Windlass

[Michele]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a short throw and a long throw windlass please?

And which one I need?

Looking online at pictures I can't tell any difference.

[Chris J W]

A 'Long Throw' has a longer handle, so gives you more leverage.

 

On the whole I'd say ... you need Both!! Most of the time you'll probably just find that a 'normal' will be sufficient, but you'll be very glad you've got a long-throw when you get to some particularly recalcitrant paddlegear.

[Michele]

A 'Long Throw' has a longer handle, so gives you more leverage.

 

On the whole I'd say ... you need Both!! Most of the time you'll probably just find that a 'normal' will be sufficient, but you'll be very glad you've got a long-throw when you get to some particularly recalcitrant paddlegear.

 

Thanks Chris, a long one it is then......ooooh matron!

[Chris J W]

BUT ... and I should said this beforehand ... a Long Throw one may well spend more time 'getting in the way' if you can't do a full turn without having to take it off as the balance beam is in the way ...

 

Size, in this case, isn't an all important thing!

[Michele]

BUT ... and I should said this beforehand ... a Long Throw one may well spend more time 'getting in the way' if you can't do a full turn without having to take it off as the balance beam is in the way ...

 

Size, in this case, isn't an all important thing!

 

You blokes...it's always about size!

So......if I'm only going to buy one to take with me on my canal walks to help where I can....what's my best bet then?

[Liam]

On the recent trip back from Stockton, my Dad was lock wheeling for me all the way and 99% of the time was walking around with two windlasses - a short one and the long throw one.

 

Unfortunately he needed both. Some paddles were as stiff as buggery and what got me was that there was a completely randomness to the paddles the long throw windlass would fit on, or in most cases, not!

[Woollymishka]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a short throw and a long throw windlass please?

And which one I need?

Looking online at pictures I can't tell any difference.

 

hi

Would totally agree with Chris - very useful to have both types and the other half finds the longer throw really helpful in reducing the effort on stiff paddles but be careful that you do not take the skin off your knuckles on some gearing that is close to the lock beam (K & A is one for that!)

[Chris J W]

You blokes...it's always about size!

 

You started it!

 

So......if I'm only going to buy one to take with me on my canal walks to help where I can....what's my best bet then?

 

I'd say a Short Throw. If you're going to be walking far you may want to consider getting a lighter-weight Aluminum one, but remember to put a hose-clip on it so that it could be fished out with a magnet if you drop it in.

[Michele]

You started it!

 

 

 

I'd say a Short Throw. If you're going to be walking far you may want to consider getting a lighter-weight Aluminum one, but remember to put a hose-clip on it so that it could be fished out with a magnet if you drop it in.

 

Was it you who fished out YSL for Rose?

[GSer]

Does anybody make a windlass with 3 square holes down the shaft it would save the need for more than one windlass, and a very short windlass would be great for letting the paddles down on the locks with the new 'low gear' gearboxes on the K&A

 

Paul

Edited May 29, 2009 by GSer

[BlueStringPudding]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a short throw and a long throw windlass please?

And which one I need?

Looking online at pictures I can't tell any difference.

 

Both! The long ones are great for locks where the paddle winding mechanism has plenty of room round it, so gives you more leverage. However they're too long for some locks with gate paddles such as on the Southern Stratford Canal, where a long handle would hit the beam as you try to turn it.

 

We have a couple of each.

[Semitrad]

Look for a "Dunton Double" it is made of aluminium, so is light to carry and the single tapered socket will fit most if not all paddles. The drawback of course is the price, but well worth it in my opinion.

[KenK]

Does anybody make a windlass with 3 square holes down the shaft it would save the need for more than one windlass, and a very short windlass would be great for letting the paddles down on the locks with the new 'low gear' gearboxes on the K&A

 

Paul

 

Hi Paul,

Yes, a chap called George Pope. I bought a couple from him, managed to lose one at Kintbury lock. They work very well, square section, one part slides inside the other and is retained or released with a small spring loaded T shaped pin. I think there was a review in one of the mags last year.

 

Ken

[GSer]

Hi Paul,

Yes, a chap called George Pope. I bought a couple from him, managed to lose one at Kintbury lock. They work very well, square section, one part slides inside the other and is retained or released with a small spring loaded T shaped pin. I think there was a review in one of the mags last year.

 

Ken

 

 

That's a good excuse for me to go fishing there with my sea searcher! How long ago?

 

 

Paul

[KenK]

That's a good excuse for me to go fishing there with my sea searcher! How long ago?

 

 

Paul

 

Alas it is not in the water, I left the damm thing on the bench, wife thought I had it I thought she did.

 

Ken

[GSer]

Alas it is not in the water, I left the damm thing on the bench, wife thought I had it I thought she did.

