Best Windlass for Gulfstream?

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TomBellow

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First time poster, long time lurker,

I own a 2001 Gulfstream. My wife and I are getting on in age and we have decided that we need to add a Windlass. Would any owners have a suggestion as to which Windless would best suit our 232 and where it should be mounted? If you have images of your installed Windlass to share, I would very much appreciate this as well. Thank you in Advance fro your assistance.

Tom
 
Hi, Tom I have a 2000 Gulfstream. I installed the lewmar pro fish 700. I choose the pro fish for the free fall. I also installed the remote receiver so I can use the remote fob if I want to. The installation wasn't hard at all.
I have the OEM anchor roller witch had the open bail. I cut the to welds on each side removing that so called bail by removing the roller bolt then installing a new close bail. It woks fine. Kevin
 
Kevin,
Thanks for your quick reply. Your suggestion is very good. I did a bit of research on the Lewmar Fish Pro 700 and have seen nothing but good reviews. A few other questions if I might.
-Was your GS pre-wired for a Windlass or did you run it yourself? I can DIY most items, however running electric on a boat is something I leave up those who have long arms and can crawl into tight spaces.
-Do you feel the closed bail no the anchor roller is necessary or a convenience?
-Do you use 8 plait or 3 line rope? Do you have chain?
Thanks in advance.
 
I also have the pro fish 700 on a 1999 Gulfstream. Had to wire myself but was very simple to do. I use 30' chain and 300' 8 plait. This is probably a little overboard but better safe than sorry. I have a custom pulpit so install was DIY.
 

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You may find some pre-wiring for a windlass, but it will only be from the helm area to the bow. When I initially installed a windlass on our 2002 Islander I asked GW where they got the power for the windlass and they said to just connect it at the helm. That is a bad idea, as that is fed from the 40-amp house load breaker near the batteries. It would not be sufficient for a Pro-Fish 700 AND it would cause a voltage drop at the helm that would affect the electronics.

I installed a surface mount breaker aft and ran a separate feed from aft to the helm area, where I mounted the the windlass breaker and relay for the windlass. Then I used the factory installed wiring from the helm to the bow. But check the size of the wiring that the factory installed, as it may not be proper for the load of a larger windlass. They used to install the small Horizon 400 or 500 models.
 
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TomBellow said:
Kevin,
Thanks for your quick reply. Your suggestion is very good. I did a bit of research on the Lewmar Fish Pro 700 and have seen nothing but good reviews. A few other questions if I might.
-Was your GS pre-wired for a Windlass or did you run it yourself? I can DIY most items, however running electric on a boat is something I leave up those who have long arms and can crawl into tight spaces.
-Do you feel the closed bail no the anchor roller is necessary or a convenience?
-Do you use 8 plait or 3 line rope? Do you have chain?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I installed the closed bail do to I had the open one and brought the anchor up to fast and it flew up in the air and almost hit my friend in the head. The bail keeps the anchor from flying up in the air .you still have the roller with the bail at the end of the pulpit. I bought the 300' 8 plait with 30' of chain a lewmar kit.
The wiring, you have to be some what familiar with electricity, relays,Dc, Ect. If you do. it's not difficult. You have to install the breaker, I put it on the lower part of the helm, the switch on the helm. you have run the line voltage, from the battery to the breaker, then to the windless. The length of the boat plus a little more , don't be short!! I be leave the marine wire was #6 Gage. You can get information even threw lewmar. The length and the amp draw will determine the size.
Oh, to answer your question it was not pre wired. There is a pair of wires to the bow but the Gage is to small and didn't look to where they go. good luck , Kevin
 
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Fish- on said:
I installed the closed bail do to I had the open one and brought the anchor up to fast and it flew up in the air and almost hit my friend in the head. The bail keeps the anchor from flying up in the air .you still have the roller with the bail at the end of the pulpit. I bought the 300' 8 plait with 30' of chain a lewmar kit.
The wiring, you have to be some what familiar with electricity, relays,Dc, Ect. If you do. it's not difficult. You have to install the breaker, I put it on the lower part of the helm, the switch on the helm. you have run the line voltage, from the battery to the breaker, then to the windless. The length of the boat plus a little more , don't be short!! I be leave the marine wire was #6 Gage. You can get information even threw lewmar. The length and the amp draw will determine the size.
Oh, to answer your question it was not pre wired. There is a pair of wires to the bow but the Gage is to small and didn't look to where they go. good luck , Kevin
Click to expand...

If you installed the breaker that comes with the windlass near the helm, as it should be, and fed it with new wiring from the batteries aft, but did not put a feeder breaker in very close proximity to the batteries, then you have a long run of unprotected wiring. That's why the ABYC has requirement 11.10.1.1.1 on here: ABYC Requirements

I clearly noted this in the first sentence of my second paragraph above.

A surface mount like this one works very well as a feeder breaker close to the power source: Blue Seas 285 Series
 
DennisG01 said:
I used that breaker when I installed my windlass. I've seen that breaker used on many, many boats and it is very reliable. Plus, it's easy to see when it's tripped!
Click to expand...

Yes, very easy to find a suitable location and connect two cables.

The important part is to NOT have a run of wire that is unprotected by a breaker located very near the power source. A bit of chafe, a short, and a nice electrical fire with no breaker protection. ABYC says within seven inches, but that is very difficult to do - but as short as possible is still good.
 
ocnslr said:
The important part is to NOT have a run of wire that is unprotected by a breaker located very near the power source. A bit of chafe, a short, and a nice electrical fire with no breaker protection. ABYC says within seven inches, but that is very difficult to do - but as short as possible is still good.
Click to expand...
Agree - 100% correct.
 
Mclorite said:
I also have the pro fish 700 on a 1999 Gulfstream. Had to wire myself but was very simple to do. I use 30' chain and 300' 8 plait. This is probably a little overboard but better safe than sorry. I have a custom pulpit so install was DIY.
Click to expand...
Hi,
Can I ask where you purchased the flush mount through pulpit roller?
Thanks
 
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