Very amusing.I do love my windlass, despite the ocassioanl quirks common to this type of machinery. And I also have a very sophisticated trip mechanism on my anchor (not just wire ties) that saves my butt at least once or twice a season while Tog fishing.
Owned and/or worked on boats from 14' to 42'. Never used anything but an anchor ball and chain.
I'm a big fan of thinking outside the box, as well as finding creative solutions to expensive boat issues. But I think this one takes the cake. I don't normally link to The Hull Truth website, however this guy's piker engineering is certainly "special," while being funny as well.Definitely worth a visit for the comedic value alone! For now, I'm very satisfied with my Good Windlass. 20 years old and still pulling like a champ, as long as you keep up with the maintenance.
Anyone that has ever owned, and therefore wrestled with keeping a windlass working properly will appreciate it. This might be the slowest "windlass" ever, and that's saying something. The comments in the follow-up posts are pretty funny as well. I bet that thread ends up going a ton of pages deep.
He calls his new windlass the "SHITTYBILT OFFSHORE DEEPSEA ANCHOR TOWER."
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I also owned a Good windlass. In 2002, when I realized that my dream boat, a used 26 Fortier, was out of my price range, I was lucky enough to find a 1999 Shamrock Mackinaw that I could afford. Soon after owning her, I came upon the Shamrock Owners Group website. Two members, The Leprachan and Billy no Tacks, seemed to know their stuff about Shamrocks. I had owned many boats over the years but none ever had or required a windlass. The Mackinaw was a boat worthy of a windlass. So I posted on the site that I was interested in one. Both Pete, Billy, and their buddy Shamrock Freddie said don't get anything other than a Good ( I thought it was spelled Goode back then ). They both said Holty, 'if you take care of a Good it will last for years'. So not being one to ignore good advice ( pun intended) I placed a bid on Ebay for a used 1/2" rode-only AFD. I won the bid and was it delivered shortly thereafter. I posted the win on the site and Pete invited me to bring the windlass down to Shamrock Freddie's shack on the south shore where they would check it out for me. I arrived at Freddie's shack with the windlass, coffee and Krispy Kream donuts as directed. After the snacks Pete and Freddie hooked up the windlass to a battery and checked to see that the solenoid and control switch operated the windlass correctly. They did! Ok, I was good to go. Right? Not yet. Next, these boys get out there wrenched and begin to take the windlass apart to inspect the innards. Geeez......I am thinking I hope these guys know what the hell they are doing. They checked this gear and that gear. They took this apart and that apart and gave all a good lubrication (another pun). Then I got complete instructions on installation. "Make sure you do this and not that" etc etc. Then I was given the most important instruction of all. "After you have it installed and are ready to go get a small tub of marine grease and use your hand to schmear the grease over the entire motor". " Do this every spring". And I did. I owned that Mackinaw for 14 years and that Good windlass worked flawlessly year after year. I sold the rig to my sister in 2016 and she never had a problem with the windlass. The boat now lives in New Hampshire and I bet that Good is still pulling strong.As I was fortunate to discover many decades ago, those are the guys to help guide you through almost any boat related issues with solid advice based upon years of hands on experience!
regards Holty
Jay, if I recall correctly, didn’t we also swap out the entire internal gypsy mechanism so that you could use 1/2” line instead of 5/8”, thus converting it from a CFD to an AFD? It was a looong time ago, so maybe I’m thinking of another job, as we did do all sorts of crazy one-off mechanical work back in the day. And most of it actually worked!Unfortunately, I know the feeling of losing a mentor. Never seemed to be enough time to learn all they had to teach.
Freddie was the original mad scientist of marine modifications. Taught me everything I know about how to handle tools around a boat, as well as the ability to think outside the box with innovative solutions. We were both Snap-on Tools dealers back then and he was kind of my Rabbi as to how to properly run my business in order to make a decent living.
I used to keep my Shammie 26 on the floating dock behind his Seaford home and can vividly recall many instances of me with my head deep under my raised engine box and Freddie walking down the dock, usually with an ice cream cone in his hand (a huge no-no as Freddie was a big-time diabetic), him leaning over my gun’nel and saying “O.K., what did you Eff-up this time?” It was always frustrating, yet always funny, and I still use that line whenever a friend calls for a bit of my (actually Freddie’s) advice.
Regarding working on boats he always said, “Remember, when I’m gone always try to pay forward what I’ve taught you.” I never forgot and have always tried to honor that directive. I miss my old friend and mentor greatly. What a guy. I’m beginning to choke up a little bit, so that’s all on this for now.
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