Windlass Installation for Ericson 32-III [Master Thread]

[Bolo]

Choices

Your thread got hijacked by the inevitable discussion about pros and cons of various anchoring strategies.
Did you install a windlass?
It's on my near-term (this year) to-do list, so I'm gathering ideas about my options on a 32-3.
I'm not certain, but I think it may be best to be mounted just aft of the anchor locker, and engineered to somehow drop the chain down a hawsepipe through the forward end of the V-berth into the forward bilge - ideally aft of the chain locker, so that space can remain intact. But, then the chain would prevent the locker from being opened, unless there's some sort of chain-lock just forward of the locker's door, so one can slacken the aft part of the chain and lead it to the side if you need access to the locker while at anchor.
Any advice you can give will be much appreciated - especially any photos of a 32-3 windlass install

This is an old thread you tagged onto started in 2006! I was surprised to find a reply by me on it. Well, I still haven't installed a windlass on my E32-3 but since then I did buy a used Maxwell VW 800 (Vertical windlass) that came with the capstan. I was planning to install it right behind the anchor locker and simply kick the chain and rode into the locker as it was winch aboard. But I also came upon another installation on this web site and have kept the photo which is attached. I think it might be a E-34 or E35 but it does show a customer frame that runs the perimeter of the locker and is attached to the deck. This set up seems like a sturdy design to me because the load is distributed over the entire frame. I can't use my Maxwell with this design so I'd need to get a different windlass. Also a hole would need to be cut into the anchor hatch to allow for the top of the windlass too protrude. Just another idea that I've been thinking about.

 

[nquigley]

This is an old thread you tagged onto started in 2006! I was surprised to find a reply by me on it. Well, I still haven't installed a windlass on my E32-3 but since then I did buy a used Maxwell VW 800 (Vertical windlass) that came with the capstan. I was planning to install it right behind the anchor locker and simply kick the chain and rode into the locker as it was winch aboard. But I also came upon another installation on this web site and have kept the photo which is attached. I think it might be a E-34 or E35 but it does show a customer frame that runs the perimeter of the locker and is attached to the deck. This set up seems like a sturdy design to me because the load is distributed over the entire frame. I can't use my Maxwell with this design so I'd need to get a different windlass. Also a hole would need to be cut into the anchor hatch to allow for the top of the windlass too protrude. Just another idea that I've been thinking about.

Thanks for replying. Yeah, several other models have had windlass additions - I'm still waiting to see one in a 32-3.
You and I may need to be the guinea pigs ;-)

 

[nquigley]

My 32-3 has a good-sized anchor well all the way forward in the foredeck. But, it's a rather light-weight 1-piece fiberglass shell, which I don't think could hold the amount of chain I'm thinking of using.
I want to avoid having this post prompt a discussion of how much chain one needs in various situations. Suffice to say, chain weighs about 150 lb per 100 ft, so it quickly adds up - I'd rather not have all that weight that far forward.

If I decide to add a windlass, without doing a major re-fit of the existing anchor well and it's door, it'll have to mount it in the deck, just aft of the anchor well.
If I did that, maybe the hawsepipe could be installed at the very forward end of the V-berth, where it could send the rode down to the hull under the V-berth.

--> Does anyone know how big the void is between the hull and the undersides of anchor well and the small storage well that's way forward in the V-berth?

 

[Bolo]

Too much chain?

My 32-3 has a good-sized anchor well all the way forward in the foredeck. But, it's a rather light-weight 1-piece fiberglass shell, which I don't think could hold the amount of chain I'm thinking of using.
I want to avoid having this post prompt a discussion of how much chain one needs in various situations. Suffice to say, chain weighs about 150 lb per 100 ft, so it quickly adds up - I'd rather not have all that weight that far forward.

