Groovy windlass

[mark99]

Gate before paddle <gate> can never get catch you out, upper or lower.

 

Paddle before gate will get you soon enough.

 

Good 'abit.

Edited April 27, 2017 by mark99

[Ray T]

7 hours ago, dave moore said:

I'm an old guy, I agree with both old farts. The new style windlasses are vile, I can't think of a good use for them. " Gates before paddles " has always been my choice, in that if the levels aren't exactly equal then the paddle needs raising again. I suppose it matters little......but I'm sticking with the practices I learned years ago from some very knowledgeable boaters.

 

Dave

I agree Dave. I cannot print of what Mike H thinks of them.

Isn't one issue with putting a decent windlass on a hire boat that they may get nicked? I was speaking to a hire boat propriter last Monday and she says she now kits the boats out with as cheap as possible fittings as usually most objects that move get pinched, so I can see a reason for hire boat companies using these windlass.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Ray T

[Mike Todd]

20 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This is because pushing a gate closed with a big hole in it (i.e. with the paddle UP) must be marginally less effort than closing it with the paddle down. Consequently that's the way I always do it but I suspect there is hardly any difference.

Depending on the overall way in which the lock is worked, the gain in slightly faster closing may well be outweighed by having to do the paddles afterwards, instead of over-lapping them with the boat being motored out of the lock.

Although we have a general pattern, regardless of whether we are two or sometimes three, we do vary it partly to take account of individual circumstances (no two locks are ever the same) and partly for interest. Also note that when two of us we share the tasks fairly evenly although the other one is unkeen on driving into an empty broad lock, simply because of the extra effort to secure the boat before starting to fill.

[Rose Narrowboats]

On 27/04/2017 at 19:47, Rob-M said:

If you start making a decent single header windlass that has the right balance I would be interested. I don't like double headed windlasses as they tend to be head end heavy and too bulky.

Good to hear I'm not the only one who thinks that. We'll have a blacksmith based on site soon so windlasses aside, all sorts of interesting things such as boat hooks and kebs become possible, though not necessarily economically viable!

 

On 27/04/2017 at 19:49, dave moore said:

Hi Rose

I have several old windlasses here should you need patterns, though I suspect you may not be short yourself. May need another can later.....

Thanks for the offer Dave - I've got a few different examples of forged and cast windlasses to use including a GU parallel one, but of course you may have something better to work from.

I'll email you about cans - we've got the first few handles back from the galvanisers so will have two ready for you next week.

Regards,

Anthony

[Canal Cuttings]

I can't see who would buy these welded plate windlasses.

 

The Midland Chandlers site advertises:

 

(Nasty cheap looking) WINDLASS NOVA LONG NEW TYPE £17.90

(Nice traditional one-piece) WINDLASS ALUMINIUM LONG UNPOLISHED £19.99

 

Who needs to save £2 that desperately?

 

Mind you, I think an extra £12 for a polished one is gilding the lily a little!

[MtB]

On 30/04/2017 at 20:12, Canal Cuttings said:

I can't see who would buy these welded plate windlasses.

 

The Midland Chandlers site advertises:

 

(Nasty cheap looking) WINDLASS NOVA LONG NEW TYPE £17.90

(Nice traditional one-piece) WINDLASS ALUMINIUM LONG UNPOLISHED £19.99

 

Who needs to save £2 that desperately?

 

I'd buy the nasty cheap looking one given that choice. As would anyone who knows how those cast ally ones snap.

Besides, aluminium was never used for 'traditional' windlasses.

[frangar]

9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'd buy the nasty cheap looking one given that choice. As would anyone who knows how those cast ally ones snap.

Besides, aluminium was never used for 'traditional' windlasses.

Our duntons are now probably 20 years old....lost count of the paddles of all types...not broken one yet! The only time I've gone back to a steel one is either when I've been trying to free a jammed paddle or when the OH needs something heavier to swing in the less salubrious areas.....

[john6767]

10 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'd buy the nasty cheap looking one given that choice. As would anyone who knows how those cast ally ones snap.

Besides, aluminium was never used for 'traditional' windlasses.

Whilst I know there have been cases of the alloy ones snapping, we have two, and other than when we have extra crew they are the only windlasses that are used.  I can see a fabricated two plate one can ever be considered a good option to be honest.

[MtB]

On 01/05/2017 at 09:32, john6767 said:

Whilst I know there have been cases of the alloy ones snapping, we have two, and other than when we have extra crew they are the only windlasses that are used.  I can see a fabricated two plate one can ever be considered a good option to be honest.

 

The day one of your ally ones snaps on you while you are applying maximum effort on the really stiff paddle and you potentially injure yourself, I predict you'll change your mind about them.

[ditchcrawler]

I fished one of these "Groovy" windlasses out with a magnet the other week, considering what a short time they have been in production I was very surprised the condition of it with thick rust on the plate bits.

[frangar]

39 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

The day one of your ally ones snaps on you while you are applying maximum effort on the really stiff paddle and you potentially injure yourself, I predict you'll change your mind about them.

When my alloy one slips cos of all the damage caused by the stupid plate ones I'll be less than impressed too. 

[Horace42]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

The day one of your ally ones snaps on you while you are applying maximum effort on the really stiff paddle and you potentially injure yourself, I predict you'll change your mind about them.

Yes, and if you drop your ally one in the canal. Your magnet won't help much to retrieve it!

[Sea Dog]

5 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

The day one of your ally ones snaps on you while you are applying maximum effort on the really stiff paddle and you potentially injure yourself, I predict you'll change your mind about them.

I can see that this wouldn't be a vast amount of fun, but is it really that common? I have half a dozen windlasses, but the two aluminium ones are the ones we favour for their lightness and kindness to the spindles. If it's one in a million I'll take those odds, but if it's a virtual inevitability that they'll fail, as you appear to suggest, I'll chuck 'em before someone gets hurt.

[cuthound]

4 hours ago, Horace42 said:

Yes, and if you drop your ally one in the canal. Your magnet won't help much to retrieve it!

If you put a jubilee clip or two on them,  then the magnet will find them.

[Neil2]

IIRC a rule of thumb is that aluminium needs to be about three times the thickness of steel to give the same strength.  Those ally windlasses are just the same size as the steel type aren't they?