Windlass Recommendation?

[pepper]

Can anyone recommend a good long lasting durable windlass?

 

Length?

Material?

Is it better to get a twin windlass (with both size holes) or two singles?

 

Confused of Watford

[Chalky]

Get a cheap one you won't mind loosing. Then when one of the children leaves it behind at a lock or drops it in the cut you won't be too upset. I also tend to paint ours in a daygo paint so I can easily see where they all are.

[bottle]

There are basically two lengths long and short, long for the weak and the heavy paddle gear, short for normal use and also to save your knuckles on gate paddles.

 

Materials again two, steel (easily recovered with a magnet when you drop in the cut) and aluminium (light weight but not recoverable unless you attach something steel)

 

'Holes' two is better than one, saves going back to the boat for the correct one.

 

Some come with revolving handles, others do not.

[alan_fincher]

I've not really seen any single eyed windlasses on sale in normal canal outlets, (EDITED TO ADD - I mean in recent years - they used to be commonplace).

 

Nearly everything that is sold has 2 eyes these days, I think.

 

You will find locks that need both types, particularly as I note your location as being on the GU, where a few hydraulic paddles survive that need the bigger non-tapered eye. (There is even a ground paddle on the Hanwell flight now that is not the standardised small taper - I have no idea why!....)

 

A word of warning about alloy ones..... Although we use them, I have now seen the head broken off both the more common "Walsh" type, but also off the very expensive "Dunton" type. If you tend to lean on them very hard, steel might be the safer bet, as, although I think it was probably casting defects in the ones I have seen snap off, the consequences could have been nasty in some circumstances.

Edited April 29, 2011 by alan_fincher

[RLWP]

Can anyone recommend a good long lasting durable windlass?

 

Length?

Material?

Is it better to get a twin windlass (with both size holes) or two singles?

 

Confused of Watford

 

If you're new to this, buy cheap ones. It's surprising how many you can lose when you are learning

 

Richard

 

Eventually you get better and start accumulating windlasses

[Mac of Cygnet]

There is also of course the 'Rochdale Windlass', very long handled but with an extra couple of eyes halfway up the shank. Invented and sold by Shire Cruisers, Sowerby Bridge, but apparently by no-one else since a woman clonked herself in the face with the revolving end while using the 'short' eyes.

[carlt]

Save your money and get yourself a sea searcher magnet.

 

Use whatever you drag out of the first lock then keep searching until you find your ideal windlass.

[Machpoint005]

Can anyone recommend a good long lasting durable windlass?

One with a handle.

[journeyperson]

A Dunton lightweight. tapered key windlass was in the boat when we bought it over three years ago and although we have had to replace two lost windlasses the Dunton has survived and it is my first choice, it just feels right. My wife uses either a long or short throw swivel handled type which she finds easier, so there are no arguments.

[Guest]

Walsh -

 

alloy ones- we have had ours now for a couple of years. Allegedley they can break under stress, ours never have despite some very stiff paddles this week or two and years previous.

 

Be aware the long reach ones catch on some lock beams due to clearance and some boaters find the short reach ones better if they have back problems.

 

 

Eta - best way to avoid the need to recover one from the cut????

 

 

Don't drop it in there in the first place, it's not THAT hard.!!!

Edited April 29, 2011 by MJG

[WotEver]

Eta - best way to avoid the need to recover one from the cut????

 

 

Don't drop it in there in the first place, it's not THAT hard.!!!

I fell off a mate's cruiser in a (deep) lock on the Avon many years ago; the wind took him away from the side just as I was leaping. Despite the fact that I was wearing a heavy leather jacket at the time my mate was most impressed that when I surfaced and swam (scrabbled?) to the side I still had hold of his windlass.

 

Then so's I could dry out a bit, my wife removed her jogging bottoms, using her jumper like a mini skirt...

 

Tony

[Proper Job]

.............. Then so's I could dry out a bit, my wife removed her jogging bottoms, using her jumper like a mini skirt...

 

Tony

So..... how exactly did your wife removing her jogging bottoms dry you out

 

[Guest]

We met a boater last week using a 'Float lass' windlass - she claimed it would float if it went in the cut - I could see the handle was wood and the rest looked a very light alloy.

 

Found it via. Google

 

I think I'd be concerned about durability myself given the stick ours get sometimes....

[WotEver]

So..... how exactly did your wife removing her jogging bottoms dry you out

 

Well, er... you see...

 

Found it via. Google

I love the caption for this image:

 

"Easy retrieval with boat hook" - where can I get a boat hook like that one?

 

Tony

[Nine of Hearts]

... I also tend to paint ours in a daygo paint so I can easily see where they all are.

 

Will that be alternate bands of red and yellow?

 

...it's ok, Im going.

[WotEver]

Will that be alternate bands of red and yellow?

 

...it's ok, Im going.