Windlass Installation
Simpson Lawrence 555 Manual Windlass
(now sold by Lewmar)

Veritas, Hull No. 104

I installed a Simpson Lawrence 555 Manual Windlass on Veritas. The installation is fairly well described in photos in the Pearson 424 Photo Gallery.

The 3/4" ply platform was cut out to match the cut out of the original anchor well hatch. I then glassed the 3/4 play and epoxyed the 3 x 3 structural support that runs from beam to beam, and epoxy/filled to deck. I then fitted the teak mounting plate to the glassed in ply to raise the windlass lessen the chances of water going down the chain pipe. Then the glassed plywood plate and areas around the hatch in white were painted with 3 coats of epoxy paint.

The chain actually goes all the way into the 'chain locker' forward of the vee-berth. I directed the chain back through 2"PVC shedule 80, which can be seen slightly in the picture with the anchor well door open. Down below in the chain locker I glassed in 3/4 ply deck for chain to sit on, as well as 1/2" ply over the forward water tank filler and vent hoses so that there is no risk of them getting 'munched' by chain.

To make it possible to replace the hoses if ever necessary, there is a gap between the play and hull and bulkhead so that the protector plates can be cut out and then re-installed.

submitted by Ian Pool