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Lockmaster windlass


Neil2

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I'm not surprised at that price!

Bob

They are expensive but for someone who is perhaps "getting on" a bit and not so robust as she/he used to be they can be very useful, and although slow can make a big difference on reluctant locks.

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They are expensive but for someone who is perhaps "getting on" a bit and not so robust as she/he used to be they can be very useful, and although slow can make a big difference on reluctant locks.

 

You've got the added weight of it though. They are heavy! I find a long throw jobby does the business beautifully (as long as there's room for the long bit of the throw!)

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My 'missus' fancied one of those...and we spotted a guy using one ...

 

He said "My family bought it for me because I'm having trouble with the locks..and it's the worse thing I ever had..but I have to use it as they are watching me !!".

 

He said "Slow...weighs a ton...and it's OK for getting some pressure when opening...but when winding down paddles it was a nightmare as it's not designed for going in reverse as it's basically a ratchet spanner..and you have to release pressure and then try and reverse the ratchet..it goes all floppy in reverse.."...

 

He showed me..and ye..it goes all floppy in reverse...(matron)

 

I've never owned one...those were his comments.

Edited by Bobbybass
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I

My 'missus' fancied one of those...and we spotted a guy using one ...

 

He said "My family bought it for me because I'm having trouble with the locks..and it's the worse thing I ever had..but I have to use it as they are watching me !!".

 

He said "Slow...weighs a ton...and it's OK for getting some pressure when opening...but when winding down paddles it was a nightmare as it's not designed for going in reverse as it's basically a ratchet spanner..and you have to release pressure and then try and reverse the ratchet..it goes all floppy in reverse.."...

 

He showed me..and ye..it goes all floppy in reverse...(matron)

 

I've never owned one...those were his comments.

I understand that a boat which got cilled (I think at Stoke Bruerne) was being crewed by someone using a ratchet windlass - and because it was poor at going in reverse (or maybe took so long to switch into reverse ratchet mode) the paddles couldn't be dropped quickly enough, making the situation worse.

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My 'missus' fancied one of those...and we spotted a guy using one ...

 

He said "My family bought it for me because I'm having trouble with the locks..and it's the worse thing I ever had..but I have to use it as they are watching me !!".

 

He said "Slow...weighs a ton...and it's OK for getting some pressure when opening...but when winding down paddles it was a nightmare as it's not designed for going in reverse as it's basically a ratchet spanner..and you have to release pressure and then try and reverse the ratchet..it goes all floppy in reverse.."...

 

He showed me..and ye..it goes all floppy in reverse...(matron)

 

I've never owned one...those were his comments.

 

I

I understand that a boat which got cilled (I think at Stoke Bruerne) was being crewed by someone using a ratchet windlass - and because it was poor at going in reverse (or maybe took so long to switch into reverse ratchet mode) the paddles couldn't be dropped quickly enough, making the situation worse.

That is most interesting.

 

 

The ebay windlass has reached £170 but I discovered you can buy one new for £154. The chandlery at Braunston sells them (not Midland Chandlers, the one on the offside down near the locks I forget what it's called).

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That is most interesting.

 

 

The ebay windlass has reached £170 but I discovered you can buy one new for £154. The chandlery at Braunston sells them (not Midland Chandlers, the one on the offside down near the locks I forget what it's called).

I'm not sure what your seeing the price I see is £79.00

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The ebay windlass has reached £170 but I discovered you can buy one new for £154. The chandlery at Braunston sells them (not Midland Chandlers, the one on the offside down near the locks I forget what it's called).

 

This has to be the most expensive ballast on sale anywhere - and it's not even a great shape for ballast.

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If it's what I think it is, a ratchet windlass, the only advantage I can thick of is, if you were to slip up and the paddle took charge of a lose windless the ratchet bit would just slap your chin rather than knock yer ead orf!!

 

Martyn

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  • 2 months later...

Good morning,

 

Really interesting to read the comments below. I wonder if I can be of help in clarifying elements of the discussion?

 

The LockMaster ratchet windlass is still very much in production and is doing well. We have just launched our website www.lockmasterwindlass.co.uk, where you can find a lot of information including a list of stockists so, if you wish to,you can handle the ratchet windlass for yourself and try out how it moves between the different handle positions.

 

The price of the ratchet windlass is £154 which includes VAT and Royal Mail next day special delivery.

 

With regard to the comment about not being able to put the windlass into reverse without it going 'floppy' - the ratchet head can be reversed by sliding the central button across in one movement and the handle position can be changed by sliding back the shaft on the handle, moving it to the position you want and locking the shaft again. This action takes seconds to do. It might be that, in the panic of the boat running into trouble in the lock, the user didn't lock the handle into position, so it was in 'neutral' and was therefore fully movable but I'm guessing - trying to visualise the situation so please do call me, 'Bobbybass', as I would like to explore what you describe in greater detail.

 

It's such a shame if people aren't enjoying using their LockMaster. We get many, many wonderful emails and indeed, letters, from customers who say they rely on it. The feedback on this thread has been invaluable though, for one thing it confirms we should get some videos up on the website so we can show you how easy it is to use, rather than trying to explain it to you!

