Maxwell 3500 VW, VWC & VWCLP Windlass — Owner's Manual

Position & Mounting

1. Often fitted in pairs, one running clockwise and one anticlockwise. Point the narrow end of the deckplate towards the incoming chain; chain within 2° of horizontal, bow roller grooved and tangential to the chainwheel. Leave room to swing the clutch lever.
2. Chain stopper essential (aligned, at the right height, clear of the anchor stock, ±2° in the vertical plane; angled by half the hawse pipe angle if the pipe is angled, vertical below 4°); tensioner recommended.
3. At least 800mm (32") between the end of the spurling pipe and the chain pile; gravity feed, no sharp corners. If possible run the locker bulkhead between chainpipe outlet and gearbox; the gearbox can be indexed through several angles.
4. Footswitches at least 500mm (20") away; starter or solenoid valves dry and close, never in the chain locker; breaker/isolator dry within 1.8m (72") of cable length from the battery.
5. Deck cut-out drawings in the manual (VWC/VWCLP and VW) are marked for reference only: check the dimensions before drilling. Drill the band brake guide hole only after the brake is fitted.
6. Strip the topworks (cap, screw and washer, clutch nut, drum, upper cone and spring, stripper, chainwheel, lower cone, keys, clips, washer, spring, crank collar, screws, deckplate). Anti-seize on shaft, keys, flanges, threads and inside the spacer tube.
7. Bed the deckplate and tighten the studs, washers and nuts evenly to 35-40 Nm (25-30 ft lb); offer up the drive from below, bolt deckplate to spacer tube to the same torque.
8. Rebuild: crank collar and spring (seal instead for band brake), retaining clips in the upper groove, keys, greased lower cone on the clips, disc spring, chainwheel, band brake fork over the pawl pin (handle either side), greased upper cone, drum, clutch nut, washer, screw, cap. Chain counter sensor goes in the Ø15mm plugged hole in the deckplate.

Power & Controls

• DC motor terminals “F1” (clockwise), “F2” (anticlockwise) and “-” (straight to battery negative); one of F1/F2 to the solenoid. Hold the lower nut while tightening the upper.
• Hydraulic motor: pressure and return ports (bigger) to a solenoid controlled valve (not supplied by Maxwell), plus case drain ports.
• Controls in parallel; isolator switch in the wheelhouse when footswitches are fitted. Control wiring no smaller than 1.5mm² (AWG 16); 3A ignition proof breaker or fuse within 1m (40") of the main breaker/isolator.
• Steel or aluminium boats: non conductive gasket, insulated studs and fixings, insulated anchor and chain. Spray terminals with CRC 3013 Soft Seal.

Cable length runs from the battery terminal to the motor terminal via the solenoid box and back to the battery. Copper with insulation rated at least 90°C; sizes allow a maximum 10% voltage drop over the total length.

Anchoring

• Under power: clutch nut lever clockwise to engage the friction clutch fully (any position), remove the lever, release band brake or pawl and the stopper/tensioner, then use pendant, helm switch or footswitch (all non-latching). Turn off the controls isolator afterwards.
• Retrieving: a pawl type stopper can ratchet on the chain and engages itself when the windlass stops. Motor over the anchor; jog in the last meter (3-4').
• Manual lowering: tighten clutch and band brake, release stopper and tensioner, fully disengage the clutch, then let the chain go by easing the band brake and stop with it; without a band brake control the speed with the clutch. Use the bar stored in the brake handle as a lever for more torque.
• Emergency crank (no band brake): stopper or pawl engaged, clutch released, spigot end of the lever in the crank collar against a chainwheel dog; pull back, engage the pawl, repeat. Keep the slack between tensioner and windlass less than the tensioner end travel.

Warping Drum (VW, VWC)

• Engage stopper, pawl or band brake, fully disengage the clutch; the drum then runs on its own. Footswitch control recommended.
• Several turns, tension on the tail, drum turning the same way as the wrap; let it slip under sudden loads; watch for riding turns (clear them only by paying out).
• Never run under power with the lever in the clutch nut or crank collar; keep fingers away when engaging the pawl on running chain; wait for the windlass to stop before reversing.

Schedule

• Grease: lithium complex based, consistency between NLGI No.1 and No.3; no soap based grease. Never mix greases or oils – if in doubt, remove the old lubricant and clean the parts.
• Gearbox oil: API GL-4 or lower (low sulphur) single weight gear oil between SAE 90 and 110w; quantity for DC and hydraulic drives 0.35 litres.
• Anti-corrosive coatings: CRC 3013 Soft Seal, Boeshield T9, Lanocote. Anti-seize: International Paints Res-Q-Steel.
• Shaft, bronze clutch cones and capstan must be coated in Shell Nautilus NLG12 Marine Grease, Castrol Boating Grease, Valvoline Val Plex EP or equivalent on assembly.

Synthetic oils only, never mixed. Band brake: renew the lining below 2mm or when the band ends can touch when tight; grease the lead screw at least every three months and keep grease off the lining.

Troubleshooting

• Does not rotate: controls isolator, control fuse, wiring, each control in turn, supply lines, main isolator, hydraulic pump.
• Cannot pull the load: motor voltage vs. supply (name plate); hydraulic relief valve setting. High current and struggling: motor bolts touching the winding (spring washers, bolt length).
• Stops after heavy use: overheated – cool down and reset the breaker.
• Runs, chainwheel stationary: clutch not fully engaged, band brake on, topworks keys (16) missing.
• No free fall: cones not greased, clutch or band brake not fully off, disc springs (8) missing, pawl (26) engaged.
• Chain jumps: wrong chainwheel, chain twisted, incoming chain more than 2 degrees off.
• Tools: metric hexagon keys 8 and 10mm, spanners 17mm, 19mm, 8mm and 9/16", 10mm flat screwdriver, circlip pliers.