I want to install a windlass, but cabling it from my batteries with
large wires is a major job.

I am thinking of placing a dedicated battery up with the windlass and
running smaller wires from the main bank where the charger lives

Question:

How do you protect the smaller wire from over current? I am thinking
about a situation where the windlass battery is dead. The windlass will
try to draw current from the other bank. I can/will install a breaker of
course. But I was wondering if there are any other tips and tricks in
respect to the installation I have in mind.

Basically the house bank is charged from a charger/inverter, engine and
solar bank. There is a large (4 gauge I think) pair of wires that feed
from the batteries to a breaker panel half way to the windlass location.
I was thinking of running the new wires from the breaker panel to the
windlass location, with the understanding that when charging, the
voltage and current from the charge source will come from the breaker panel.

Anybody have an thoughts to share?

Thanks!

Its a bit pricey, but you can put in an Echo Charge ($129 from West,
as low as $100 elsewhere) that will limit the current to 15 Amps. I
just set up up for my two starting batteries, which are latched
together for charging with a combiner.

Frankly, I would (in fact I did) simply run the big wires and forgo
the dedicated battery. Since the engine is usually running when we
haul anchor, this allows the windlass to be driven by the higher
alternator voltage, which overcomes the voltage drop of the wires.
The complications of mounting another battery, and maintaining it
seems far worse than running a pair of heavy wires. BTW, the "hammer
crimp" tool for heavy wire (West, about $40) works just fine for
adding lugs after running the wire.


Doin it right wrote:
I want to install a windlass, but cabling it from my batteries with
large wires is a major job.

I am thinking of placing a dedicated battery up with the windlass and
running smaller wires from the main bank where the charger lives

Question:

How do you protect the smaller wire from over current? I am thinking
about a situation where the windlass battery is dead. The windlass will
try to draw current from the other bank. I can/will install a breaker of
course. But I was wondering if there are any other tips and tricks in
respect to the installation I have in mind.

Basically the house bank is charged from a charger/inverter, engine and
solar bank. There is a large (4 gauge I think) pair of wires that feed
from the batteries to a breaker panel half way to the windlass location.
I was thinking of running the new wires from the breaker panel to the
windlass location, with the understanding that when charging, the
voltage and current from the charge source will come from the breaker
panel.

Anybody have an thoughts to share?

Thanks!

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 22:03:07 -0400, Doin it right
wrote:

I want to install a windlass, but cabling it from my batteries with
large wires is a major job.

I am thinking of placing a dedicated battery up with the windlass and
running smaller wires from the main bank where the charger lives


I went through the same thoughts when i installed my big Maxwell
windlass. Talk to battery people and you will find that one battery
bank (with an isolated starting battery) is far better for your
batteries. You still need to run cables, whether they are #4 or #00.
It is just the expense of the cable. It is a one time expense.
Buy two 50' spools of 00 or 0 cable; one red and one black. Go a size
larger than you think. Find someone with a wholesale account. It is
much cheaper than retail when you buy it in 50' lengths. Get the
hammer-operated crimper and buy lug terminals in bulk, too. You will
have enough left over to replace any battery cables or sell to other
boaters as they need it.
Do not do the dedicated windlass battery. It is not a good choice. Of
course, it is your boat. (grin)
Whatever you decide, use high quality equipment. A windlass will last
a long, long time. This is a one-time expense and spending an extra
$200 to do it right is well worth the money.

I installed my windlass as you describe, and I am happy with it.
I ran #4 cable from the main batteries to the bow. I have a 100 amp
breaker installed to protect this cable. I bought a little 35 AH AGM
wheelchair battery for ~$50 and mounted this up at the bow to provide
power for the windlass. This is wired in parallel with my house
batteries, with nothing sophisticated.

So far so good. The battery is wired in parallel with my house and is
transparent. The AGM battery is small, requires no maintenance, and
has sufficient power to run the windlass for a couple of cycles.

The only problem I had was -- one time the breaker to the little
battery was switched open. I ran the windlass a couple of times, then
it stalled. The problem went away, when I flipped the breaker.

I understand the reasons to avoid this type of system. For me, I
simply wanted to avoid the additional $100 for the heavy cable.
Perhaps I lose some efficiency due to this extra little battery added
to the house circuit. I have a hard time believing that this would be
significant.

Good luck!

Jim




Doin it right wrote:
I want to install a windlass, but cabling it from my batteries with
large wires is a major job.

I am thinking of placing a dedicated battery up with the windlass and
running smaller wires from the main bank where the charger lives

Question:

How do you protect the smaller wire from over current? I am thinking
about a situation where the windlass battery is dead. The windlass will
try to draw current from the other bank. I can/will install a breaker of
course. But I was wondering if there are any other tips and tricks in
respect to the installation I have in mind.

Basically the house bank is charged from a charger/inverter, engine and
solar bank. There is a large (4 gauge I think) pair of wires that feed
from the batteries to a breaker panel half way to the windlass location.
I was thinking of running the new wires from the breaker panel to the
windlass location, with the understanding that when charging, the
voltage and current from the charge source will come from the breaker panel.

Anybody have an thoughts to share?

Thanks!