 

Please do contact me if I can help. You can find my details on the website.

 

Happy boating. Ursula.

 

www.lockmasterwindlass.co.uk

 

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I suspect what BobbyBass means is as you change the ratchet direction from one way to the other, it ceases to hold the paddle gear spindle still, allowing the paddle to drop out of control when what you actually needed to do was to lower the paddle slowly.

 

Not sure why the paddle ratchet wouldn't catch it though...

 

MtB

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Ah okay, thank you for the clarification, MtB.

 

The LockMaster stills holds the paddle gear spindle still as you change direction (i.e. as you move the button at the base of the head across) so not sure if that's what happened.

 

On reflection it may be the absence of a brake, so after reversal of the ratchet, if the paddle gear is really free-running it rattles down to the closed position in an uncontrolled manner.

 

Maybe Mr Bass will show up soon and clarify!

 

MtB

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That is most interesting.

 

 

The ebay windlass has reached £170 but I discovered you can buy one new for £154. The chandlery at Braunston sells them (not Midland Chandlers, the one on the offside down near the locks I forget what it's called).

 

It's Wharfhouse Chandlery. Yes they do stock them.

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Good morning,

 

Really interesting to read the comments below. I wonder if I can be of help in clarifying elements of the discussion?

 

The LockMaster ratchet windlass is still very much in production and is doing well. We have just launched our website www.lockmasterwindlass.co.uk, where you can find a lot of information including a list of stockists so, if you wish to,you can handle the ratchet windlass for yourself and try out how it moves between the different handle positions.

 

The price of the ratchet windlass is £154 which includes VAT and Royal Mail next day special delivery.

 

With regard to the comment about not being able to put the windlass into reverse without it going 'floppy' - the ratchet head can be reversed by sliding the central button across in one movement and the handle position can be changed by sliding back the shaft on the handle, moving it to the position you want and locking the shaft again. This action takes seconds to do. It might be that, in the panic of the boat running into trouble in the lock, the user didn't lock the handle into position, so it was in 'neutral' and was therefore fully movable but I'm guessing - trying to visualise the situation so please do call me, 'Bobbybass', as I would like to explore what you describe in greater detail.

 

It's such a shame if people aren't enjoying using their LockMaster. We get many, many wonderful emails and indeed, letters, from customers who say they rely on it. The feedback on this thread has been invaluable though, for one thing it confirms we should get some videos up on the website so we can show you how easy it is to use, rather than trying to explain it to you!

 

Please do contact me if I can help. You can find my details on the website.

 

Happy boating. Ursula.

 

www.lockmasterwindlass.co.uk

 

 

Hi..

 

If you read my post...it said that ' I never owned one..and these were his comments'.

 

I have no idea...but he was very unhapy with especially weight wise...

He showed us..and it did indeed appear cumbersome and althought a leverage advantage..my wife decided she would rather have a lighter one..and give it a bit more 'heave'.

It also 'seemed' that the extended length to get leverage would foul many balance arms...where these isn't much clearance.

 

I did say...we never owned one.

 

We were keen to buy...but couldn't justify it.

Edited by Bobbybass
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Hi Bobbybass, I absolutely understand that you were very clear that you never owned one.

 

I just thought you were in a good position to help me understand what aspect of the mechanism the gentleman you met was struggling with, as you mentioned that he showed it to you. That was the only reason I suggested a call - so I could pick your brains about what you'd seen, in case something needed to be rectified. I didn't mean to startle you! happy.png

 

Thank you for your help, anyway. Have a lovely weekend.

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This our alternative: Take an old windlass and cut off the sockets with about six inches of shaft. Weld onto the end of another windlass with a couple of strengthening fillets. You now have a long-throw windlass with one significant difference to ordinary long throw windlasses; you can still use the normal length sockets for locks where the long throw would foul the beam. Especially useful when lowering paddles. Cost about a fiver or so and about a third of the weight of a Lockmaster. Someone has posted a picture of something similar on here in the past.

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Hi Bobbybass, I absolutely understand that you were very clear that you never owned one.

 

I just thought you were in a good position to help me understand what aspect of the mechanism the gentleman you met was struggling with, as you mentioned that he showed it to you. That was the only reason I suggested a call - so I could pick your brains about what you'd seen, in case something needed to be rectified. I didn't mean to startle you! happy.png

 

Thank you for your help, anyway. Have a lovely weekend.

 

That's OK..

 

I think that if you wanted the one single thing my wife didn't like..

It was the weight.....although we didn't study it that much.

 

There are a lot of things to do on a lock...and that bit of extra weight put her off....

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I agree. I picked up the sample windlass in Wharf House NBs and was shocked by the weight.

 

MtB

 

That will be the one many of us have picked up over the years I'm guessing!

 

I did again a few weeks ago, to see if by any chance it was a different one, because I thought I had read they had now reduced the weight, but this one still weighed a ton, so no evidence it wasn't still the one I picked up a long while back.

 

I have to say it was not me who was uncompromisingly rude about it - that was down to the person working for the chandlery that is allegedly trying to sell it for the price of maybe a dozen more normal windlasses.

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