I replaced the windlass with a new Lewmar V700 about a 2 years ago, and ever since I've had problems retracting the rope part not the chain. So this is a fast solution till we find the permanent solution for it. If you have had similar problems let us know your solution here. Thanks for watching, and please don't forget to Like & Subscribe! Peace! Click the following link to Subscribe now th-cam.com/channels/NbyIHDHxobw1GFBmWj5MSw.html
I’ve had the exact same problem. Glad I found your video! We rarely anchor much deeper than 20’ of water, so more chain makes a ton of sense! Thank you!
I have the same problem with the V700. The chain goes through beautifully but the rope jams. I tried putting tape round it on the bad jamming bits and it partially solves the problem. I have now increased the chain from 10 meter’s to 20 meter’s to reduce the depend on rope. I normally fish in 20 to 40 meter’s so I am gradually reducing the dependence on rope. Obviously the more chain the better the anchor hold in rough weather. Thanks for the video . I hope Lewmar improve their rope handling.
Hi Nabil, thanks for your comment. I had an old Lewmar 600 windlass before and never had any problems until it broke, but after I changed it to the new V700 all problems started. So until we get the solution the only way is to add more chain. So far no solution from Lewmar, but if we find a solution I'll be updating it here. Thanks for watching! Peace!
After adding the extra 10 meters of chain the rope handles better guess because there is more weight pulling the anchor and thus the rope downwards. I firmly believe that adding more chain will definitely improve things. I am considering doubling my chain again.
@@nabilrahmatalla Hi Nabil, yes another subscriber mentioned that the extra weight of chain may actually help the stability of the boat. But the extra 30' of chain I added on mine has worked pretty well for me so far. Thanks for your comment! Peace!
Great video, I just got a new boat that has the same windlass. I was having the same problem the first time I tried anchoring with it and been meaning to look into the issue. First time with a windlass so thought it was the clutch that needs tightening
Hi, thanks for watching our video! Yes, this problem can be a headache, but the easy fix to the problem is adding more chain...I tried tightening the clutch and no improvement. But been using it with the extra chain and no problems so far. Thanks so much for your comment and support. Congratulations on your new boat! Peace!
Hi, thanks for watching our video! Yes, all chain is the best way to go, after I added the chain never had any problems too. Thanks! Peace from the Keys!
I'm dealing with the same thing on a new Lewmar V3 Fast Fit. One thing I found is that if we block the control arm (the part you're pulling out to demonstrate) open the rope (3/4" 8-plait in my case) pulls through fine. I'm shooting video of it to send Lewmar at their request this week, but might just send them yours!
@@KeysBoatingChannel Did you figure it out? Looks like I have after months of having to retrieve the anchor by holding the lever arm out! While you're running a V-700 and I a V3 there's basically the same operation. Finally tearing it down I found the lever arm pivot bolt was loose and bent, allowing the lever arm to move up and down. Once Lewmar support saw my video they suggested the lever arm was bent. It's not, however the bolt is. This provided slop for the lever arm to jump up and down. When ordering a replacement lever arm kit I learned the part had been revised. Rather than the fully threaded bolt with sheath protecting it they've changed to a full shoulder bolt with spring, which will be much less susceptible to bending... My bet is this is the problem. It looks like West Maring socks replacement lever arm assemblies for your 700. There has to be a reason why... The stripper arm should not jump or move up and down, allowing the rope to run over it. Let me know what you found. Jim
@@jamesbuchanan6040 Hi Jim, no it still gets jammed, and this weekend the chain started to jam as well...I'm going to have to do the same as you and send them a video. Its been really frustrating to use it. Something that should be convenient now its beginning to be a problem every time I use it. Thanks for the information! I will into it this week. Hope you are doing great, and Happy Boating! Peace!
@@KeysBoatingChannel What I learned: When the rope will not wrap easily around the gypsy it's too stiff. Your rope chain splice looks like it's tapered well, which I needed to resplice, however, the OG splicer I hired to work with me on the system showed me this very issue, which he deals with it all the time. The first thing he checked was how flexible the line is in the splice area. While my 3-year-old 5/8" 8 plait wasn't bad, it was getting there. The rope also showed a bit of wear. Nothing bad, but some fuzzy threads on this fine 8 plait. To fix it, we cut the splice off, fed the rope out, and turned it around, so the end that's never been used was spliced to the chain in an extra-long taper. That did it! He also explained there are two things we should all do, regardless of the windlass type, when running rope. Hose the rope off with fresh water as it's being retrieved, or pull and do it when you return if you don't have the freshwater capacity. The second is to feed the chain and rope into a 30-50 gallon trash can etc. filled with fresh water and a bit of Dawn dish soap and a liquid fabric softener. The softener will keep the line pliable, stopping this from happening, and the dish soap will break down and grease, fuel or oil, etc. which may have gotten into the line while in the water. Seems lines, like everything else in salt water, need love too! Hopefully, this will make a great maintenance video! With that done, I still had to tear the gypsy apart twice to figure out what was going on with its failure to torque down on the bottom cone... Seems the V3 may have some challenges with the factory add-on shaft & tube extension kit not providing a full-contact surface for the spring clip that holds the shaft in place. The clip had pushed out of the shaft groove, allowing the shaft to rise and bottom out against the cap so it would not tighten... Still in contact with Lewmar on this. Did you get or see the Lewmar training video for one of the boat manufacturers' customer service staff where they teach this problem and that it's not warranty? I think I sent it to you. Good luck!
