Which windlass is best?

[Captain Pegg]

I use centre lines that are too short to reach the propellor on a 35’ boat.

 

That’s how they were configured when I bought the boat and I got used to them until one broke 4 or 5 years later.

 

I sourced a replacement from the collection of lines in the bow locker but the replacement was longer and did reach the prop. It took just days of boating for the inevitable to happen when the steerer tried to unnecessarily and badly throw the line to shore.

 

Now I’ve replaced both with new short lines and that’s how they’ll stay. I’ve single handed 1,000+ locks with them.

 

And stern line always coiled neatly on the slide - ready to deploy to either dolly as required. Windlass usually sits on top. That’s something I’ve learnt too.

 

I dislike finding a boat that has a stern line really tightly fixed to one dolly, particularly if the boat has a taff rail and worse a windshield (or whatever the proper name is for the bottom bit of a tonneau cover) around the stern.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Lady M]

A shorter line will be fine for a single hander who only needs it to reach the lockside.  

[Rob-M]

I like a nice long centre line so it can reach around a lock bollard and back to me at the stern of the boat or be long enough to keep hold of and walk across the bottom gates of a lock when I've pulled the boat out of a lock and closing the gates.  I don't want to be stretching with a short line whilst stepping across an open gate.

I have had occasion to tie my two centre lines together to double the length.

[Lady M]

Yes, but, the earlier comments related specifically to shorter boats where a 10-12m centre line would reach the propellor if it fell in the water.  I know I had to think about this quite carefully.  

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, Tacet said:

And what is that we can see on the inside dolly?  Maybe it's a strap and not a line? 

If you study the photo closely the line goes from the dolly round the back of the chimney then coiled on the slide, like this.

[MtB]

Fascinating. In 45 years of boating I've never found a need to throw a centreline ashore with the boat in gear. 

 

 

[IanD]

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

Fascinating. In 45 years of boating I've never found a need to throw a centreline ashore with the boat in gear. 

 

 

In 45 years of boating I've never found a need to fall in the cut. Doesn't mean it never happens though... 😉

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

use centre lines that are too short to reach the propellor on a 35’ boat.

 

That’s how they were configured when I bought the boat and I got used to them until one broke 4 or 5 years later.

 

I sourced a replacement from the collection of lines in the bow locker but the replacement was longer and did reach the prop. It took just days of boating for the inevitable to happen when the steerer tried to unnecessarily and badly throw the line to shore.

Same.

I keep them short after winding one around the prop.

42 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I have had occasion to tie my two centre lines together to double the length.

I’ll do that on occasion or swop for longer from the locker.

 

 

17 minutes ago, MtB said:

Fascinating. In 45 years of boating I've never found a need to throw a centreline ashore with the boat in gear. 

Yes, if you steer the boat properly there’s rarely a need to throw a line to the bank,

simply step off with it,

Edited March 21, 2023 by Goliath

[J R ALSOP]

22 hours ago, magnetman said:

I dislike those as I see potential for damage to the paddle spindles over time. 

They are ripping spindles all over the network, people never use the right eye.

[Alway Swilby]

22 minutes ago, J R ALSOP said:

They are ripping spindles all over the network, people never use the right eye.

Rather than "people" I would say "some people"! I always use the correct eye.

 

[Stroudwater1]

The problem though is they slip down and wear the spindle. A longer windlsss won’t do that so readily and unlike the one pictured the wear is not focussed intensely on one area .

What I’d the origin of this sort of iron windlass?  My family always referred to them as “Leeds and Liverpool lock keys”.

They are brilliant for stubborn paddles we used to get there. only good for using with gloves though😂 
Very long though around 15 inches. 
 

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

2 hours ago, Rob-M said:

I like a nice long centre line so it can reach around a lock bollard and back to me at the stern of the boat or be long enough to keep hold of and walk across the bottom gates of a lock when I've pulled the boat out of a lock and closing the gates.  I don't want to be stretching with a short line whilst stepping across an open gate.

I have had occasion to tie my two centre lines together to double the length.

 

By choice I will motor out of a lock and then find I can generally stop the boat below the lock and return to shut the gates. I don't like wielding a shaft to do that. If I feel the boat won't stay in position - I have heard stories of boats being carried away on by-washes in such instances - then I can stick the stern line on a dolly. That's something I often do on GU locks to use the strapping posts outside the lock.

 

The other week I descended the Cheshire locks on a boat that wasn't configured for re-boarding via the lock ladder so I hauled it out of every lock from the tail bridge. I found I had time to release the line once the centre of the boat reached the bridge and after the stern had passed the gates close them and then walk down the steps and re-board at the stern without the boat stopping.

 

1 hour ago, MtB said:

Fascinating. In 45 years of boating I've never found a need to throw a centreline ashore with the boat in gear. 

