Hello, I am new to the forum and to our Bavaria. Last season while trying to anchor the chain skipped the gypsy both going up and down. I've checked that our 5/16th chain is compatible to the 8MM gypsy and it is.
On a 2015 Bavaria 41, the anchor locker setup commonly positions the windlass on a lowered shelf under the locker lid. This design creates a shallow lead angle where the chain doesn't wrap far enough around the gypsy, leading to the "run free" during both retrieval and deployment.
It seems a suggested solution is a roller mounted just forward of the windlass to guide the chain directly into the gypsy.
Does anyone have any experience with this...or other insight? We love to spend nights at anchor but this issue makes it very challenging.
Many thanks,
Marcelo
Hi Marcelo,
I have the same boat with original windlass setup from the factory, also hired several same boats with same set up and I don't recognise the problem..
How you describe the set up is non factory standard? Could you provide me with a picture?
Perhaps the fairlead is not properly aligned due to a collision?
5/16" chain is NOT the same size as 8mm. The links are longer, the wire is larger in diameter and the link spacing greater. So it will not fit an 8mm gypsy and will slip just as you describe. Change to 8mm DIN 766 or ISO 4365 (dimensions are the same in either standard) and your problem will be solved.
Thanks for your responses. With respect to the chain size I looked up the model number of the Quick windlass and it notes that it is a Hybrid Gypsy explicitly designed to accept both the 8mm or 5/16th chain.
I'm struggling to cut and paste a picture, is there a trick?
I'm afraid you have to save the picture somewhere and insert it as a file.
Hi Marcelo, I have taken a picture of our windlass and the chain for your comparison (sorry for not cleaning it before the picture was taken... ;D )
Doesn't look like a good fit. Also looks like the gypsy is worn down, probably from the ill fitting chain jumping and knocking its teeth off. Additionally it seems the windlass axle is bent or does it just look like that.
And it only does a quarter turn around the gypsy, which isn't ideal either. Some people fitted a guide roller to increase the wrap around the gypsy.
These are pictures of our windlass which look very similar to Happy Sailor's.
Thank you for sharing. I agree that not enough links are making contact with the Gypsy. Has anyone figured this out.
Curios Happy Sailor's, you're not having any issues with the chain jumping out of the Gypsy ?
Hi Marcelo,
No I am not having any problems at all with our windlass. Picture is not the best I noted after the comments from Yngmar, the axle is not bend, and the chain is dropping well in the pockets. So like earlier commented, i do think the issue is the compatibility with other than 8 mm anchorchains or the set up in itself? I rented the same type of boat in Croatia before we bought our own and also on these, even in deep waters I did not encounter any issues..
Ok thank you for your advice, very much appreciated.
Given that your chain is the appropriate size for your windlass, then your chain may be a different grade than the wildcat was made for, even if it's the same size. If that's not the problem, then either the teeth of the sprocket are worn down and are no longer up to minimal requirement size (or corrosion has made them shallower), or there's not enough links engaged on the wildcat to hold the weight of anchor and chain. The only other possibility I can think of is there may be a poor angle of the chain leading from the windlass to the hawse or dead sheave.
Thank you for your insight, very much appreciated.