Ocean yachts 2002 43 SS anchor windlass

Bronco · Mar 17, 2026 at 6:25 PM

I bought this boat a year ago and just started looking here for an answer to this issue. When retrieving the anchor with the windlass, you can only pull in about 30 feet before the line piles up in the anchor locker and will not let any more line drop until someone goes down and knocks down the pile of line that that builds up under the hole where the windlass drops it as it comes in. As expected then, If the rode is not faked out properly once it's in the anchor locker it will jam up on its way out and not let any more line out. I don't mind going down and preparing to line for deployment but not being able to retrieve it is a real problem when I don't have someone I can trust to either run the boat and the windlass or go down and fake out the line as it comes onboard. It's a lewmar windlass.

Capt Ralph · Mar 17, 2026 at 8:02 PM

When you state "line" I assume nylon rode.
Common problem.

Dry nylon goes out one way, Wet & stressed nylon comes in another way. F M*
Girl friend needs to be below to push out the ant pile of rode as your taking up the line (rode).
Chain may also have the similar problem when feeding into a narrow rode locker.
The deeper and wider the rode locker, these issues diminish.

If your all nylon, may I recommend some ideas.
#1; Find an operating area where you can operate in reverse a long ways (10 x your rode length)
#2; Set loose all your rode with out the anchor attached.
#3; Operate in reverse or a direction your nylon line gets wet, relaxed, stretched and soaked well while retrieving your rode.
#4; Take it up with girl friend in the rode locker flaking any ant pile from side to side.
#5; Install a quality swivel between your rode and chain.
#6; Hug your girl friend. Operating a boat is team magic.

* Fraking Magic

Capt Ralph · Mar 17, 2026 at 8:13 PM

#7; Don't tell wife that the girl friend was helping in fixing your anchor rode problems....

ranger58sb · Mar 18, 2026 at 7:53 AM

Bronco said: ↑

When retrieving the anchor with the windlass, you can only pull in about 30 feet before the line piles up in the anchor locker and will not let any more line drop until someone goes down and knocks down the pile of line that that builds up under the hole where the windlass drops it as it comes in. As expected then, If the rode is not faked out properly once it's in the anchor locker it will jam up on its way out and not let any more line out.
Click to expand...

Capt Ralph said: ↑

When you state "line" I assume nylon rode.
Common problem.
Click to expand...

If "line" means nylon 3-strand, you might get better results from nylon 8-plait. Latter is usually softer and more pliable, flakes itself better.

If you're already using 8-plait, of if "line" means "rode", you might revisit rode make-up altogether. Add more chain at the leading end, or switch to all chain, for example.

-Chris

Bronco · Mar 18, 2026 at 6:45 PM

Thanks to all. So far the wife still likes me so I haven't had to break in a new girlfriend. She has a pretty good grip on the flaking the rode from side to side if we aren't anchored in the deep, rocking and rolling. I drug the line all around my yard trying to neutralize the twist but I like Capt. Ralph's idea of dragging it in reverse for awhile. I end up having to do that all the time with the spinning rods after the grand kids have been cranking against a rock on the bottom. And yes, it's 3 strand nylon with about 20 feet of chain. I can't get the swivel through the hole the windlass feeds the line through but I may try the swivel between the chain and anchor. I may price the nylon 8-plait at some point and save what I have for extra hurricane line.
Thanks again for the great suggestions, especially #7.

Capt Ralph · Mar 18, 2026 at 7:35 PM

Now we have a better picture.
#8 Get your wife some light tall gloves. The last thing she needs is a jelly fish tangled in your rode and she is handling the line below in a cramp space with poor communications.
She may not appreciate the first level of treatment.
#9 anchors sail & spiral while going up and down. A swivel is really needed is reducing the twisting of the rode.
May I recommend the Ultra anchor swivel.
https://ultraproductswest.com/products/ultra-flip-swivel
https://ultraproductswest.com/products/ultra-classic-swivel
#10 Twisted 3 strand; pending the mfg and age, it always twist differently dry vs wet.
Our brother ranger58sb is correct about better rode. They still can be a pain if the line gets twisted from anchor sailing.
Re-enforcing the need for a swivel.

Keep us up on what you think, decide and how it works.

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Ocean yachts 2002 43 SS anchor windlass

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