Just added an Electric Anchor Winch to our MX26

[KookaSnook]

Hi Kookasnook, I have a 2002model X that I have just purchased recently . It came with a danforth style sand anchor and I have my doubts as to its holding power when the going gets rough. Would like to do the conversion to electric anchor like yours. How much chain and rode do you have and do you have to help it into the locker so it doesnt jam. Could you post some close up pictures of the locker hatch.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you we have been overseas.

It was quite a big job to install our electric winch. I had to get the front hatch modified so that it is deeper to allow the chain to drop properly. so after of the hatch is closed over with the winch mounted on it and the other half (nicely cut through) and well done by a group of marine tradies involved from our KML Electrical and John Keen Shipshape, and our stainless steel guy Jansson Marine Welding . We ended up with a very professional job and underneath in our cabin it's just the same as before nothing compromised internally at all. We still have the same front hatch but only the back section opens and we can still get into the hatch to store other bits and pieces.

We consider it the best money we ever spent and I can handle the boat on my own and we move it around in even the hardest conditions with ease.

This is the only current photos I have but will take more close ups next time we are at the boat

In this photo you can see where they have cut the hatch cover in half and permanently closed the front of the hatch were they have cut out the hatch to allow the chain to drop down better. From memory I think they put in 50 foot of chain but I'm not sure would have to ask them.

The key points that John from KLM went on about at the time was that they had to use a winch that would be strong enough to hold the boat and yet be able to be lifted up without ripping the front out of our boat.
The other crucial aspect was getting enough drop underneath in the hatch to make it work correctly. Occasionally we have to manually move the built up chain underneath but rarely
They also put in quite a heavy plough anchor and it really work well with the setup.

The total cost of the project included all this and the switch is on the side of our console so easy to use.

Regards Stacey

[Hibbit]

Awesome looking installation,very proffessional. Would you know how much deeper that anchor locker went before reaching the inner hull lining eg;4 to 6inchs and did they remove the whole floor to the old upper liner, im sure i could reposition the foam flotation elsewhere in the Bow area, there is some room inside , forward of the anchor locker,but this would cover up the bolts to the cleats and the bow roller bolts. Also did you move your anchor roller offset to the original one to compensate for the furler or does the anchor just squeese by. thanks Hibbit.

[KookaSnook]

Awesome looking installation,very proffessional. Would you know how much deeper that anchor locker went before reaching the inner hull lining eg;4 to 6inchs and did they remove the whole floor to the old upper liner, im sure i could reposition the foam flotation elsewhere in the Bow area, there is some room inside , forward of the anchor locker,but this would cover up the bolts to the cleats and the bow roller bolts. Also did you move your anchor roller offset to the original one to compensate for the furler or does the anchor just squeese by. thanks Hibbit.

Hi the hold front bow roller had to be rebuilt this is where Jansson marine our stainless steel guy came him. He made a whole new SS bracket which goes across of a long bow roller with an attachment right in the middle for our furler. So no offset. Not sure how far down they dropped it but you could phone John at KML Marine that co-ordinated the whole job for us and he knows us well I'm sure he can provide you with all the information you need. His phone number is 07 554 61466 just mention Stacey & Ken owners of the KookaSnook and he will exactly what you are talking about. The whole team is based at Horizon Shores Marina near Jacobs Well.

We are just working now with John Keen from ShipShape to start on a galley rebuild. PO did a home handyman galley modification that needs to be totally rebuild. John K. has some really good ideas using acrylic for backshelving etc rather than heavy timber. So good to see what we can come up with.

We also had a problem with the back stays pulling out of the back. There were quite a few holes in the back under the bolts that were really destroying the fibreglass so John Keen put in two small back hatches and then fully reinforced the back panel behind the stays with plates and repaired the fibreglass nice and strong now. John K. also put the same hatch opening in the main anchor hatch. They are round O-ring style nice and water tight and again very professionally fitted to allow us easy access in these areas.

Will take close up photos when we are up at the marina.

[u12fly]

This is a great mod... can you post a few more pictures, like the split storage locker and where / how the rode drops below the windless.

[KookaSnook]

Yes will do when we are at the boat next.
Stacey

[KookaSnook]

This is a great mod... can you post a few more pictures, like the split storage locker and where / how the rode drops below the windless.

At long last some more detailed photos of our Electric Winch install... please excuse the dirt all over our bow... with all the rain it is need of a good clean. Booked in for a detail and polish coming up. We also just brought a new air type toilet for the head and need to get it installed now. It works fantastic and picked it up cheap as a demo model at recent Sanctuary Cove Boat show.

