Windlass Switch Labeling - A Poll

[Roger Long]

We are still in Elizabeth City, NC but finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (train?) of the extensive refit of our Kady Krogen Manatee. The main power cables for the windlass arrived today so I was finally able to see it turn. The chain arrives Wednesday and we hope to disappear shortly after.

This ground tackle installation on a boat that was never intended to have an all chain system, and in fact seems intentionally designed to make it as difficult as possible, has ended up costing nearly as much as I paid for the sailboat I cruised over 20,000 miles in. However, we'll sleep well at night with a 55 pound Mantus on 3/8" chain. The big anchor is actually not so much for ultimate holding power as for the ability to use shorter scope in the many tight paces we plan to visit.

The installation of the foot switches brought up an interesting question. The fellow helping me with the installation put them in the way I thought was backwards. We discussed it and realized that there isn't a clear answer. So, if you are aboard my boat and I ask you to go forward and raise the anchor, you will look down and see these two foot switches:

Which switch do you think you should step on to raise the anchor? ( I can switch the arrows around if I get an overwhelming response opposite to what I think.)

 

[Paul Swanson]

I would interpret the symbols as the direction the chain moves. Therefore in retrieving the anchor one would press the right switch. Thats the way my boat is set up.

 

[johnrupp]

Port switch anchor up, starboard anchor down.

 

[Tom.B]

Funny! Our surveyor noted that too! So, I switched ours to show the direction of the chain in relation to the deck and orientation of the button. In the above pic, the switch on the RIGHT raises our anchor... now. I felt it made more sense. If, like on our old boat, it said 'UP' it would be an option to label them.

 

[psneeld]

I too would think direction of chain....either way...usually not a big deal to switch if you don't like them.

 

[markpierce]

Should be:

Pointing toward the stern: raises the anchor.

Pointing toward the bow: lowers the anchor.

Regardless, whatever is intuitive (feel right) to you.

 

[koliver]

Direction of chain.

But I would substitute "Down" and "UP" if that option is available to you.

 

[IntervaleII]

How about Heben and Senken. German style!


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Capt. Don

 

[Bay Pelican]

Put a label on the inside of each cover using the words up and down.

 

[O C Diver]

Put a label on the windlass:

ANCHOR
UP
V (That's supposed to be an arrow)

Ted

 

[FlyWright]

If the switches were oriented fore and aft, the arrows would more clearly indicate the chain direction. I think we tend to read too much into it when they are placed side by side.

 

[Richard W]

Mental case ... depends on one's point of reference. Maine would be the movement of chain and not the direction in three dimensional world as the switches are positioned kind of awkwardly and arrows point in/to no particularly specific direction/point.

The switches' labels work for me but UP and DOWN instead of arrows would alleviate the possible confusion.

 

[Marin]

Our foot switches are side by side between the windlass pedestal and the starboard bulwark. I wired them so stepping on the outboard foot switch deploys the anchor, stepping on the inboard switch retrieves the anchor. Out=out, in=in.

 

[AusCan]

I labeled mine with the direction of the chain, but they are easy enough to rotate the arrows if that makes more sense to you.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
In our case, chain direction. Arrow forward=chain out. Arrow aft=chain in.

 

[BobH]

This whole discussion is a joke, right? An arrow pointing forward next to the windlass, what other meaning could there be than chain forward and down? What am I missing here?

 

[Conrad]

I agree with most here; the arrows go with the chain direction, since both the chain and the foot switches are on a horizontal plane.

Where I have a challenge is my helm mounted windlass switch, which is on an angle, but not too far off horizontal. Moving the toggle forward brings the chain up, while pulling it back drops the chain (powered both ways). That is anti-intuitive to me.

 

[FlyWright]

I agree with most here; the arrows go with the chain direction, since both the chain and the foot switches are on a horizontal plane.

Where I have a challenge is my helm mounted windlass switch, which is on an angle, but not too far off horizontal. Moving the toggle forward brings the chain up, while pulling it back drops the chain (powered both ways). That is anti-intuitive to me.