Hi, friend! I write from Venezuela. very good video by the way. I have the same problem on my boat and it drives me crazy. if you could solve the problem by putting only chain? I ask you since I was reading the comments and I saw that you answered in one, that you are still getting stuck but less than before. Thanks a lot
Hi, thanks so much for your comment. The last time I used it, it worked fine...and so far it's been the easiest solution to the problem. Glad this video helped, and Happy Boating! Thanks for watching our video, Peace! Gracias.
The splice on the rope is too thick. You may need a thinner rope diameter so that the splice at the chain is also thinner and fits in the teeth of the windlass Gipsy. Or put some serious load on the splice and massage it to tighten the splice. Also I would never rely on that “c connector” to link the chain segments. That’s asking for a failure in equipment which will potentially cause a serious incident out on the water. At least a loss of the anchor and new segment of chain. I can’t imagine that c connector was purchased from a reputable marine store
Hi, thanks so much for watching and your comment. Yes, I myself have had doubts about the C link. I inspect it frequently, and so far, it's held well for now a year plus under good load. I'm not feeling so bad about it anymore, but it is still in the back of my mind. The rope, yes, I don't like the splice, I'm going to try to remedy it myself, I'm sure I will have to get a new one in the near future. Thanks again! Happy Boating! Peace from the Keys!
Yeah, it looks like it pulls in the rope rode just fine but sticks at the splice. Thinner rode might help, and/or do more tapering of the tucked strands of the splice - remove some fibers from each strand before each tuck so the spliced portion isn’t so thick. As long as you don’t remove fibers from the parts going through the chain link and maybe the first tuck you should still have full strength.
The chain size is 1/4" G4 Galvanized Anchor Chain Product Link: amzn.to/3VWLRF8 and the link information is here: 1/4" Chain Connecting Link approx, 1,000lbs strength see info here: amzn.to/3TdzLFL Its been working perfect with no problem. Thanks for watching our video! Peace from the Keys!
Hi Greg, the link is rated at 1,000#. So far it has worked well or better than I expected, its now been a year and it still doing great. The problem with V700 has improved since now I don't to mess with it getting tangled. Thanks for your comment and watching our video! Peace from the Keys!
Thanks Bro! It's a weird thing because I bought the spec rope and chain...and it never worked well since I installed it. Going to have to call lewmar and see what they say...thanks for your support and comment. Blessings!
I would never use a link. Please consider the load rating is it's holding power, unrelated to the weight of the anchor. Let's say you stik your anchor in rocks. The link is the weak point. Same with those surprise storms. Please consider the anchor is to hold the boat in place in the worst of currents.
Hi James, yes I was not too happy with the link, and am looking for alternatives although the link has a WLL of 1000#, and its been working ok so far. Thank you so much for your comment and watching this video! Peace!
Hi, thanks for your comment...believe me I thought about it, and I know the rope is one of the problem. But concerned with the extra weight in the bow anchor locker. Thanks for watching! Peace!
I replaced the windlass with a new Lewmar V700 about a 2 years ago, and ever since I've had problems retracting the rope part not the chain. So this is a fast solution till we find the permanent solution for it. If you have had similar problems let us know your solution here. Thanks for watching, and please don't forget to Like & Subscribe! Peace! Click the following link to Subscribe now th-cam.com/channels/NbyIHDHxobw1GFBmWj5MSw.html
I’ve had the exact same problem. Glad I found your video! We rarely anchor much deeper than 20’ of water, so more chain makes a ton of sense! Thank you!
Hi Dan, thanks so much for watching, and glad this helped you. Peace!
Great video, Jorge. Very educational and informative. Know I Know. Thanks for sharing.
You're Welcome Brother! Thank you for your support, Blessings! Peace!