If I decide to add a windlass, without doing a major re-fit of the existing anchor well and it's door, it'll have to mount it in the deck, just aft of the anchor well.
If I did that, maybe the hawsepipe could be installed at the very forward end of the V-berth, where it could send the rode down to the hull under the V-berth.

--> Does anyone know how big the void is between the hull and the undersides of anchor well and the small storage well that's way forward in the V-berth?

There is an Ericson 32 with a windlass installed (on this site) on the foredeck but I can't find the images. It was awhile back. I'm still thinking of installing it in the anchor lock, like the photo I posted, because the rode will drop right into the locker. Are you using an all chain rode? Ours is mostly rope with about 20' of chain and we never have had a problem with it anchoring around the Chesapeake Bay. In fact we anchored this past weekend and pulling up the rode by hand was fine until I got to the chain section which got a little tougher. Anchor was really hooked into the mud but we broke it out by tensioning the rode on the forward cleat and then motoring forward a bit until it came loose. I'm leaning more towards installing the windlass in the anchor well area because I'd like to keep the foredeck and vet-birth below clear. We just bought a beautiful wood dingy, used, that we use to row ashore. No motor to contend with and we'd like to sometimes mount it on the foredeck. I'm afraid that a windlass install on the foredeck would get in the way.

 

[nquigley]

There is an Ericson 32 with a windlass installed (on this site) on the foredeck but I can't find the images. It was awhile back. I'm still thinking of installing it in the anchor lock, like the photo I posted, because the rode will drop right into the locker. Are you using an all chain rode? Ours is mostly rope with about 20' of chain and we never have had a problem with it anchoring around the Chesapeake Bay. In fact we anchored this past weekend and pulling up the rode by hand was fine until I got to the chain section which got a little tougher. Anchor was really hooked into the mud but we broke it out by tensioning the rode on the forward cleat and then motoring forward a bit until it came loose. I'm leaning more towards installing the windlass in the anchor well area because I'd like to keep the foredeck and vet-birth below clear. We just bought a beautiful wood dingy, used, that we use to row ashore. No motor to contend with and we'd like to sometimes mount it on the foredeck. I'm afraid that a windlass install on the foredeck would get in the way.

I'm refitting the boat for an extended cruise in the Caribbean, where coral bottom conditions sometimes call for an all-chain rode - I may need as much as 250-300 feet. That's a lot of weight in the bow anchor well :0
I plan to stow an 8' hard dinghy on the foredeck - I'm pretty sure it will fit over the low-profile (no capstan) windlass I'm thinking about using (Maxwell RC8?).
I know mounting the motor in the V-berth is not as clean as putting it in the anchor well, but it'll be protected from saltwater, and it'll also keep all of the wiring away from water. Plus, then I can use the anchor well for other stuff like a spare secondary anchor and nylon rode and/or maybe fenders.
Anyway, it's a work in progress that's still in the planning phase. Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Christian Williams]

This dinghy is 7'6", and lies just short of the anchor locker lid.

As you plan the installation, consider the need to deploy and retrieve the anchor in a hurry, or in an emergency, with the dinghy on deck.

Personally, I would consider an inflatable for cruising. It fits in the quarterberth, or can be stored in a hard case on the foredeck.

Much as I love real dinghies, their carrying capacity is much less than the smallest inflatable.

 

[nquigley]

This dinghy is 7'6", and lies just short of the anchor locker lid.

As you plan the installation, consider the need to deploy and retrieve the anchor in a hurry, or in an emergency, with the dinghy on deck.

Personally, I would consider an inflatable for cruising. It fits in the quarterberth, or can be stored in a hard case on the foredeck.

Much as I love real dinghies, their carrying capacity is much less than the smallest inflatable.

View attachment 24863

- looks like the transom of your dink is hooked over the frame that protects the dorade/vent - is that correct?
You make a good point about having ready access to the anchor. I think one could fashion a minimal removable frame on which the bow of the dink could rest when stowed in that position, which lifts it off the deck just enough to let the rode go in or out between a windlass that's under the dink and the bow roller.
BTW, Christian - for your 32-3 voyage to/from Hawaii, what sort of stuff did you stow in the little well that's way forward in the V-berth?