Mine was counter intuitive like that when I installed it IAW the mfr instructions, so I just reversed the wires at the switch.

 

[Bay Pelican]

For what it is worth the OP labeling is consistent with the labeling you find on winches, such as for my dinghy lift, arrow away is chain/wire out, arrow coming back is chain/wire in.

 

[AKDoug]

I am with chain in facing in, and chain out facing out. No big arrows on my step switches (little raised black ones) and I assumed those were photoshopped onto the picture, not actually on the switches. I have a vertical windlass and down (out) is on the stbd side and up (in) is on the port. I have to finesse the chain to rope splice around the chain pipe transition sometimes (not often) and it makes it easier to manipulate the line if the "in" switch is on the chain pipe side of the windlass. I have enough line in my locker that if it "cones" there isn't enough fall to pull the splice through.

If I had a rope capstan on a horizontal windlass I would have set my switches one behind the other to keep it out of the line feed. Just my thought...

 

[BryanF]

I find it interesting the things I have never thought about. Never having had an electric windlass I have not had switches to deal with. Let the rode go the anchor thing sinks.
Pull on the rode hard enough and the anchor raises. Now, I pull the hydraulic lever up and the anchor goes up. I push the lever down the anchor goes down.
If I did have to do switches I think big arrows (so old guys like me don't have to fish around for our glasses) pointing fore and aft would be pretty self explanatory other arrangements like the one Marin has would probably be one of those well "duh" moments after I stepped on the wrong one the first time.

 

[markpierce]

While having anchor controls both in the pilothouse as well at the windlass, I always operate at the windlass, particularly when retrieving the anchor, so to pull off any weeds wrapped on the chain as well as to flush off the inevitable SF estuarian mud.

Am not too concerned with the pedals. If the chain is going in the wrong direction, I switch pedals.

 

[rwidman]

If the switches were oriented fore and aft, the arrows would more clearly indicate the chain direction. I think we tend to read too much into it when they are placed side by side.

Perhaps, but they are side by side so it's easier to step on one without stepping on the other.

I would think the arrows point the way the anchor is going (up or down), but that's just me. It's your boat so they can be any way that suits you.

 

[psneeld]

While having anchor controls both in the pilothouse as well at the windlass, I always operate at the windlass, particularly when retrieving the anchor, so to pull off any weeds wrapped on the chain as well as to flush off the inevitable SF estuarian mud.

Am not too concerned with the pedals. If the chain is going in the wrong direction, I switch pedals.

You have been hiding that PhD in chain movement....

Possibly a minor in "perfect anchors" ?

 

[JNandJN]

Put a label on the inside of each cover using the words up and down.

This seems to be a great suggestion. There will not be any wear on the labels from stepping on them and they will be easily visible when the covers are flipped open.

 

[markpierce]

Within a fraction of a second one can tell he has used the wrong switch. It's not a big deal.

 

[Marin]

Within a fraction of a second one can tell he has used the wrong switch. It's not a big deal.

Don't go slinging logic and commom sense around on an internet forum, Mark. It will land you in a world of controversy somewhere in the middle of the resulting thousand post thread.

 

[oscar]

I have a bootleg Pink Floyd album (remember those?) somewhere and it's labeled "inside" and "outside"......

Oh, the anchor winch, yes...... chain direction of course.

 

[grahamdouglass]

Use remote windless switches

One of the best upgrades I ever did on my boat was to put a remote windless switch at both pilot stations. On my deck I only have an up switch. Anchoring is so much easier when your at the pilot controls and windless controls at the same time.

I think it only cost about $500 all in.

 

[HiDHo]

I agree with Mr. Coot "fraction of second" which has been my experience. I installed my foot switches side by side, no labels. Ideal must design a safety factor into the switches as it takes a lot of pressure in the right spot to energize them.
I noted your pulpit is solid, mine has an open area filled with a teak grate aft of the rollers, another example of "when you've seen one Manatee" !
Roger the tunnel will get shorter, mine took three years to get thru.
Nice job on the pulpit and windlass.