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GoWindlass


roggie

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Thanks to the feedback on here I have just ordered one.  I have a large hernia as a result of bowel surgery so shouldn’t really be lifting anything heavy and further surgery is probably another 6 months away.  My wife also has a medical issue so it sounds perfect for us

i must admit some of the mechanisms on the GU locks were pretty stiff though not insurmountable so this should make life easier.

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40 minutes ago, Jo_ said:

I'll weigh mine and tell you! And you can compare it to the weight of your long throw! ?

That would be helpful but as my aluminium long throw is on the boat six hours drive away, I can't weigh it :-) . Anyone got one they could weigh for me? The Gowindlass seems to be a lot heavier but until I have both weights, I can't really tell if it will be too heavy for me. When doing a flight of locks I seldom get back on the boat until the end of the flight and that is sometimes a long time to carry a heavy windlass. Atherstone for example, can take hours depending on the traffic.

 

haggis

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The GoWindlass is almost 1kg, see 

 

 

so it's slightly heavier than a sleeved windlass. Perhaps worth investing in a windlass holder rather than have to carry it in your hand. Certainly heavier than a aluminium version - for some reason I got the price wrong, it's £79.99 but there is a £5 off code in one of the canal magazines - which I saw after ordering. Their website has a few more videos now and testimonials, seemingly lifted from Facebook.

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6 minutes ago, Jo_ said:

Where are you haggis? You could borrow mine to try if you like. I am at Mercia. 

That's very kind of you, Jo but I am in Scotland and the boat is at Streethay and the next time we are out, we will be taking it to it's new abode further north so our paths won't cross. 

Several years ago we were at the IWA National at Wolverhampton and a ratchet windlass made it's (I think) debut. I thought about it but never really got round to doing much more. On our way away, we got into a queue on the Staffs and Worcester and a lady on a boat in front had one of the new windlasses and I asked if I could try it. It was great on the paddles but I reckonned I would need a wheel barrow to move it from lock to lock :-). That is why I am asking about the weight of the Gowindlass.

 

haggis

 

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1 hour ago, roggie said:

Perhaps worth investing in a windlass holder rather than have to carry it in your hand

Easiest way to "make" a holder is too just use a belt.    Just put the put the belt around your waist over your normal clothes but a bit looser and place the windlass in the small of your back between your back and belt, windlass is in the "V" position.

Edited by Robbo
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1 hour ago, haggis said:

That's very kind of you, Jo but I am in Scotland and the boat is at Streethay and the next time we are out, we will be taking it to it's new abode further north so our paths won't cross. 

Several years ago we were at the IWA National at Wolverhampton and a ratchet windlass made it's (I think) debut. I thought about it but never really got round to doing much more. On our way away, we got into a queue on the Staffs and Worcester and a lady on a boat in front had one of the new windlasses and I asked if I could try it. It was great on the paddles but I reckonned I would need a wheel barrow to move it from lock to lock :-). That is why I am asking about the weight of the Gowindlass.

 

haggis

 

The GoWindlass is much lighter than the other thing but deffo heavier than a typical short throw. It's chrome plated carbon steel. It's throw is greater than a standard windlass but a bit less than our long throw.

 

We use an extra belt on the outside to carry our windlasses and haven't noticed much difference. Dave on Anon does some great belts.

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My lockwheeler is due yet another birthday in September and as I'm a tender loving Captain I thought I'd treat her to this gadget. She likes the idea.

 

Now, I am a fugal operator so I'm asking if anyone has a boat magazine with the voucher code in it so that I can save myself some beer tokens. Purely medicinal of course. 

Edited by Nightwatch
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6 hours ago, roggie said:

The GoWindlass is almost 1kg, see 

 

 

so it's slightly heavier than a sleeved windlass. Perhaps worth investing in a windlass holder rather than have to carry it in your hand. Certainly heavier than a aluminium version - for some reason I got the price wrong, it's £79.99 but there is a £5 off code in one of the canal magazines - which I saw after ordering. Their website has a few more videos now and testimonials, seemingly lifted from Facebook.

Do you know which canal mag voucher code was in.