 

 

 

Which is fine if you always boat on your own like some sort of Billy No-mates. Not everyone else realises that. Throwing a centre line is fairly likely to fail anyway. I upset a bankside expert a couple of weeks back by refusing to throw the centre line to him as he instructed.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

Which is fine if you always boat on your own like some sort of Billy No-mates.

Oi,

nowt wrong with being a Billy No-Mate,

I love boating on me tod

And I’m a bit of Captain Bligh when it comes to crew,

they tend to mutiny and never come back

[Mike Todd]

6 hours ago, MtB said:

 

The same applies to centre lines. People are always saying centre lines should be short enough not to reach the propeller. This is stoopid as they are then too short to be of much use.  Better, have them a useful length and don't drop them in the water.

 

Oddly, no-one ever seem to propose the 'short enough not to reach the prop' argument to stern lines...

 

Perhaps on the basis that centre lines are permanently attached (and easily knock overboard) whilst stern ones should be removed unless actually alongside.

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

Perhaps on the basis that centre lines are permanently attached (and easily knock overboard) whilst stern ones should be removed unless actually alongside.

My centre lines, which are long enough to reach the prop as I've a short boat, just lie along the cabin top and curl up on the cruiser deck so they can't get knocked into the wet. The stern line lies curled up beside them. Possibly the advantage of a cruiser deck rather than trad.

I've only got one round the prop once, while I did keep them on the roof many years ago, and it was, if course, midwinter, ice on the canal and I could only saw at the damn thing for about ten seconds before my hand went numb. You only do these things once.

[Captain Pegg]

53 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

My centre lines, which are long enough to reach the prop as I've a short boat, just lie along the cabin top and curl up on the cruiser deck so they can't get knocked into the wet. The stern line lies curled up beside them. Possibly the advantage of a cruiser deck rather than trad.

I've only got one round the prop once, while I did keep them on the roof many years ago, and it was, if course, midwinter, ice on the canal and I could only saw at the damn thing for about ten seconds before my hand went numb. You only do these things once.

 

There are precisely zero advantages of a cruiser stern (or a semi-trad) over a trad when considering it purely from the point of view of skippering the boat.

[Ken X]

As hirers we tend to end up with semi-trad sterns so arrange our rope like this, Two centre lines at sides and stern line in the centre.  Works for us but always ready to learn.

 

[magnetman]

I'd put the handspike somewhere else. Someone might hold it thinking it is the handrail and could end up in the water. 

[Rob-M]

I'm the same, centre line either side and coiled at the rear of the cabin top, stern line on the slide along with windlass on a mat to protect the paint.

[Hudds Lad]

Can just about see our centre lines coiled either side of hatch, stern line is coiled in a basket in the engine room and brought out when mooring.

 

I do like @Rob-M’s mat though  

 

 

[magnetman]

Quite an unusual windlass as well. 

 

I'm afraid I was guilty of throwing one of those in the cut as found it too heavy ! Assuming it is the bronze version not the alloy one. 

 

Probably should have kept it really as they are rare beasts. 

[Captain Pegg]

40 minutes ago, Ken X said:

As hirers we tend to end up with semi-trad sterns so arrange our rope like this, Two centre lines at sides and stern line in the centre.  Works for us but always ready to learn.

 

 

Nothing wrong with that but on a semi-trad it's all a few feet away from you. Hence you have to reach for the centre line and the mug of tea. When I skipper a semi-trad I'll run the centre line(s) down to onto the seats but that may not be OK if you aren't on your own. In which case you may have to avoid wrapping your centre line around someone's neck.

 

You do at least look less a lemon stood on a semi-trad. But you're still cold.

 

12 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Can just about see our centre lines coiled either side of hatch, stern line is coiled in a basket in the engine room and brought out when mooring.

 

I do like @Rob-M’s mat though  

 

 

 

Nice clear roof. Not tempted to put the centre lines through the fairleads? I guess you've nothing much to catch them on.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Ray T]

Going to stick my head above the parapet here:

 

The rope loop where the power cable and mooring line are is where I stow the stern line when cruising.

Handy to get hold of when mooring.

Never had any issues in all the years I have owned the boat.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Ray T

[Rob-M]

6 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Quite an unusual windlass as well. 

 

I'm afraid I was guilty of throwing one of those in the cut as found it too heavy ! Assuming it is the bronze version not the alloy one. 

 

Probably should have kept it really as they are rare beasts. 

Yes it is heavy bronze,  I have a light weight Dunton as well plus a few others but the bronze one is my favourite.

 

11 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Can just about see our centre lines coiled either side of hatch, stern line is coiled in a basket in the engine room and brought out when mooring.

 

I do like @Rob-M’s mat though  

 

 

I need to make a larger mat, as the windlass sometimes slips off the edge.

[Jon57]

28 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I'd put the handspike somewhere else. Someone might hold it thinking it is the handrail and could end up in the water. 

He's in a narrow single lock. He doesn't need it?