Author Topic: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems  (Read 4144 times)

Shipwrecked

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Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« on: March 28 2015, 17:33 »
The windlass on my 2003 36 has suddenly stopped, both up and down. I can hear the contactor clicking below when I press the remote and see that others have found problems with the wiring connections to the windlass itself. These are apparently behind the two panels at the front of the forecabin. Has anyone removed these panels? They appear to be secured by white plastic headed studs and disappear behind the high level lockers. I don't want to cause any damage that I would struggle to fix.

Stuart

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Re: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« Reply #1 on: March 28 2015, 20:19 »
Hi the white caps cover washers and screws that hold the panels in place just be careful removing the caps and youll have no problem  :)
Cheers

Stuart

Shipwrecked

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Re: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« Reply #2 on: March 29 2015, 09:57 »
Many thanks, Stuart.

nornie lees

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Re: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« Reply #3 on: March 29 2015, 11:58 »
Try a good tap on windlass with lump 4x2, if it works then remove and clean or replace brushes if needed. I had the same problem last autumn.  Rgds Ray

jb

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Re: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« Reply #4 on: March 29 2015, 16:08 »
We had to remove the panels on our 2004 36 when our windlass went wrong. It was quite a struggle but learned a bit late that it is good idea to tape the edges of the locker to protect the veneer from splintering as we had to exert a lot of pressure to get them out. Also using washing up liquid to lubricate the panel where it meets the locker edges, helped a lot.

Salty

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Re: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« Reply #5 on: March 30 2015, 14:58 »
A problem I found with the windlass system on my 2002 B36 was that the wiring provided by Bavaria during construction was not all that it might be. In particular the thin cables used to send the up or down signals to the black relay located behind the main control panel were the problem. The signal cables used were contained within a grey plastic sheath holding The three signal cables plus if I remember correctly a fourth cable which served no purpose at the time. The problem was down to the cables not being of marine quality where ordinary copper wires were found to be covered in corrosion, and it was this corrosion that was blocking the signals from the up/down controller. Using tinned copper wire instead of ordinary copper wire prevents corrosion of the copper leading to poor conductivity.  Before re-wiring I purchased a suitable length of three core "tinned copper wire" and loosely connected the controller over the deck to the relay behind the main switchboard, and this worked immediately. The problem next was to take the new tinned three core cable and hide it away internally behind the cupboards. Electricians have a tool which I don't know what it is called, but it consists of a number of thin plastic rods with screw together connectors at each end. Several of these were screwed together and this enabled me to feed the rod through behind the cupboards and between them and the boat hull, and to use them to pull the new cable through. I was not able to remove the old cable from where it passed through the chain locker bulkhead, so that cable was cut and a new watertight gland was fitted at a position where it could get to it. I didn't know the trick about how to remove the White plastic covered lining material from the chain locker bulkhead, so made a new hole where I'd managed to lift part of that lining. Once reconnected using the tinned copper wire the windlass worked perfectly and has continued to do so since mid 2010. If the up/down signal wires are not the problem, it may be that the relay needs to be changed, and as mentioned earlier, this is a black plastic covered device some 100mm x 75mm  x 30mm (these are only approximate figures) which is located behind the main switchboard. They are readily available from any good chandlers that deals with Lofrans spares. Good luck.

Anthony

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Re: Lofrans Cayman Windlass problems
« Reply #6 on: March 31 2015, 00:24 »
I found it worthwhile to completely remove the Cayman, check for corrosion , especially where the fixing bolts embed into the aluminium block. Drain out the old oil... how often does that get an oil change... and replace with appropriate new oil 'hypoid gear 90 SAE'.
Wiring was also tidied up; I discovered the heavy duty cables had been just hanging in the chain locker, easily susceptible to damage from running chain. A few wire retainers are required here and working with a mirror helps see what's going on down there.