When we left the Isle of Gigha in Scotland, our windlass had played nasty tricks on us as we tried in vain to pull up the anchor. The chain was wrapped around the spool and jammed. Everything was stuck, while the wind was blowing and the currents were about to reverse. A very critical situation!
Detect the problem to consider the solution
Once we arrived at the anchorage on the island of Jura, one of our first concerns was to look for the breakdown, and to try to find a solution. It didn't take long to see that one of the screws holding the chain lifter had broken. The part had, therefore, tilted backwards from the windlass and was no longer performing its function.
The head of the screw was lying on the deck, but unfortunately its shaft had remained stuck in the windlass. Removing it and replacing it with a new screw was not going to be easy!
Several unsuccessful attempts before success
Guillaume then starts with a little WD40 to unjam. However, without a grip on the rod, it was impossible to unscrew it. With the help of a grinder, he then creates a new notch directly in the stem. Unfortunately, several attempts remain unsuccessful, the screwdrivers do not manage to grip enough.
Then, the drill comes into play, followed by the impact screwdriver. And finally, after more than an hour of struggle, the screw shaft comes out of its housing! Replacing it with a new one doesn't take long. Here is the chain stripper back in its place and the windlass repaired.
Cascading problems
However, we soon realized that an oil leak had also occurred in the battle. Perhaps the windlass has been abused too much? So we have to investigate. To do this, we have to disconnect the device from its electrical connections, dismantle the windlass and remove the insulation to access the bolts that secure it to the deck. All this creates a big mess in the front cabin, which is Tristan's, our youngest.
It will take us a good two days, between showers, school and everything else, to disassemble, locate the leak at a windlass seal and realize that among the many spare parts we have, this one is not good enough for us¦
So, after a big cleaning, we put the whole thing back together and re-seal it. One more thing to add to the to-do list to permanently repair as soon as possible.
