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..................................--- Manual Windlass from Minney's --
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After some though it was decided to try and find a manual windlass for the boat. I was getting older and trying to haul a 35 lb. and probably a 45 lb. anchor and chain from the bottom was probably unrealistic. After a lot of searching I found a manual windlass at Minney's boat yard in California. It was reduced from $495.00 down to $95.00 and the freight was about $30.00 which was a steal as it weighed a ton.
From what I can find on the internet this is probably a Simpson Lawrence SL500. I've seen comments where these were available from the 50's into the 70's. It is one heavy windlass.
The Minney's add didn't have much in the description and when I got it I ….
…... found that the bulk of the windlass was solid bronze.
I cleaned it up inside and out and ...
..... believe that it is still in fine working order but decided to check it out (see below). I used it at the yard on the boat bringing the chain and anchor up to the roller off the ground below the boat.
The windlass is pretty easy to disassemble.
I was able to take it apart in not much time at all.
View of the inside of the housing.
In the picture above you can see how a very simple mechanism changes the speed of the windlass. The windlass is very robust and there isn't much that can fail in it. Saying that, there was a little more play in the shaft for the pawl than I liked so I addressed that.
Two of the bushings had some play in them so I decide to make new ones (picture above shows the new ones).
I bought some bushing material at the hardware store locally and turned the inside down to the correct I.D. and ….
Also turned the outside down to the proper O.D.
The new bushings took the play out and then I reassembled the windlass and we took it to Florida along with a platform I made to mount it to the bow area. That will be next.
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