Our windlass, a Simpson-Lawrence SL-519, has been running fine. While a creature comfort, any electric windlass has some disadvantages;
- Requires engine to run to operate
- Manual back-up is painfully slow
- No feel for how hard the anything is stuck
- If anything gets stuck and fuse is triggered, it requires a trip below to reset the fuse
- Adds to general complication of boat
This got us thinking about a manual double-action, two-geared Simpson-Lawrence SL-555 Sea Tiger. When we happened to stumble on one, brand new (!), from Trafalgar Yacht Services (www.westerly-yachts.co.uk), the project somehow started realizing itself. Especially when we saw from the original drawings of the HR41, that Olle Enderlein had intended the windlass to be located aft of the bow locker; just were we felt it would be better situated (mainly for getting weight aft and a better drop for the chain into the chain locker.
Olle Enderlein, who designed the HR41 in 1975 and more than 120 other boats between 1946 and 1987, intended the windlass to be located just aft of the chain locker
Base for windlass on bowsprit
Epoxying new oversized holes
Fiberglassing new hawse pipe running thru forecabin. The two forward bolts are centered in the bulkhead between the forecabin and bow locker
40mm oak beam glassed in, taking the two aft bolts
Mahogany covering of oak beam and hawse pipe
Removing old base and preparing for new teak planking
Bulkhead thickness increased from ca 15 to 45 mm in order to accommodate washer diameter of forward bolts of windlass. The added plywood, epoxied over with fiber glass, is also glassed to the underside of the deck.
Job finished.
… and then we had to sew a cover.