I decided to install the Lewmar Windlass on the anchor locker lid itself.  The reason for installing it on the lid is that the chain and rope rode will fall into the deep part of the locker (forward).  The issue with the typical install aft the locker is that the initial fall into the locker would only be about 10″.  Per reading other peoples issues on the Sabre, this maybe good enough for all chain rode, but at $3.00 a foot I need to run only 100′ of chain.  The 5/8″ rode is too stiff to fall in place with anything less than 14″ fall… this made the lid the only choice.
I split the lid in two pieces for and aft. The port side will be bolted down and hold the windlass and foot switches.  The starboard side will still be able to open.  If the windlass sticks when pulling in the anchor, I will be able to still open the locker and knock over the pile of chain and road.  The locker lid on the port side was reinforced with about 1/3″ of fiberglass.  I also created a 1″ lip for the starboard side to rest on when closed (add strength to this area).  After looking at the loads that the windlass will take, I decided that 3/4″ plywood will make a perfect backing plate. To properly transfer the pressure, the backing plate was sandwiched to the anchor lid with a paste of epoxy and colloidal silica.
1) Cut marine plywood 2 1/2″ larger than the anchor looker opening.
2) Applied a mold release to the underside of the anchor lid (don’t want this getting stuck down with epoxy
3) Mixed Colloidal Silica and epoxy until thickness of peanut butter and applied to the plywood
4) Clamped anchor lid onto plywood filling in the void between the two
5) Waited and hoped that the mold release would prevent the two from becoming one permanently
After I waited the weekend and pulled the two pieces apart, I was able to align and drill the final mounting for the windlass and surrounding bolts. Each hole was oversized and filled along with painting the  entire board with epoxy.  12 1/4×3″ bolts hold the lid and plywood in place… This will never move!
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- With the windlass mounted on the lid, the chain will be able to have a full fall into the well
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- The lid will be through bolted to the lip with a plywood backing covering the entire half
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- Anchor well with the door removed
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- Showing the lip again
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- Hull to deck joint bolted every 6″
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- Inside lip of anchor well
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- Wood support for anchor well
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- Shows the lip and underside deck of the anchor well
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- Hatch before the cut (top)
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- Shows the bottom of the hatch before the big cut
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- Bottom of hatch after cut.
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- Hatch cut!!
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- Tools used to cut hatch
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- Shows the lip that was added to support the other half of the hatch. It also was fiberglassed to bring the lid to level (there was a 3/4″ rise in the center of the hatch)
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- 1/2″ fiberglass bonded to the original lid. Balsa wood core sealed with epoxy.
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- Added 1 1/2″ fiberglass lip to support the other half of the lid.
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- Mounted and bolted down
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- Photo shows how I will still have access to the rode in case of pileup.
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- This shows the lid sandwich… fiberglass, epoxy with colloidal silica and plywood
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- Lewmar motor and gear housing
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- Current anchor rode… getting replaced with 5/16″ chain
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- 1/3 of boat shown. Photo taken at mast
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- Bow and steam head shown in this photo
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- Ignore the stains on deck
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- Close-up of bow. Shows the bolts holding the lid down
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- Windlass installed…Ignore the dirt and stains
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- Core was bored out and filled with epoxy and Colloidal Silica
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- Hawse pipe epoxy filled
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- Motor mount hole. Holes epoxy filled
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- Stainless bolts with butyl tape as a sealer
Pretty neat way to install a windlass on a sabre!
I’ve been kicking around a couple of ideas on how to install one on our 28, & think you’ve got it pegged. This way you still have access to the anchor well, sweet.
Bob
Bob,
It has worked great for the first year. Our anchor well is pretty deep, but the chain still piles up and I have to occasionally knock it down… the access to the starboard side of the anchor well is priceless!
Thanks,
Matt
I really like your windlass installation! Nicely designed and implemented! If you change to stainless steel chain (I know it’s expensive) it won’t pile up like galvanized chain does.