 

Ken

 

Ah! Her fault then, thats OK!

[Chris J W]

Was it you who fished out YSL for Rose?

 

No. She fished it out herself. Much to my chagrin I've never yet managed to find a windlass magnet fishing! Several mooring pins, piling hooks etc, but the elusive windlass still, er, eludes me ...

[magpie patrick]

We have "Big Bertha". Purchased off a dubious looking character on the Huddersfield Canal. "BB" is a long through but with extra eyes about half way down the shaft so she can be a short throw as well.

 

BB has been a loyal friend, and will be seen on the BCN with Team Black Beauty this weekend.

[Harmony]

Does anybody make a windlass with 3 square holes down the shaft it would save the need for more than one windlass, and a very short windlass would be great for letting the paddles down on the locks with the new 'low gear' gearboxes on the K&A

 

Paul

 

 

THAT IS A GOOD IDEA!! perhaps you could get in touch with a manufacturer I am sure that would be a best seller.

[carlt]

If you only have one windlass, and two lock wheelers, you need a short throw, for a narrow lock and a long throw, for a wide lock.

[journeyperson]

If you only have one windlass, and two lock wheelers, you need a short throw, for a narrow lock and a long throw, for a wide lock.

 

and accurate.

[Peter R]

Look for a "Dunton Double" it is made of aluminium, so is light to carry and the single tapered socket will fit most if not all paddles. The drawback of course is the price, but well worth it in my opinion.

 

seconded! I have one that was left by the previous owner, and it is my 'normal' one.

 

Michele, if you're just looking for one to carry on canal walks in case you want to help someone, i'd suggest a 'standard' aluminium one. The long throw's can be cumbersome to carry. if you're helping someone and find a paddle you can't open with the standard, you can always ask if they've got a 'long' one

 

Peter

[alan_fincher]

If you only have one windlass, and two lock wheelers, you need a short throw, for a narrow lock and a long throw, for a wide lock.

We encountered exactly this on the Lee a few days ago.

 

A team is moving scaffolding (scaffold boards mostly) by boat, in connection with replacing the insulators on the power lines.

 

The boat in use, pushed by some kind of camouflaged tug, was crewed by about 6 burly blokes.

 

But they had only been issued with a single windlass between the whole lot of them.

 

The paddles got wound on one side, then the "winder" on that side lobbed it across to the other side, for the "winder" there, (these ate 18 feet wide locks. )

 

(The River Lee doesn't have any safe way of crossing the top gates at any lock, you can only do so at the bottom gates).

 

It's only a matter of time before that windlass will be going in!

[Tom6]

"If you only have one windlass, and two lock wheelers" or even worse the "6 burly blokes with only 1 key between them" lol!

 

I would recommend the short one as being the most versatile but if you get an aluminium one make sure you'll not mind losing it. Steel ones can usually be recovered (every boat has a decent heavy duty magnet surely?) but aluminium ones are lost and gone forever. I think most people enjoy doing locks, there's a certain satisfaction in getting through as efficiently as possible & it's great to double up with people or better still find someone going the other way and to work a lock in an unexpected team, each appreciating the efficiencies of the other. Help from passers-by is somewhat suspect and makes me worry about what's going on, what could go wrong, how to deal with it if there's an injury etc etc but help from someone that knows what they are doing is almost invariably welcome.

 

On the Kennet and Avon a couple of weeks ago i saw some total idiot let go of his windlass while it was still on the winding gear!!! Not just let go, he wandered off to open the gate on the other side! I don't know why he needed both gates open for such a tiny boat, except that he was hopeless at steering! His boat was one of those tiny fibreglass ones that would almost fit through a single gate sideways. So anyway i just walked well away from that area and let him get on with it all. When he got back to the paddle he deliberately took the windlass off and then dropped the paddle! I've had the windlass accidentally slip off (but only once & just when people were watching, of course) but i've never let go of one. Does anyone know the maximum range of a windlass flying off a slipped paddle? I'm pretty sure it's been known to cause deaths and horrific injuries.

 

I wished i had a video camera for making a movie on 'How Not To', possibly including 'why not', because every single thing he did was done badly and dangerously. Mistakes, carelessness and moments of stupidity are one thing but consistently endangering other people unnecessarily is something else!

 

Anyway, take care, good luck and have fun

Regards from

Tom

 

Ps re; Peter's "To the optimist, it's half full. To the pessimist, it's half empty. To the engineer, it's twice as big as it needs to be!". Hey, that's not my glass. Mine was bigger. And it was full!

 

Pps The real trick is to buy a strong magnet and then you might find a variety of windlasses magically appear

Edited May 31, 2009 by Tom6