2013

WINDLASSES

So it’s 2013, I’m working in a little boatyard on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia and anchored about 20 min away on my 175 cc motorcycle that wants to be a Harley when it grows up, but I have nothing but disdain for the Harley inspired cruiser styling, having your feet in front of you puts all your weight on your butt and robs you of the ability to get up on the pegs for suspension unless you pull with your arms. But it was cheap and it runs, what more could you want? I was already working a 40 hr week so when Brano, a recent addition to the area, asked me to work on his seriously fast 33’ racer that he wants to turn into a cruiser and live and teach free diving from it was a good deal of skepticism. Brano knows nothing about boats, won’t work on it himself because in his own words “I know nothing about boats” and I know he has no money. Now I can sympathize with nothing about boats, the 1st time I was on a keelboat that wasn’t tied to the dock, was the boat that is now Thalia and they’d already cashed the deposit cheque. But I have to draw the line at no knowledge, no interest in learning, no money and being lazy. You gotta have standards. Right? My friend Thomas, an excellent mechanic, is currently living much closer to the bone and I introduce him to the Brano, obviously I’ve already told him why I’m not working on Brano’s boat, just make sure you get your money on a daily basis I caution Thomas. So Thomas as a long term cruiser takes Brano under his wing. He explains to Brano if he wants to anchor multiple times each days he’s going to either need an anchor windlass or a new back before he’s 30 and for sure he’s going to need an anchor chute and roller on the bow. Brano takes the suggestion to heart and goes to a used marine parts chandlery and comes back with a 1200w Maxwell windlass with a 3/8” gypsy and presents it to Thomas, who says “Brano you can’ t put that on the bow it’s way too big, weigh 85 lbs, pulls 100 amps, just getting the cables to the bow will cost a fortune and 3/8”chain weighs 1.5 lbs/ft. You need a double action manual windlass with a ¼” chain gypsy and we still need to build a chain locker in the bow.” explains Thomas, a very bright boat bum. Brano is crushed and wonders aloud if Noel will give him his money back. That night over beers Thomas tells me about the windlass “Yeah, it’s absolutely cherry, the chrome isn’t even worn out of the hawse pipe, I don’t think it ever got used 10 times, but it’s got an obsolete Lucas “Prince of Darkness” motor and he only paid 600 Ringits (3.2 Rm/$ USD) for it, amazing, I’ve never heard of Noel selling anything that cheap.” Thomas knows the windlass motor is obsolete as he had one until a lightning strike cooked it, took him 2 yrs to find another armature. I almost dropped my beer. “How did I miss that gem? “ I think to myself, you see I’ve got a 1000w 25 yr old Lofrans on the bow, that works, but I’ve had to replace capstan drum, gypsy and motor, plus I’ve rebuilt it twice. The first time I wandered into a bearing house in Riviera Bch, Fl with a pile of rusting bearings and blown out seals and the long hair working there asked “What’s this s**t out of?” “An Italian anchor windlass” I reply “Ah, that explains it, it’ll some take time, I don’t have any of these sizes” “What’s some time?” I inquire innocently “Like 3 days” he says positively “See you in a week, want a deposit?” “Nah, this stuff is cheap” he advises. The second time I gave up on the open bearing races c/w oil seal directly under the gypsy and went with oil seal and sealed bearings, don’t the Italians think sea water will get under the gypsy on the bow of a boat. It took some time with a machine shop but in the 3rd world that’s not expensive either. But clearly that old Lofrans isn’t going to last forever, although it picked up the anchor last week in Costa Rica just fine. “Tell Brano I’ll buy it off him” I choked. Brano showed up the next day and I asked if I could try the motor. “Sure” was the reply. Automotive jumper cables proved the motor was happy and I handed over the money.

Brano returned to Noels chandlery and asked for a windlass “But I just sold you a windlass” exclaimed Noel incredulously” “Yeah, but my mechanic says it was too big for my boat” explains Brano “Oh, ok, well, just bring back the other windlass and we’ll find you something smaller” says Noel graciously “I can’t I sold it to George, he said it was a great deal, but I can ask him for it back” explains Brano “No don’t bother, George won’t give it back, he’s right it’s a great deal. I was supposed to get $600 USD but through a massive brain fart I charged you 600 Rm” Noel sadly exclaimed. One of these days I’m going to have to fit that thing, in the meantime it’s just part of the reason I describe Thalia as overloaded. George and Thalia

“If I’m lyin…”