It is a beautiful day for a boat excursion. You have completed your safety checks, your guests know where the life jackets, first aid kit, and flares are, and the VHF radio is working. But have you checked your windlass and ground tackle for operation and condition recently?
These photos show that these vessel owners have not checked, or incorrectly assumed ‘she’ll be right’.
Ask yourself
- What do I do if I lose power?
- What do I do if I lose rudder/steering?
- What do I do if I cannot find a swimming or snorkeling guest in the water?
- What do I do if the vessel is drifting?
- What do I do if I am too close to the shore?
There should be an operable anchoring system on your boat that can assist you in any of the above conditions, reducing potential dangers, and increasing the safety margin of your passengers and vessel.
Windlass and ground tackle criteria
In a previous article, we reviewed anchor selection for different bottom conditions where you might anchor your vessel. Today we will chat about the windlass and securing components.
Windlass’ are typically selected for your vessel by the boat manufacturer. The following criteria is a guideline;
- a windlass maximum load capacity to be four (4) times the usual ‘working load’ of the said windlass.
- ‘Working Load’ definition is the combined weight of the anchor, chain, rode, and hardware.
- Example: let’s say you have a 10-meter boat with a 10 kg anchor, 60 meters of 13mm rope, 5 meters of 7mm chain and a shackle. The total ground tackle total is approximately 28 kg. A windlass with at least 112 kg of pulling power should be on your boat. (4 x working load).
Purpose of the windlass
Windlasses are not intended to pull the weight of the boat against the wind and/or chop with the engine in neutral. They are also not designed to free a buried anchor from sand or from rocks. Your engine(s) power should be used to move the boat towards the anchor (usually upwind) and in combination with the motion of the vessel, free the anchor.
The windlass is constructed to lift the weight of the ground tackle and deliver enough tension to free a set anchor. If you do not have the experience, practice in a calm safe area and/or have an experienced hand to assist you with this exercise.
Conclusion
A final wrap-up is an emphasis on preventative maintenance. Your boat is in a marine environment. There is salt moisture everywhere; every crack, cranny, crevice, compartment, component, and the environment all around. Do not let your anchoring system fail you.
Happy Boating!
