Maxwell Anchormax Vertical Capstan — Owner's Manual

Location & Fitting

1. Plan the location: the rode must feed correctly, the deck must be flat (fit a plinth if not), avoid bulkheads, wiring and piping below, and the mounting area must take the loads of capstan, anchor and rode.
2. Use the cut-out template (part no. 7409, in the PDF downloads) to mark and cut the holes; align the load with the 'To Load' arrow. Print it at 100% and check the dimensions before cutting.
3. Drill/cut the holes in order A to C with hole saws. Seal the edges with epoxy (not required for steel or aluminium).
4. Seal the capstan to the deck with the gasket supplied. On aluminium or steel boats insulate the deckplate assembly from the deck to prevent electrolysis.
5. Lower the deckplate into the cut-out and fasten with the nuts and washers supplied, tightening progressively and evenly. Firm, but do not over-tighten; no power tools.

Wiring

• Connection of power lines and control circuitry by qualified technicians, to local requirements (USCG, ABYC, NMMA, CE).
• A circuit breaker/isolator is required: no further than 1.8 m (6 ft) from the battery, accessible and dry. The circuit needs an isolator switch and either a fuse or circuit breaker.
• Footswitch approximately 500 mm (20") from the capstan, below-deck part in a dry place, arrow showing the direction of operation.
• When tightening the cables on the motor, hold the lower nut (A1) while tightening the upper nut (B1) to avoid damage inside the motor.
• Use crimp-on ring terminals with heat shrink, chafe protection through bulkheads; once tested, spray terminals with a dry corrosion-preventative film.

Hauling In

1. Wind up to three turns of rope up the drum in the direction of pull.
2. Keep a light tailing pull on the free end and start the capstan with the footswitch.
3. As it rotates, increase the pull and tail hand over hand to haul the rope.
4. Reduce the pull to slip the rope if required.

• Start the main engine before operating; keep fingers, clothing and hair clear and do not touch the footswitch while putting turns on.
• Extra turns increase grip and need less load on the tail. Maxwell recommends clockwise rotation.
• Turn the isolator off when the system is not in use.

Maintenance

Versions

• Anchormate: original design bought by Maxwell; no SP0064 csk screws between deckplate and baseplate, UHMWPE drum bearings (part 4229, still available to order), drum bore Ø42mm, V100 (SP0748) deck seal – replace with V110 (SP2768).
• Anchormax V1 (mid 1999 – January 2011): drum bore Ø44.2 with press-in plastic bearings, 3 csk screws added. 2001: aluminium cap and V110 seal (the V100 overstretched and cracked). January 2007: cap 4507 gets an o-ring groove; earlier caps were sealed with liquid gasket.
• Anchormax V2 (January 2011 on): all gears on bearings, stainless steel drum, 500W motor (SP4189) replacing the 600W (SP2142) with the same performance. Replacing the whole unit may be better than repairing a damaged one.

Servicing

• Never clamp the motor in a vice or knock it: the magnets dislodge.
• Gears are sold only as sets: P90014 (V1) and P90016 (V2), both excluding the ring gear. A damaged ring gear is removed by drilling or grinding through the ring.
• Reassemble deckplate and baseplate with liquid gasket; an anaerobic sealant is recommended (it will not form lumps that get into the gears).
• V1 / Anchormate: remove the top cap and slide off the drum; separate baseplate and deckplate by removing the 3 csk screws. The 600W motor SP2142 is replaced by SP4189 plus adaptor kit P104725.
• V2: remove the 3 csk screws, remove gear assembly 4226, pinion 7229 with bearing SP0683, then circlip SP3531 to free the drum (check the circlip has not stretched before reuse).
• Yearly: run the unit and note current and noise. At 12V, no more than 25Amp (V1) or 35Amp (V2). Inspect seals, bushes and bearings, clean carbon dust from the motor and regrease.
• Motor: brushes act axially, so the end cap springs apart when unbolted – keep the springs. Replace the motor if windings or insulation are burnt; standard brush length is 12.7mm.