 

[Bolo]

Coot

This dinghy is 7'6", and lies just short of the anchor locker lid.

As you plan the installation, consider the need to deploy and retrieve the anchor in a hurry, or in an emergency, with the dinghy on deck.

Personally, I would consider an inflatable for cruising. It fits in the quarterberth, or can be stored in a hard case on the foredeck.

Much as I love real dinghies, their carrying capacity is much less than the smallest inflatable.

View attachment 24863

Good point Christian. This is getting a bit off subject but the wood dinghy we bought is a "Coot" which is a pram design made from plans. (https://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/catalog/boat_building_plans/coot_dinghy_plans) Similar to the Eastport Pram that you built but a bit longer at 7'10". We used it this weekend for the first time to row to shore from an anchorage and it took us about 7 minutes. For the two of us this solution, a rigid dinghy with no engine, worked out great. But from once owning inflatable dinghies I understand the carrying capacity factor.

 

[nquigley]

Well, I've finally begun my windlass project! ...After a lot of thought, I decided to do what an E38-200 owner did: cut the anchor well cover about 12" behind the forward end, reinforce (Extren500 fiberboard) and glass-in the forward part of the cover, and then mount a low-profile vertical windlass in that section (Maxwell RC8-6).
Last weekend, I pulled out the plastic shell that comprises the OEM anchor well. This provides a fair bit more space down low and in front of that shell, but it was a pretty close fit on the sides and against the bulkhead. Just as importantly as extra space for rode is that I now have access to the underside of all near-bow hardware (pulpit bases, cleats, anchor roller/stemhead fitting; and bow nav light wiring). Plus, this will make it much easier to feed the windlass' hefty electrical cables through the bulkhead back to the battery bank. I'll post a series of photos when I get a bit further along.

 

[Kenneth K]

Last weekend, I pulled out the plastic shell that comprises the OEM anchor well. This provides a fair bit more space down low and in front of that shell, but it was a pretty close fit on the sides and against the bulkhead.

Can you provide any details on the drain hose that runs through the hull from the bottom of the shell? I'm thinking of taking my shell out like you did for maintenance, but I'm concerned about getting that hose hooked back up.

Also, I built a hanger for the spare Danforth and rode using a 2x6 board. I want to bolt it to the back wall of the shell. Do you know how much room I'll have behind the shell before I hit the bulkhead, or could I plan on screwing through the shell and into the bulkhead?

I love the deep anchor well. I have the chain/rode plus 4 medium fenders stored in there and I think Ill still have room to hang the Danforth.

 

[nquigley]

I attached a photo of the anchor well with most of the shell removed.
You can't pull up the shell without disconnecting the drain hose, and there is no access panel in the bulkhead (from the V-berth)

I used a Dremel to cut the shell about 2" up the side wall from the bottom (in case I later needed to glass it back together) - it was quite a reach for me - needed longer arms :0
- I'll take out the last bit this weekend - I can't see how to disconnect the drain tube without cutting it under the shell - maybe I'll see how to do that after it's out.

In the pic, the remaining bit of the shell has tipped forward - If you imagine tipping it back toward the bulkhead to half-close the gap that you see, it'll be where it is in the intact shell - there was about a 1/2" gap between the shell and the bulkhead, and between it and the bow hull panels on each side. There was about 12" between the front of the shell and the bow and side panels.

To mount your Danforth (or anything else inside the shell), I think the best plan is to glue a mounting board to the shell with epoxy, and then mount whatever onto that board.

 

[Tin Kicker]

Really appreciate the photo without that shell, as I want to be able to access all that below deck hardware.

It looks like the cleanest way to detach and re-attach the drain might be creating a small access panel at the bottom of the V-berth forward panel.

