Windless Anchor motor change wiring help needed

[Gardan]

Hi I have a Bavaria 38 1999- and I am trying to get the windless to work
Windless Anchor is Horizon 1500 simpson Lawrence .
Help needed :
1, see picture attached I need to locate the wiring throughout the boat to check the solenoid , does anyone know where that is ?
2 , I have changed the motor to a new one on purchased from S&b spares Scotland £320 .
3, I need help tracing cables ( see picture ) to check they are working
Can anyone help with specific places to look where the cables go after they leave the bow anchor housing ?

[tiger79]

No picture attached....

[Gardan]

Some pictures

1, The large gauge red wire enclosed in glove & the large gauge black wire
I’ve attached the red and black wires from the motor to these as it was before I removed the old motor from the windless . I am having difficulty tracing these wires back in the boat to their next destination which I suspect is to the solenoid of some sort .
Note : there is no power or to these cables and I checked the fuse switch on the dashboard was switched on and also run the engine to see if any power . Nothing .
2 , the other three small wires are which are also housed in the anchor compartment are from a three pin male connector for the hand held female connector to operate the which up and down . I’m waiting on a new three pin connector as the old one corroded .

[Gardan]

does anyone know where the red and black wires meet the solanoid (2) where is the solanoid situated on a Bavaria 38 1999.. ?

Mine just has the hand held remote and no other switches for operating the winch

Or is it possible I don’t have a solanoid ? As only single switch as show in diagram 3 below ?

[tiger79]

Or is it possible I don’t have a solanoid ? As only single switch as show in diagram 3 below ?

A handheld remote won't handle the windlass current, so you must have a solenoid.

[Diga]

does anyone know where the red and black wires meet the solanoid (2) where is the solanoid situated on a Bavaria 38 1999.. ?

Mine just has the hand held remote and no other switches for operating the winch

Or is it possible I don’t have a solanoid ? As only single switch as show in diagram 3 below ?

Solenoid placed in the windlass?

[Lazy Pelican]

On later models the solenoid is behind the switch panel, above the chart table. It’s worth looking there first.

If the windlass is a retro fit the solenoid might be positioned on the inside of the anchor locker bulkhead ( behind the forepeak lining).

[symphony2]

On my 37 of similar era (2001) the connection for the heavy cables to the windlass was in that locker area. just lugs on the ends of the cables and then nuts and bolts wrapped in tape. The cables went back through the boat to the locker in front of the chart table where there was the control box (solenoid) and circuit breaker. The windlass was a Lofrans which replaced the SL as standard fit in 2000, but pretty sure the wiring stayed the same.

[Gardan]

does anyone know where the red and black wires meet the solanoid (2) where is the solanoid situated on a Bavaria 38 1999.. ?

Mine just has the hand held remote and no other switches for operating the winch

Or is it possible I don’t have a solanoid ? As only single switch as show in diagram 3 below ?

Solenoid placed in the windlass?

Thank you since posting , someone else agreed with this view , just need to find the solanoid now . Thanks

[Gardan]

On my 37 of similar era (2001) the connection for the heavy cables to the windlass was in that locker area. just lugs on the ends of the cables and then nuts and bolts wrapped in tape. The cables went back through the boat to the locker in front of the chart table where there was the control box (solenoid) and circuit breaker. The windlass was a Lofrans which replaced the SL as standard fit in 2000, but pretty sure the wiring stayed the same.

Thank you , that’s sounds a like a good spot to look , I’m quite sure since I know the previous one owner that it’s the original fit , he just said ‘it’s not worked for years’ .I did have a quick look around the batteries area , and couldn’t see anything , so this idea it’s by the switch panel makes loads of sense . I’ll have a nose and revert back . Thanks

[Gardan]

does anyone know where the red and black wires meet the solanoid (2) where is the solanoid situated on a Bavaria 38 1999.. ?

Mine just has the hand held remote and no other switches for operating the winch

Or is it possible I don’t have a solanoid ? As only single switch as show in diagram 3 below ?

