about that project)
A 3rd benefit I saw in removing the shell was to give me access to the nuts that secure the bow cleats and the stemhead fitting, and for access to the wiring for the running lights mounted on the pulpit.

The windlass platform is very tight - in addition to the wings, which are only just touching under the deck, you'll see that the aft pair of mounting bolts for the chain stopper go through the lid and the forward pair are through the deck: this really keeps the lid in place.
If you do this installation without removing the shell, and you want a chain stopper mounted as I did (straddling the gap between the forward edge of the lid and the foredeck), you could just make a small cut-out in the shell just big enough for (i) your hand to screw nuts onto the forward mounting bolts for the chain stopper, and (i) to use a wrench to tighten them. don't drop the wrench ;-)

I did the 'wings' thing so I could get away with just caulking the lid closed - so I could pull it out if I ever need to access the bow cleats, stem head fitting, etc.
You could definitely install a windlass with the OEM anchor well liner remaining in place (and it's little drain line in the bottom). That would save you a TON of time and effort!!
I imagined that the windlass would try to lift up and pull forward the portion of the lid into which it was mounted when under load with the anchor/rode. Give that possibility some thought for your installation if you don't want to epoxy that portion of the lid in place.
You can probably just install an ss right-angle strap on each side: glue and screw one leg to the liner and screw up into (not through) the lid to secure the other leg of the strap: this'll probably hold the lid down when the windlass pulls up the anchor.

You will definitely want to reinforce the portion of the lid that carries the windlass. Read about how I did that - including extending the reinforcement ~1" to the forward edge of the aft, hinged, part of the lid.
Also - think about a chain-stopper (you never want to leave the anchor rode under tension on the drum of the windlass for any length of time). Instead of a chain-stopper, you could just be sure to always use a pair of snubbers, secured to the bow cleats, to take the weight off the windlass while at anchor, and also use some way to secure the anchor when it's in the bow roller so it's not pulling directly on the windlass when you're under way.
Finally, think about the max length that the anchor shaft can be, before it comes back too far and interferes with the chain stopper or the windlass - for this consideration, I was restricted to short-shaft anchors (the Vulcan works perfectly for me). I briefly considered have a 6" extension fabricate for the bow roller, but realized that would be an engineering feat, given the forces that are on the bow roller.

Cheers!
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
I've been wanting to instal a windlass on my E32-3 for years because my 68 year old back is starting to protest when I raise our anchor. I've been following Traveller's windlass install with great interest but removing the anchor liner seemed like a bridge too far for me. There are other posts about installing a windlass on the EYO site with different types of installs and one of these days I'm going to have to just pick one and do it. I even saved a photo of one that I include here and I thought the it was another good idea that doesn't require re-working the chain locker. I bought a used Maxwell VW 800 vertical windlass which included a capstan on eBay a number of years ago with the intentions of installing it on my E32 and I think this method (again - see photo) might work best. I realize that you can't operate it all from the cockpit because the rope rode/chain (in my case) would have to first be looped around the windlass and then un-looped after the anchor is up and secure but I don't see this as a big problem even when single handing the boat. It's not that big of a deal now, when I single hand, even without the windlass.

IMG_0179.jpeg
 

dochecht

Sailor Leon
I have chosen to mount an anchor windlass a la Neil Quigley, and as I am weighing options for my new Maxwell 8/8, I realize after a more perceptive moment, that the anchor locker lid is 1' thick and likely balsa cored (it's lightweight compared to solid fiberglass). So I am concerned about the structural integrity in the face of a 45 lb windlass pulling 50-100' of chain. As I see it, choices are either: 1) drill larger holes than required for the 3 through-deck windlass mounting bolts, fill with epoxy, then drill properly sized holes. The top mounting plate would be the plinth, the bottom would be a fiberglass backing plate. This would accomplish 2 things: prevent water intrusion into the balsa core and act as solid posts onto which the plinth above and backing plate below would compress upon. A concern would still be structural integrity as the forces on the windlass would be forward and seems like the balsa core would still weaken the entire structure. 2) Fabricate a triangle shaped mounting platform out of either epoxy coated marine grade plywood OR solid fiberglass, both with mounting and backing plates. Anyone have any strong opinions on the best way to do this?
 

dochecht

Sailor Leon
I am not clear if he had a cored anchor locker lid, or a thinner fiberglass lid to which he attached the reinforced plate (without the weakness of the coring). Perhaps with a full plate on the underside the lid will be strong enough, even with coring in-between.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
AFAIK, when EY started adding anchor wells to their designs in the late 70's, they cored those lids with balsa. I have seen the balsa coring on an E-25+ model lid. Those models date to about 1979. My '88 has a cored lid, also.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
After reading Neil Quigley's post again, I see he did have a cored lid. Thanks for your input!!
Yes - the lid is balsa-cored - but please also note the error I made by filling the void with plywood to minimize the amount of epoxy I needed.
 

dochecht

Sailor Leon
Yes I saw that. I think I will drill oversized bolt holes then pour the plinth. Then after cure drill all the holes. The epoxy plugs will serve as compression posts. Thanks Neil.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Yes I saw that. I think I will drill oversized bolt holes then pour the plinth. Then after cure drill all the holes. The epoxy plugs will serve as compression posts. Thanks Neil.
Just consider whether or not you think the lid will flex under body weight when standing on it. Obviously, it's camber, and construction, do a good job OEM, but if you cut the lid in half, you might lose some of those benefits. I feared mostly about the forward edge of the aft (lifting) lid section - I wondered if I stood on that edge, it might flex because it's no longer sharing the load in all directions (i.e., a little with the forward section of the lid).
 

dochecht

Sailor Leon
Did you match the reinforcing board lip (coming from the forward triangle) to the camber of the remaining aft hinged section?
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
If I'm understanding your question ... no - the reinforcing board was very stiff - no way to bend it. I epoxied it in place before cutting the lid into two pieces - I filled all of the void before cutting it.
 

dochecht

Sailor Leon
So then is the overhanging lip of the reinforcing board useful if not in contact with the middle of the forward edge of the hinged aft hatch cover? I’m just at the point of making these decisions!!
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
I think you'll want some level of reinforcing across the underside of the forward edge of the aft (hinged) lid segment. There are probably several ways of skinning that cat. You could just build up a few layers of fiberglass cloth under the forward-most 2-3" of that hinged lid piece to get enough 'walk-on' strength in that otherwise unsupported edge.
 
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