[Web photo]

 

[nquigley]

Really appreciate the photo without that shell, as I want to be able to access all that below deck hardware.

It looks like the cleanest way to detach and re-attach the drain might be creating a small access panel at the bottom of the V-berth forward panel.

Maybe ... I wondered that too.

But, you'll want to make some measurements before cutting into that nice panel to make sure that any access door you'd make in it is actually low enough to give you access under the shell to reach the drain tube. I'm almost certain that you can't do it that way ... have a look at the side-view diagram at this page:
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/ericson-32-3
Based on that diagram, and my shell-out picture, I think you'll conclude that your access will need to be via the forward end of the little storage well that's under the far forward end of the V-berth instead.

You could perhaps install a circular access port in the forward end of that little well, like one of these:
https://www.westmarine.com/search?Ntt=round+access+port
If you install it as low as possible in the forward wall of that storage well (not on the bottom of it), you should be in line with the area just under the shell.
But ... have a look at my shell-out pic and the diagram above - you'll also have to cut through the bottom of the bulkhead.
NOTE: look at my shell-out pic - to port and stbd of the very bottom of the wooden bulkhead are 3" wide pieces of stainless plate - you can see the deflection of the fiberglass mat where it goes over them along side of the remaining piece of the shell (they're exposed for about 2" right next to the bulkhead). I do not know if they continue aft, or perhaps are bent behind the bottom of the bulkhead - if the latter, you'll never cut through them to get access to the drain tube. But, I suspect you'll get that answer when you cut the access port in the small storage well. Maybe you'll be lucky.

Finally, because of the odd angle you'll be working with (probably no direct line of sight to the spot where the drain tube connects to the shell), you could use one of these lighted telescoping mirrors to check out what you'll then have to do by feel:
https://www.amazon.com/Telescoping-...&pf_rd_p=05d82ac8-8f96-53d1-a491-a4d3ef8fbbbb

If I learn anything more this weekend that could be useful, I'll re-post here.

Good Luck!

 

[Tin Kicker]

Excellent points!

Look forward to seeing how you do it and get the drain tube re-attached.

 

[supersailor]

When speaking of anchors, a friend of mine has a 42' Nordic Tug with a 110lb Bruce on the bow. When asked about it, he states "It never has dragged.". Hope the windlass never breaks.

 

[Christian Williams]

I have a hunch that bulkhead is removable. It will mean digging out the plugs and removing the shelves, too.

See if it's tabbed in. If not, it'll come off.

If not, a stock inspection port will provide access to the hose.

 

[nquigley]

I have a hunch that bulkhead is removable. It will mean digging out the plugs and removing the shelves, too.

See if it's tabbed in. If not, it'll come off.

If not, a stock inspection port will provide access to the hose.

In my pic a few posts up, one can see the bulkhead is tabbed to the hull with a strip of fiberglass. I'm sure he'll have to cut though the bottom portion of the bulkhead, after cutting the hole for the inspection port in the storage well.
The unknown is how the drain tube is attached to the bottom of the shell, and whether or not one can remove/reinstall it one-handed, through the inspection port. Hopefully it's just jammed up in there, and held by friction.
- I'll find out this weekend, when I remove the bottom part of the shell that's visible in my pic.

 

[Kenneth K]

- I'll find out this weekend, when I remove the bottom part of the shell that's visible in my pic.

Very helpful. I hate it when manufacturers build-in a non-maintainable design.

Sounds like an access port through the forward storage compartment may be the answer. If the pre-made round ports are too small to get two hands in, it might have to be a custom cut rectangular job with a wood or Starboard screw-on cover.

Please keep posting as you discover more......thanks.

 

[Christian Williams]

On the larger boats the hose is just a flexible hose, held on with hose clamps. Dead simple.

 

[mfield]

On the larger boats the hose is just a flexible hose, held on with hose clamps.

Hopefully the equivalent of this.