Here are the photos of the winch, hatch and bow roller fitting:



Muddy waters and a lot of wet weather have left our boat's bow in need of a good clean. The black cord is a plaited bungee cord my husband made up to use to hold the anchor when put down in heavy weather. Works a treat and takes all the noise and pulling on the anchor chains in the heavy waves when moored.



This was the special SS bracket made to go over the top of the new anchor roller to fit to our furler



This other SS bracket on the front is where our plough anchor locks in when pulled up

I will add the hatch modification photos separately

[KookaSnook]

More photos of modified hatch to fit new chain drop down. Note the small O-Ring hatch they installed to give us easy access under the hatch and this modification does not affect or impact on the inside of the boat at all.



The back opening section of the hatch still allows us to store mooring ropes, winch handle etc.



Inside of anchor well with specially modified drop down section in existing front hatch for anchor drop. Our installers also added a small round waterproof O=ring style hatch to allow more access inside the underside of hatch



Another clearer photo of the chain drop area where hatch was modified to a deeper level but does not comprise inside the cabin at all.

Hope all these photos help!

Happy sailing...

[u12fly]

Looks cool, so in this install did you have to modify the inside headliner in the forward birth, or does the depth stop just prior to that?

[Crikey]

Nice installation!
Thumbs up....

[trdprotruck]

Looks cool, so in this install did you have to modify the inside headliner in the forward birth, or does the depth stop just prior to that?

x2 Would like to see a picture of the inside of the berth to see how much room the anchor well takes up.

How much chain/nylon rode can you store in the locker?

Great looking install!

[Russ]

Nice job. Looks to me that they cut out the bottom of the anchor locker into the foam flotation under it in the v-berth. The "top" of the v-berth cabin up there holds more of that foam stuff I believe.
I assume there must be another water drain now in the new lower section. Looks like a lot of glass work, but not super complicated if you know how to work with that stuff.

--Russ

[KookaSnook]

Looks cool, so in this install did you have to modify the inside headliner in the forward birth, or does the depth stop just prior to that?

No it doesn't comprise inside the cabin at all and they were able to fit it in with enough drop to work well.

[KookaSnook]

Nice job. Looks to me that they cut out the bottom of the anchor locker into the foam flotation under it in the v-berth. The "top" of the v-berth cabin up there holds more of that foam stuff I believe.
I assume there must be another water drain now in the new lower section. Looks like a lot of glass work, but not super complicated if you know how to work with that stuff.

--Russ

Yes Russ they have put in a drain but linked it to the existing drain from what they told us. Image that is why they installed the small hatch to give easy access but we haven't had to opened it yet. No noise inside the cabin at all when the anchor is coming up and the chain dropping into well so they must have left all the foam in there.

Looks cool, so in this install did you have to modify the inside headliner in the forward birth, or does the depth stop just prior to that?

x2 Would like to see a picture of the inside of the berth to see how much room the anchor well takes up.

How much chain/nylon rode can you store in the locker?

Great looking install!

From memory I think they used 50meters of chain only no rope. We only have a mooring rope at the back of the opening hatch area and the winch handle to override or tighten the winch occasionally. I also think from memory they have put in a 45lb plough anchor.

The only comprise is when we bring the boat into the moorings and prepare it for the boys to pull it out of the water we slightly drop the anchor out of the mounting and lash it back to the bow rail so it allows the bow to lock into the trailer properly. That's it and very simple. We have had a girls weekend sailing trip and we can handle it all ourselves very easily. The whole reason for the install was to make it easy for us girls to handle and last weekend we were out fishing and moving sites constantly with such ease lifting and dropping the anchor. My husband had surgery on his arm and was working one handed and just so easy to use.

Best investment we have made so far and we believe money well spent.

[u12fly]

...From memory I think they used 50meters of chain only no rope. We only have a mooring rope at the back of the opening hatch area and the winch handle to override or tighten the winch occasionally. I also think from memory they have put in a 45lb plough anchor....

Wow that is a lot of weight - ruff guess is your carrying around 150 lbs up there. No way your boat is coming off anchor.

[KookaSnook]

OUR NEW STYLE OF PLOUGH ANCHOR PERFECT WITH ELECTRIC WINCH SETUP

Just tried out a new type of plough anchor over the weekend and it works much better with our electric winch.

It is much lighter with a roll bar and a special slider feature that allow you to drive up over the anchor and lift it straight up. Great if it gets stuck.

Used it all over the weekend dropping it continuously as we tried out different fishing spots. Only one place on the edge of a very deep 7 meter hole with a very strong current were it couldn't hold but with a dropping tide didn't want to get stuck up on the shallow bar.

It fits the anchor rail much better, doesn't get stuck and very fast to lift up and down. Works a treat and can highly recommend.