I have the same problem with the V700. The chain goes through beautifully but the rope jams. I tried putting tape round it on the bad jamming bits and it partially solves the problem. I have now increased the chain from 10 meter’s to 20 meter’s to reduce the depend on rope. I normally fish in 20 to 40 meter’s so I am gradually reducing the dependence on rope. Obviously the more chain the better the anchor hold in rough weather.
Thanks for the video . I hope Lewmar improve their rope handling.
Hi Nabil, thanks for your comment. I had an old Lewmar 600 windlass before and never had any problems until it broke, but after I changed it to the new V700 all problems started. So until we get the solution the only way is to add more chain. So far no solution from Lewmar, but if we find a solution I'll be updating it here. Thanks for watching! Peace!
After adding the extra 10 meters of chain the rope handles better guess because there is more weight pulling the anchor and thus the rope downwards. I firmly believe that adding more chain will definitely improve things. I am considering doubling my chain again.
@@nabilrahmatalla Hi Nabil, yes another subscriber mentioned that the extra weight of chain may actually help the stability of the boat. But the extra 30' of chain I added on mine has worked pretty well for me so far. Thanks for your comment! Peace!
My brother outstanding video. this is truly a great addition to all of the other instructional videos that you have on your Channel
Thanks Bro! Hope you are doing great Brother. Blessings! Peace!
@@KeysBoatingChannel you are so welcome. Will watch again when I get home and show Kristy.. hugs brither
Thanks Bro!
Great video, I just got a new boat that has the same windlass. I was having the same problem the first time I tried anchoring with it and been meaning to look into the issue. First time with a windlass so thought it was the clutch that needs tightening
Hi, thanks for watching our video! Yes, this problem can be a headache, but the easy fix to the problem is adding more chain...I tried tightening the clutch and no improvement. But been using it with the extra chain and no problems so far. Thanks so much for your comment and support. Congratulations on your new boat! Peace!
same here new boat first time using windless and always have problems on the rope section. I was thnking a longer chain would be the best solution
Same issue. I went to all chain. Fixed
Hi, thanks for watching our video! Yes, all chain is the best way to go, after I added the chain never had any problems too. Thanks! Peace from the Keys!
I'm dealing with the same thing on a new Lewmar V3 Fast Fit. One thing I found is that if we block the control arm (the part you're pulling out to demonstrate) open the rope (3/4" 8-plait in my case) pulls through fine. I'm shooting video of it to send Lewmar at their request this week, but might just send them yours!
Yes, you can send ours if you like...thanks for your comment and hopefully we can get an answer from Lewmar. Peace!
@@KeysBoatingChannel Did you figure it out? Looks like I have after months of having to retrieve the anchor by holding the lever arm out! While you're running a V-700 and I a V3 there's basically the same operation. Finally tearing it down I found the lever arm pivot bolt was loose and bent, allowing the lever arm to move up and down. Once Lewmar support saw my video they suggested the lever arm was bent. It's not, however the bolt is. This provided slop for the lever arm to jump up and down. When ordering a replacement lever arm kit I learned the part had been revised. Rather than the fully threaded bolt with sheath protecting it they've changed to a full shoulder bolt with spring, which will be much less susceptible to bending... My bet is this is the problem. It looks like West Maring socks replacement lever arm assemblies for your 700. There has to be a reason why... The stripper arm should not jump or move up and down, allowing the rope to run over it. Let me know what you found. Jim
@@jamesbuchanan6040 Hi Jim, no it still gets jammed, and this weekend the chain started to jam as well...I'm going to have to do the same as you and send them a video. Its been really frustrating to use it. Something that should be convenient now its beginning to be a problem every time I use it. Thanks for the information! I will into it this week. Hope you are doing great, and Happy Boating! Peace!
@@KeysBoatingChannel What I learned: When the rope will not wrap easily around the gypsy it's too stiff. Your rope chain splice looks like it's tapered well, which I needed to resplice, however, the OG splicer I hired to work with me on the system showed me this very issue, which he deals with it all the time. The first thing he checked was how flexible the line is in the splice area. While my 3-year-old 5/8" 8 plait wasn't bad, it was getting there. The rope also showed a bit of wear. Nothing bad, but some fuzzy threads on this fine 8 plait. To fix it, we cut the splice off, fed the rope out, and turned it around, so the end that's never been used was spliced to the chain in an extra-long taper.
That did it! He also explained there are two things we should all do, regardless of the windlass type, when running rope. Hose the rope off with fresh water as it's being retrieved, or pull and do it when you return if you don't have the freshwater capacity. The second is to feed the chain and rope into a 30-50 gallon trash can etc. filled with fresh water and a bit of Dawn dish soap and a liquid fabric softener. The softener will keep the line pliable, stopping this from happening, and the dish soap will break down and grease, fuel or oil, etc. which may have gotten into the line while in the water. Seems lines, like everything else in salt water, need love too! Hopefully, this will make a great maintenance video!