Solenoid placed in the windlass?

Thank you since posting , someone else agreed with this view , just need to find the solanoid now . Thanks

Thank you , I have to areas to look for the solanoid now , behind switch panel and around the captains table as you have suggested . I was concentrating more around the battery area , but these ideas now make more sense , thanks

[Jeffatoms]

We replaced everything related to the anchor last winter.  We found the SL solenoid tucked up high behind the 12 volt distribution panel at the nav station.  The new Lewmar direct replacement (V1) was different in that it required two positive, red leads off the solenoid (up and down) plus black negative, all thick guage.  The older 90's model did not use or have three thick wires at the bow, only requiring two thick wires to be run forward from the solenoid.   As a result of my desire to use the existing wiring and avoid pulling new, I moved the new solenoid to a waterproof control box inside the front lazarrette, next to the under deck motor for my new Lewmar windlass.  Doing so freed up the original solenoid 16 gauge wires at the nav station to add an up/down switch to the cockpit while retaining a lighted Quick branded up/down handheld controller at the bow.  The whole project including selection of new Rocna and new chain couldn't have been easier.  It was a great DIY project.

[Gardan]

Thanks Jeff , the control panel does seem like the most likeliest spot to find my solanoid , if you don’t mind me asking what was your overall spend on your project , considering you did the labour yourself . Respect btw .
I’m going this route as made the mistake of renewing the anchor chain and had the anchor re galvanised when i took over the boat three years ago , so I’m already £800 into the project before I just purchased the new windless motor £320 .
So a tad committed to finishing it backwards now to the panel , with perhaps a new solanoid and any cabling necessary.
Thanks again
I will post when I done some further investigating.

[tiger79]

So a tad committed to finishing it backwards now to the panel , with perhaps a new solanoid and any cabling necessary.

The solenoid should be a reversing solenoid, similar to the pic attached.  This changes the polarity of the big red and black cables which supply the windlass motor.  Talking of cables, the ones in your pic look very thin - for your installation you ideally need 25mm² cable to minimise voltage drop.  The wiring required is shown in the first pic I've included here.

[Jeffatoms]

Happy to share. (Prices in US incl tax and delivery)

Lewmar v1 for 5/16th. $1,650
Lewmar v1 manual recovery gypsy $335 (necessary)
Acco HT 5/16 275 feet. $1,650
Rokna 20kg $590
Wires, fittings, bits etc. $300
Sale of 20 kg CQR and chain ($150) with regrets
$4,375 US

Hmmm. I'm very happy with the whole set-up, however we had to drop down from 3/8 BBB to 5/16HT.  If my budget was free to grow, I would have replaced the 3/8 with HT and upsized the windlass to V2 and a 25kg Rockna but that would have probably added $2,500.

I am composing this note from one of our favorite, if not most convenient roadsteads, the west side of Blake Island State Park in the Puget Sound.  This is our 5th three night stay here this season.  Local knowledge is imperative due to shifting currents, tides and wind, i.e. rips and whirlpools in changing tides.  We try to anchor far from the crowds but on holiday weekends (like now) it can get dicey with the uninformed. All chain is nice but less than half the boats use it; some have no chain.  Dropping anchor oin a heap on top of others is common but worse is the occassional is lack of seamanship and etiquette.

 Today we watched a guy's brand new carbon fiber Beneteau First drag off and out.  He was on the beach and we summoned him (oblivious).  prior, he was warned not to drop anchor there by a polite, seasoned long distance cruiser to no avail. We would have helped more but we prepared to fend off his buddy's boat caught in an opposing rip and swinging within 1-1/2 dinghy's length from our stern.  Our paradise was lost for the two hours buring tide change as we had a 15 foot tide today and they were simply unaware and lacked situational awareness.  Last we we informed a guy anchored in the exact same spot that his boat was off anchor and headed out on its own; we lent him our dinghy to retrieve his boat..

We are headed home soon.  It's generally not like this.