I agree that a single battery bank (i.e. no separate windlass battery)
is the best option if you can accomodate it. (read on for the 'if's).
Note that you do _not_ save much money if you install a separate
battery: The wiring from the new battery to the windlass may be
shorter and smaller, but consider this text, quoted from "Wiring 12
Volts for Ample Power":
"...if your alternator is puny...then #10 wire to a windlass battery
woudl work. But wire to a windlass battery must be sized for the
maximum rating of the alternator!" To that I'd add that your charging
source may not be the alternator but your shorepower charger as well.
If your charging source is 100A (yous aid you have a charger), then
you'll have to rate your wiring to 100A to your windlass battery. Note
that if you go directly from the breaker panel, the wiring to the
breaker panel shoudl be big enough to support all appliances running on
the breaker panel, including the windlass charging. The best option,
IMHO, is to run wiring from the main battery bus. (Note: Do not wire
directly to the battery--the battery ON/OFF switch should control all
electronics as much as that's possible. Wiring to your distribution
bus is the goal, but make sure all wiring to/from the distribution bus
is big enough as well. You say you have #4 to the breaker, which,
depending on the windlass draw, may not be enough. How big is the wire
to the battery on/off, or battery selector switch if you have one?)

If possible! Sometimes it's not. Here is an example: I recently
replaced the motor of my windlass. The company used to make a 1000 W
model and a 1200W model. Now they only make the 1200W model. The
bigger model, however, allows a smaller space between the motor and the
case, meaning that the largest size wire you can fit in there is #0.
If your round-trip length is long enough, then you may not be able to
fit a suitable sized wire in the case, and thus a second battery may be
necessary.


Good luck; let us know how it goes.

cheers.
mickey

In article ,
says...


I want to install a windlass, but cabling it from my batteries with
large wires is a major job.

I am thinking of placing a dedicated battery up with the windlass and
running smaller wires from the main bank where the charger lives

(Snip)

Though it is done, most responders argue against a dedicated battery near the
windlass. I agree. Buy and run the heavy cable. I used 1/0 red and black
marine grade (tinned) from Cobra. Thirty feet of each at $2.00 a foot in 1999.
You save the weight of a bettery in the bow where you don't want too much
weigfht and while the cable may weigh as much or more, the weignt is
distributed through the boat and is down low. The cable is direct connected to
the starting battery with a 100 amp breaker as close to the battery as
possible and accessible in the cabin. The breaker is in fact the switch. I
also ran three-part wire to an up/down switch in the cockpit in addition to
the foot switches on the deck next to the windlass. The windlass itself is
installed on top of what used to be the lid for the anchor locker with the
motor underneath. Half the lid is still useable and I can stow a lunch hook
and washdown hose in the locker as well as being able to inspect and maintain
the wiring, etc.

Sure beats hauling in 35# of anchor and 250 feet of 5/16" chain.

One thing that greatly surprised me was the wiring attached to the switches
and motor. They are not tinned and some have turned to red dust.

I want to install a windlass, but cabling it from my batteries with
large wires is a major job.

I am thinking of placing a dedicated battery up with the windlass and
running smaller wires from the main bank where the charger lives



Putting in a secondary battery is also a major job... if you do it right.

Gogarty wrote:
Though it is done, most responders argue against a dedicated battery near the
windlass. I agree. Buy and run the heavy cable. I used 1/0 red and black
marine grade (tinned) from Cobra. Thirty feet of each at $2.00 a foot in 1999.
You save the weight of a bettery in the bow where you don't want too much
weigfht and while the cable may weigh as much or more, the weignt is
distributed through the boat and is down low.

The cable doesn't present the maintenance & replacement issues that a
battery does, either.

.... The cable is direct connected to
the starting battery with a 100 amp breaker as close to the battery as
possible and accessible in the cabin. The breaker is in fact the switch. I
also ran three-part wire to an up/down switch in the cockpit in addition to
the foot switches on the deck next to the windlass.

That's a good idea. I'm planning on putting in a wireless remote for our
windlass, but that'a 'someday' project. I put in a 1000W windlass last
fall, running cables... but then our battery bank is further forward
than in many boats. Another factor I considered is that we're planning
to install a bow thruster, and it can tap into the same cable run.



One thing that greatly surprised me was the wiring attached to the switches
and motor. They are not tinned and some have turned to red dust.


Ouch... what brand of windlass? I got an Aries (Italian)... seems decent
but I've prefered an Ideal, they just cost twice as much.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

In article ,
says...


One thing that greatly surprised me was the wiring attached to the switches
and motor. They are not tinned and some have turned to red dust.


Ouch... what brand of windlass? I got an Aries (Italian)... seems decent
but I've prefered an Ideal, they just cost twice as much.

Lewmar Concept 1.

... I'm planning on putting in a wireless remote for our
windlass, but that'a 'someday' project.


Peter Wiley wrote:
I'm planning on fitting a hydraulic winch and save myself a lot of
grief with electrics

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks... Having made some of my living
repairing & maintaining military & industrial hydraulic systems for the
past 20+ years, I think much more of electrically powered systems than
hydraulics.


I have 2 or 3 hydraulic pot haulers about the place already and the
components aren't all that expensive in the scheme of things. Hydraulic
pump run via 12V electric clutch off the main engine.


For a windlass it's not such a bad thing, you'll most likely be using it
only when the engines already running. For other applications, it's a PITA.


Not for everyone but I have the tools to do it right. Can have remotes
at the wheel then.

A solenoid (that pesky electricity again) or running pilot tubes to a
control valve?

.... Fitting a wireless remote seems like something
guaranteed to go wrong.


Hydraulics are IMHO not only guaranteed to go wrong, but to make an oily
mess most of the time. But you're right that it would be a bit less
expensive for the same power.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Peter Wiley wrote:

I'm planning on fitting a hydraulic winch and save myself a lot of
grief with electrics


I will also be using hydraulics for the windlass as well as a counter
rotating bow thruster.

A little trick.

Hydraulics people tend to promote 2,000-3,000 psi systems since it keeps
the componets smaller and less expensive.

The down side is that it encourages leaks.

During my industrial career, kept hydraulic operating pressures for my
equipment below 1,500 psi.

At that pressure, what does a leak look like?


Lew