With that done, I still had to tear the gypsy apart twice to figure out what was going on with its failure to torque down on the bottom cone... Seems the V3 may have some challenges with the factory add-on shaft & tube extension kit not providing a full-contact surface for the spring clip that holds the shaft in place. The clip had pushed out of the shaft groove, allowing the shaft to rise and bottom out against the cap so it would not tighten... Still in contact with Lewmar on this.
Did you get or see the Lewmar training video for one of the boat manufacturers' customer service staff where they teach this problem and that it's not warranty? I think I sent it to you.
Good luck!
I hope that all posted to you...
Hi, friend! I write from Venezuela. very good video by the way. I have the same problem on my boat and it drives me crazy. if you could solve the problem by putting only chain? I ask you since I was reading the comments and I saw that you answered in one, that you are still getting stuck but less than before. Thanks a lot
Hi, thanks so much for your comment. The last time I used it, it worked fine...and so far it's been the easiest solution to the problem. Glad this video helped, and Happy Boating! Thanks for watching our video, Peace! Gracias.
The splice on the rope is too thick. You may need a thinner rope diameter so that the splice at the chain is also thinner and fits in the teeth of the windlass Gipsy. Or put some serious load on the splice and massage it to tighten the splice.
Also I would never rely on that “c connector” to link the chain segments. That’s asking for a failure in equipment which will potentially cause a serious incident out on the water. At least a loss of the anchor and new segment of chain.
I can’t imagine that c connector was purchased from a reputable marine store
Hi, thanks so much for watching and your comment. Yes, I myself have had doubts about the C link. I inspect it frequently, and so far, it's held well for now a year plus under good load. I'm not feeling so bad about it anymore, but it is still in the back of my mind. The rope, yes, I don't like the splice, I'm going to try to remedy it myself, I'm sure I will have to get a new one in the near future. Thanks again! Happy Boating! Peace from the Keys!
Yeah, it looks like it pulls in the rope rode just fine but sticks at the splice. Thinner rode might help, and/or do more tapering of the tucked strands of the splice - remove some fibers from each strand before each tuck so the spliced portion isn’t so thick. As long as you don’t remove fibers from the parts going through the chain link and maybe the first tuck you should still have full strength.
What size chain is that? Connection strenght?
The chain size is 1/4" G4 Galvanized Anchor Chain Product Link: amzn.to/3VWLRF8
and the link information is here: 1/4" Chain Connecting Link approx, 1,000lbs strength see info here: amzn.to/3TdzLFL Its been working perfect with no problem. Thanks for watching our video! Peace from the Keys!
What is the tensil strength of that connecting link?
Hi Greg, the link is rated at 1,000#. So far it has worked well or better than I expected, its now been a year and it still doing great. Thanks!
Hey just saw your video…I am having the same issue as well…such a pain in the butt…
Hi Greg, the link is rated at 1,000#. So far it has worked well or better than I expected, its now been a year and it still doing great. The problem with V700 has improved since now I don't to mess with it getting tangled. Thanks for your comment and watching our video! Peace from the Keys!
Maybe the rope is does not have much grip and thats why the teeth of the winch are not grabbing it maybe? Or Thicker Rope?
Thanks Bro! It's a weird thing because I bought the spec rope and chain...and it never worked well since I installed it. Going to have to call lewmar and see what they say...thanks for your support and comment. Blessings!
Was the original windlass a Lewmar?
Hi Mark! Yes a Lewmar 600, which was replaced by the V700. It worked fine till it broke.
Problem is it’s not feeding down through into
the chain
Yes, the rope part does not go well into the locker. Only the chain works well. Thanks for your comment. Peace.
I would never use a link. Please consider the load rating is it's holding power, unrelated to the weight of the anchor. Let's say you stik your anchor in rocks. The link is the weak point. Same with those surprise storms. Please consider the anchor is to hold the boat in place in the worst of currents.
Hi James, yes I was not too happy with the link, and am looking for alternatives although the link has a WLL of 1000#, and its been working ok so far. Thank you so much for your comment and watching this video! Peace!
Put 85 foot of chain on
Hi, thanks for your comment...believe me I thought about it, and I know the rope is one of the problem. But concerned with the extra weight in the bow anchor locker. Thanks for watching! Peace!
@@KeysBoatingChannel I am hoping the extra weight from the chain will stable the boat a bit better . He’s hoping ….. keep the videos coming .
@@63melvyn Right, it may help...Changing it is still in my mind though. Thanks again for your help. Peace!