Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Here's a video I took of the windlass on the Stewart J. Cort while I was sailing in 2010. This was my 2nd day on board, coming into Superior. We had to wait for the JRB to finish loading at BNSF. This is the full video. You can hear the radio chatter between the mate and the captain as well as the mate talking to the AB that was learning how to work the windlass. He explains how the brake works. To see the anchor being lowered, skip to 1:45. Enjoy!
Jake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPZVR2Cy ... DlbK3sfrDw

The chain is on the wildcat which is a wheel on an axis which can be engaged to heave in the anchor. The wildcat is held in place by a compressor (a large brake pad) When the anchor is to be dropped, the compressor is eased and the weight of the anchor draws the chain out of the chain locker over the wildcat and out the hause pipe. The links on the older boats were about one foot in length and usually have a heavy coating of rust on them. The noise is very loud and the rust dust is everywhere. You are suppose to wear eye protection. The chain will not stop until the anchor is on the bottom. You can then apply the compressor to slow it down and pay it out until the amount of chain wanted is at the hause pipe or on the wildcat. When the anchor is to be brought aboard the wildcat is engaged to the windless, the compressor eased and the wildcat retrieves the chain link by link, stored back in the chain locker, compressor is tightened, windless is disengaged and all is ready until anchor is again to be dropped, There are times when the anchor is to be hung or led out to a dock and at those times the wildcat is engaged, compressor eased and the windless is backed down and links are led out slowly.

Interesting comments. How fast does the chain pay out? How much time do you have to see the markings?

There was one 1st Mate with Pittsburg SS who on each boat he went on would paint on the bulkhead a chart which would correspond with the marking on the chain king link painted white and four links on each side - 1st shot, Red, 2nd shot white, 3rd shot blue, 4th shot gold, 5th shot silver. When dropping the hook there is a lot of noise and dust in the windless room. The different colors made it easer to keep track on the shots.

I suppose there are many ways to mark the amount of chair that is out.
The method I was familiar with was as follows.
The link joining the shots together was painted white and seizing wire was wound round the centre stub.
The shots were also marked with white paint and seizing wire.
e.g. the third shot would have the third link studded on either side of the joining shackle painted white and seizing wire round the middle stub. The same system was used to denote each length of chain.
No different colours were used as that could be confusing!!

Civilians keep it simple. The detachable link is red and the shot number is indicated by the number of white links on either side. 1 shot= white-red-white 2 shots=white-white-red-white-white. We also paint the second to last shot all yellow and the last shot all red.

I suspect that Al's follow up question will be "How do they know when they have 3 shots out?" Paint and wraps of wire. The shots are connected by detachable links; chain links that come apart. In the USCG and USN, the detachable links are painted white; and have a wrap of wire for the number of shots (2 wire wraps = 2 shots, 3 wire wraps = 3 shots). A certain number of chain links on either side of the detachable link are painted a contrasting color to indicate the shot number. In the USCG and USN, the first shot indicator is one red link on either side of the detachable link: red-white-red. Second shot is indicate by 2 white links on either side of the detachable link: 5 white. Third shot is indicated by 3 blue links on either side of the white detachable link. The next to last shot of chain was completely painted yellow as a warning. The last shot of chain is painted red.

A shot of chain is 90 feet, or 15 fathoms.

In old logbooks I frequently see references to vessels dropping anchor and paying out various numbers of "shots" of chain; as in "anchored with 3 shots of chain." For anyone who has sailed, how much is a "shot" in this instance?