Galley Maid windlass replacement

[mattmett]

My Galley Maid windlass has finally given out. it's overheating and popping breakers. Spoke to Galley Maid many times and they recommend replacing it. Very expensive. Has anyone found an alternative 32v windlass that they are happy with that won't cost as much? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[brettportzer]

When you say the recommend replacing it, what do you mean by that?

Seems obvious, but I guess what I am asking is, I have seen countless threads about people having their Galleymaid Windlasses overhauled by Galleymaid and it seems to work out pretty well for everyone.

Why not do that?

[Pascal]

GM is really a machine shop now and doesn’t really do much marine work anymore but their windlass guy does. He rebuilt and converted mine to 24v about 3 years ago. Rebuild the gear case etc. in fact I have the old 32v motor and solenoids which were working fine when I converted.

[brettportzer]

So those of us with aging Galleymaid windlasses should get them redone sooner rather than later?

[mattmett]

When you say the recommend replacing it, what do you mean by that?

Seems obvious, but I guess what I am asking is, I have seen countless threads about people having their Galleymaid Windlasses overhauled by Galleymaid and it seems to work out pretty well for everyone.

Why not do that?

They gave me two options. if I need both below and above deck components then I should buy a new one. If I only need the below deck components they can be rebuilt, but it's still pricy.

[Captain Ralph]

I had the same issues with my Ideal horizontal windlass. For just a few pennies less, Ordered in a new Lofrans.
Spent some extra bux on new battery cables but I now have a current and easily supported unit that is stronger, works and looks better.

[mattmett]

I had the same issues with my Ideal horizontal windlass. For just a few pennies less, Ordered in a new Lofrans.
Spent some extra bux on new battery cables but I now have a current and easily supported unit that is stronger, works and looks better.

Do you recall the model you have from Lofrans?

[Captain Ralph]

Do you recall the model you have from Lofrans?

Our Bert is 58 x 18. Roughly 80,000 lbs in the slings.
We purchased the Flakon 24Vdc. Tapped on the 3rd battery of 32 to deliver its 24v.
Using a 105lb Bruce and all 3/8" chain now.
What a wonderful windlass.
Much faster, stronger easier than that big Ideal.
It's just the 45+ years of technology that separates our old gear with the new.

[cww]

My Galley Maid windlass has finally given out. it's overheating and popping breakers. Spoke to Galley Maid many times and they recommend replacing it. Very expensive. Has anyone found an alternative 32v windlass that they are happy with that won't cost as much? Any help is greatly appreciated.

That's just the oil leaked out of the gearbox and it's now rusty and dirty inside and very hard to turn. Pull it and send it to galley maid, they will rebuilt it for 10% of what installing a new one costs.

[cww]

Our Bert is 58 x 18. Roughly 80,000 lbs in the slings.
We purchased the Flakon 24Vdc. Tapped on the 3rd battery of 32 to deliver its 24v.
Using a 105lb Bruce and all 3/8" chain now.
What a wonderful windlass.
Much faster, stronger easier than that big Ideal.
It's just the 45+ years of technology that separates our old gear with the new.

That doesn't necessarily translate to hatterases, hatterai?, though. If he has the factory-installed galley maid, those were custom designed for hatteras to fit the design of the boat. The GM windlasses are extra tall to reach between the chain locker where the gearbox is located and the top of the integral pulpit. That's a pretty deep run, like 2-3' if you measure it. I don't know any current windlass made that's sized to where it would work for that application. I guess if you were very enterprising you could disassemble it and try having a machine shop re-make you a longer splined rod to make another brand of windlass fit, but there's no guarantee it'll be thick enough to not snap once it's twice as long as it should be. The diameter can't increase or the ends won't fit back in the windlass. It's a pickle.

Galley maid will rebuild the gearbox, rechrome all of it, change it to 24 volts, whatever you want done, they'll do. I think unless you're going to go with one of those all-in-one units mounted completely on top of the pulpit, doing *something* or another with the galley maid is probably as good as it's going to get.