Installing Windlass on E37
Date: November 15, 1998
From: Rick Misiurak Misiurak@email.msn.com
I am the owner of a 1982 E37 B-Plan and I am in the market for a windlass.
Does anyone have any experience installing one on a 37? If yes, what type did you install? (vertical/horizontal). How may feet of chain/nylon? How did you manage it? It seems like a tight squeeze to me.
Any comments/photos/suggestions are appreciated.
Date: November 19, 1998
From: Ed Yusis Yusise@aol.com
I installed a hort electric windless on a 37 foot cutter rigged. Installation was behind the anchor locked. The chain and rope has to be manually fed into the locker. After looking at it for a while I felt this was the best option. The windless I installed is an older , bigger model. I installed a separate battery in the forward compartment dedicated to the windless ( did not want to run cables all the way aft.) What else can I tell you. The boat is currently in Sarasota Fl area, plan to leave for the Keys at the end of the month. Your welcome to see the boat if you are in this area.
Date: February 1, 1999
From: Dan Hawryschuk Dan_Hawryschuk@norstanconsult.com
Hello,
I recently installed a Simpson Lawrence 555 on my A plan model E37. I bought the SL 555 used from a guy who after installing the windlass on his own boat and using it twice decided a manual windlass was too much work. The SL 555 could be described as overkill for the E37 weighing in at about 60 lbs. and with lifting capacity of approximately 1000 lbs. I paid $200 for the thing and figure I'd rather be slightly overkill than inadequate. The 555 has a gypsy capable of 5/16 and 3/8 chain on one side and a rope drum on the other.
Before installing the windlass I had to perform a few tasks. First, I had to relocate my cutter stay to the bow. My E37 has a factory installed bow sprit/anchor platform to which the headstay is attached. The cutter stay was mounted to the deck at the first bulkhead. The attachment point is a plate mounted to the deck and through bolted to a substructure section on steel L channel under the deck. Years of cyclical loading had turned the coring in the deck to mush about 6 inches around the mounting plate. I removed the cutter stay assembly from the deck as well as the steel substructure under the deck. I then cut the outer skin of the deck from the area where the core was damaged. Next, I removed the core material and filled the void with epoxy thickened with micro-light I then glassed over the area with a few layers of chop-strand mat and roving.
Above deck:
Now that I had a clear strong section of deck I had to position the windlass. The placement fore to aft was a simple decision. I placed the windlass so that it was centered on the deck over the bulkhead for the foredeck. This places it about 16" from the inside edge of the bow. What surprised me was sever angle the chain would have to make coming off of the roller, over the platform, across the bulwark and caprail and then to the gypsy/drum. It is recommended that the angle from the windlass to the roller be as close to horizontal as possible. I was going to need almost 6" to get even close! What I ended up doing was splitting the difference.
I built a pad under the windlass using marine plywood and teak. First, I traced the footprint of the windlass on to a piece of cardboard. Then, I enlarged the pattern by making it 1.5" bigger all the way around. This would serve as the pad for the windlass. I cut three of these patterns from 3/4" marine plywood and epoxied these together. I then epoxied a piece of 1/2" teak on top of these. I used my belt sander to cleanup the edges of the pad and then sealed the edge with epoxy. Next, I traced the pattern of the pad onto the deck. I used this as a guide for grinding off the non-skid that would be under the pad. I then used epoxy with micro-light to bed the pad to the deck. When all the epoxy was cured I painted the sides of the pad with white LPU paint.
Below deck:
Below deck I wanted to ensure that I had enough reinforcement so as not to pull the windlass off of the deck but also not to damage the core in the foredeck. Also, because I had place the windlass so that it was over the bulkhead I would have to back the windlass on both side of the bulkhead. What I chose to do was to make a set 4" wide plywood frames that ran from port to starboard under each set of mounting holes. This was made up of 3 layers of 1/4" marine plywood epoxied together and then epoxied to the underside of the deck. I used epoxy with micro-light to create 2-1/2 " fillets on both sides of the frames. I then glassed over these with a few layers of chop-strand mat and woven roving.
Bolting It On:
Using the pattern of the windlass I drilled 1/2" holes through the pad, deck, and backing frames. The holes in the windlass are much larger but the largest hardware I could find "off the shelf" in stainless was 1/2". I did a dry run for mounting the hardware to see how it all looked and to see if I had missed anything. Two points I noticed: 1. If I bolted the windlass from topside to inside I would have to pull the bolts out of the deck anytime I wanted to service the windlass. 2. To get the windlass tight enough I would have to tighten the nuts to the point of possibly damaging the core under the pad. I decided I would insert the bolts from the underside and bolt the pad down and then use cap nuts and washers to hold the windlass to the pad and deck. I drilled the 1/2" holes in the top of pad large enough and deep enough to accommodate a washer and a nut. (The nut is flush with the top of the pad when tightened.) I used polysulfide in the holes and tightened the pad to the deck. This left enough stud sticking up from the pad so that I could place the windlass on the pad and use a washer, split washer and acorn nut to hold the windlass to the pad. To service the windlass I would only have to undo this hardware and not pull the studs out of the deck. To fill the space of the oversize mounting holes in the windlass I made spacers using epoxy. (I did this before mounting the windlass by filling the mounting holes with epoxy thickened with micro-light. I then drilled them to accommodate the 1/2" hole for the bolt. I sprayed "PAM" in the holes to act as release agent so that the spacers could be removed to be drilled.)
Chain Pipe:
Lastly, I needed to drill the hole though the deck to accommodate the chain as well as installing the chain pipe into the anchor locker. The SL 555 has a hole in its' base plate on the gypsy side of the windlass. I traced the hole onto the pad and used a 2 1/2" hole cutter to make the hole. Because of the thickness of the pad and deck I had to first cut the hole from the top and then using the pilot hole from that to drill with a bit through the pad so that I could then cut the remainder of the hole from below decks. When the hole was cut I then removed as much of the core from the exposed edge of the deck as was possible and filled this with epoxy thickened with micro-light. I then sealed the entire edge of the cutout with epoxy. When the epoxy cured I then painted the cutout with white LPU paint. For the chain pipe I used 4" PVC pipe. This is mounted directly under the hole in the deck and held in place by steel straps mounted to the bulkhead. The E37 A plan has a pre-molded fiberglass compartment that I use as the anchor locker. I built a plywood pad in the locker directly under the exit to the PVC pipe to absorb the impact of the chain entering the boat.
I know the installation is overkill. I mostly sail solo and am most concerned with building things that are strong and reliable. I hope this information is helpful. Thanks.
Date: March 4, 1999
From: David Cather brey@erols.com
Recently added an 5/16" chain rode to a 45# CQR (already had a windlass). Last summer we noticed we were heavy on the bow and realized it was the weight of the rode up high. Looking for a solution. One is to pipe it down under the forward berth, but before I cut the glass and install a pipe need to ensure this will be a solution. Has any one tackled this project on this model. Also looking for a specification sheet on this model. Additionally, considering a new main, still have the original furling main. Considering an upgrade-suggestions? Appreciate any suggestions or help.
Date: May 15, 1999
From: Mike Miller capnmike_s@yahoo.com
I have found that a Lofrans Royal Manual windlass fits perfectly on top of the bow coaming...it only has a 9" or so footprint between bolt holes...gives me 550# of pull, although it is a tad slow, and I had to re-locate the chain-pipe hole to accomodate it...nevertheless it has performed very well thru the Bahamas and Caribbean....I normally run 75 feet of 5/16" BBB chain on a 35# CQR, with a 150-foot rope rode for scope.