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7 hours ago, haggis said:

That would be helpful but as my aluminium long throw is on the boat six hours drive away, I can't weigh it ? . Anyone got one they could weigh for me? The Gowindlass seems to be a lot heavier but until I have both weights, I can't really tell if it will be too heavy for me. When doing a flight of locks I seldom get back on the boat until the end of the flight and that is sometimes a long time to carry a heavy windlass. Atherstone for example, can take hours depending on the traffic.

 

haggis

Hellooooooooooo

We have a selection of winding thingies for the wife. Amongst her collection she has a long throw alloy thingy. It has a double head and throw is 14 and a half inches with a handle length of 9 and a half inches, I have just put the scales into foreign mode and weighed it for you its 630 grams ? After a further look its a Walsh make.

Edited by mrsmelly
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54 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Hellooooooooooo

We have a selection of winding thingies for the wife. Amongst her collection she has a long throw alloy thingy. It has a double head and throw is 14 and a half inches with a handle length of 9 and a half inches, I have just put the scales into foreign mode and weighed it for you its 630 grams ? After a further look its a Walsh make.

Thank you!! That is most helpful and all I have to do now is convert it to a weight I understand ?. Thank you for measuring it the old fashioned way! Those measurements sound about the same as mine. 

Now all I need is the actual weight of the Gowindlass. Not that it is heavier than an ordinary windlass. 

 

Haggis 

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12 minutes ago, haggis said:

Thank you!! That is most helpful and all I have to do now is convert it to a weight I understand ?. Thank you for measuring it the old fashioned way! Those measurements sound about the same as mine. 

Now all I need is the actual weight of the Gowindlass. Not that it is heavier than an ordinary windlass. 

 

Haggis 

Heloooo

An earlier poster has the go windlass at about 1kg on their scales so in effect not far off double the weight.

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12 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Heloooo

An earlier poster has the go windlass at about 1kg on their scales so in effect not far off double the weight.

Thank you again. I will stick with the aluminium long throw with the jubilee clips for now but if we encounter anyone with a gowindlass on our travels I will ask if I can try it. I know I could get a windlass belt and I did try Iains (which he never uses, preferring to carry his windlass on his shoulder under his shirt) but the hanging windlass seemed to get in the way crossing gates. 

Ever since the back flip off a top gate on the Wolverhampton 21 I cross gates with care ?

Haggis 

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20 minutes ago, haggis said:

Thank you again. I will stick with the aluminium long throw with the jubilee clips for now but if we encounter anyone with a gowindlass on our travels I will ask if I can try it. I know I could get a windlass belt and I did try Iains (which he never uses, preferring to carry his windlass on his shoulder under his shirt) but the hanging windlass seemed to get in the way crossing gates. 

Ever since the back flip off a top gate on the Wolverhampton 21 I cross gates with care ?

Haggis 

If you use my method of carrying the windlass in your lower back in a belt than it doesn’t hang down or get in the way and doesn’t affect movement.  I carry mine like this up/down lock ladders so it’s quite secure and it’s easy to whip out and place in.  To try it you just need a normal belt - I won’t recommend using the same one to hold your trousers up as we don’t want to frighten the natives.     

Edited by Robbo
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6 minutes ago, Robbo said:

If you use my method of carrying the windlass in your lower back in a belt than it doesn’t hang down or get in the way and doesn’t affect movement.  I carry mine like this up/down lock ladders so it’s quite secure and it’s easy to whip out and place in.  To try it you just need a normal belt - I won’t recommend using the same one to hold your trousers up as we don’t want to frighten the natives.     

yes, I saw that suggestion earlier and have seen it done. Must acquire a belt :-) 

 

haggis

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It's obviously down to personal choice but my wife swapped her beloved aluminium one for the GoWindlass and she soon got used to the extra weight. Since we bought it at the Crick show in May she has worked over 50 locks with it and it's made it so much easier. She hasn't got a belt or holster so just carries it in her hand and that includes crossing lock gates.

 

Haggis, I reckon the hassle of the extra weight would be outweighed (excuse the pun) by it making the paddle winding so much easier. I think you'd get used to it.

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I agree. I just carry mine and, though I'm aware it's a bit heavier than an aluminium one, it just reminds me I've got the GoWindlass and it's helping me! I'm not skinny enough to carry a windlass in a belt. It would just stick into me or drop off or bang into my thigh. It's easier to carry.

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