ideal windlass chain slipping
- Thread starter calimari
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
dimer2
Moderator Emeritus
Ideal will service your winch or sell you the parts. They have a new website...
IDEAL WINDLASS COMPANY
IDEAL WINDLASS COMPANY
O C Diver
Guru
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2010
- Messages
- 13,317
- Location
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Vessel Name
- End Of The Line
- Vessel Make
- Trinka 10 Dinghy
Ideal is very good on service. Is the chain slipping in the wildcat or is the wildcat slipping on the winch? If the later, there is a clutch pad on some models that may need to be replaced. Have you owned the boat long enough to know that the chain is the correct size for the wildcat? More than one person has bought a used boat with the wrong chain / wildcat combination.
Ted
Ted
caltexflanc
Guru
Is this windlass new to you? Or is the chain new? One issue may be that you have the wrong chain in it. Have you tried taking the chain off the gypsy then re-install? And how much of a "load" are you putting on it?
Ideal has excellent customer service, and will tend to try and help you trouble shoot rather than sell you something.
Edit: Wow, talk about two people thinking the same thing at the same time!
Ideal has excellent customer service, and will tend to try and help you trouble shoot rather than sell you something.
Edit: Wow, talk about two people thinking the same thing at the same time!
O C Diver
Guru
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2010
- Messages
- 13,317
- Location
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Vessel Name
- End Of The Line
- Vessel Make
- Trinka 10 Dinghy
Great minds think alike. 
Ted
Ted
caltexflanc
Guru
Great minds think alike.
Ted
Knowing what I know, I wouldn't be feeling too good about that Ted!
When you say "slips" what exactly are you describing? Is the chain hopping or chattering on the wildcat so that chain skips in the wildcat even though the wildcat is turning smoothly? Or is the chain firmly in the wildcat but the wildcat itself is not turning at a consistent speed?
If the former, its likely that there is a mismatch between the chain and the wildcat as others have written. This can occur even if the chain is the same "size" as the size stamped on the wildcat.
If the problem is the latter this indicates a problem with the windlass itself, perhaps a failing wildcat clutch.
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
IF its not installed yet ,
IDEAL will sell you the chain stopper that takes the entire load off the windlass when anchored. or breaking out the anchor.
IDEAL will sell you the chain stopper that takes the entire load off the windlass when anchored. or breaking out the anchor.
Bernie
Member
On many boats the windless with the gypsy head lower or even with the bow roller, mine included. This equates to only 1 of the teeth firmly grabbing the chain. The higher the windless, more teeth will grab and reduce or eliminate having the chain jump a link or two. I sometimes wear a leather glove and depress the chain just ahead of the gypsy. I know this is a bad practice, but until I raise the windless it helps prevent a runaway on the chain.
