Galley Maid or Ideal?

[Buccaneer]

I need to replace the windlass on the '48 MY. (Motor's shot, gear box a rusted mess.) GM gives 25% discount if I ship them back the pieces of the old one. Current model is a GM BBHW. 1/2 inch chain.

Thoughts?

 

[Boatsb]

Get the wife a membership to the Gym and save the money on the windless. It worked for me so far. She is great at pulling up the anchor and the kid pulls the rope into the locker.

 

[Trojan]

Buy the windless. Thats no way to treat a lady. The gym cost more than the windless. I need a windless on my 43 also.

BILL

 

[Boatsb]

I did get her the aluminum anchor. Believe it or not she likes doing that kind of stuff. Can't figure it out either.

 

[ThirdHatt]

Boatsb, you have a very good wife! That was very nice of you to buy the aluminum anchor though. Good stuff!

 

[Boatsb]

She is great. The bird met her and thought so too. She even goes camping with us and the cubscouts.

 

[Bob Bradley]

OK, but for goodness sake, don't refer to her as the "Anchor Wench".

Edit..."Galley Maid" might not go over well either.

 

[Boatsb]

ROTFL. Thanks for the good advice.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Are you sure GM can't rebuild the one you have? If they are that interested in it for parts, maybe it's worth saving.

 

[Buccaneer]

Are you sure GM can't rebuild the one you have? If they are that interested in it for parts, maybe it's worth saving.

Cost for new, after discount: $3,600. Cost to rebuild: approx $3,000. The math didn't seem to make sense; plus I'll have "new" in 6-8 days, and a rebuild would be 4-6 weeks.

 

[Will]

The Gallymaid windlass on my 43' is a robust and heavy duty machine. I've not needed anything for the windlass yet, but parts I've ordered for other Gallymaid products have been reasonable and they provide all the free technical support requested.

How does your aluminum anchor hold? I've not yet met anyone who thinks they hold as well as the heavier, steel ones.

Will

 

[Boatsb]

Hell getting it out of the ground is the hard part. The fortress and Guardians are great and light.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

How does the price compare between the GM and the Ideal? I have owned both and both were trouble free, but there is a design flaw in the GalleyMaid. Apparently, the GM can not be run in reverse too much without damaging the worm gear bearings (I believe). When they designed the GM, it was designed to turn in only one direction and then they later added the reversing motor without reworking the gearbox. This is what I have heard. I have also heard that they stole the design from Ideal. This may or may not be true, but if it is, maybe the Ideal is a better choice especially if the price is comparable.

 

[Walter P]

How does the price compare between the GM and the Ideal? I have owned both and both were trouble free, but there is a design flaw in the GalleyMaid. Apparently, the GM can not be run in reverse too much without damaging the worm gear bearings (I believe). When they designed the GM, it was designed to turn in only one direction and then they later added the reversing motor without reworking the gearbox. This is what I have heard. I have also heard that they stole the design from Ideal. This may or may not be true, but if it is, maybe the Ideal is a better choice especially if the price is comparable.

Sky - I have also heard all of the above and am considering either a New Ideal or GM or possibly having GM upgrade my present GM to include a chain wildcat. It presently can only handle rope rode on a capstan. Decisions.... Maybe I should look into other brands.. Anyone have suggestions...

Walt

 

[bobk]

The PO replaced the original GM with another. I found large chunks of rust in the rope locker, so presume it died due to rust. Now why in H does a marine manufacturer make something like that from iron? Cost? I'd look seriously at Ideal or any of the other well respected manufacturers for a better design. Lofrans is probaboly my choice were I doing it.

Bob

 

[Trojan]

It looks like you guys have decided on Ideal. Now what size? At the boat show in Detroit last year they were showing a new design of a windless. It was impressive, but it must not have been that impressive because I forgot the name


BILL

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Sky - I have also heard all of the above and am considering either a New Ideal or GM or possibly having GM upgrade my present GM to include a chain wildcat. It presently can only handle rope rode on a capstan. Decisions.... Maybe I should look into other brands.. Anyone have suggestions...

Walt

Walt,
I pulled my GM when I bought the boat and sent it in to them for the chain upgrade. If your unit is in good shape, that is the most cost effective way to do it if you want to run chain. They are very helpful and all of their stuff is built very heavy. But, even though I like most of the GM stuff, I would still seriously look at Ideal if I were buying new. And before I bought either I would want to ask questions about using the unit in reverse. The last thing you want to do is have to pull that beast out of there again because of some faulty bearing.

 

[Walter P]

Sky, Thanks for the response, I'll call GM to find out if it's a good enough deal but I'm still concerned about the reverse problem. I'd hate to up grade my old still in great condition unit to have it fail shortly thereafter because of a faulty reverse design - particularly since with all chain rode you usually power all the way out as well as in.

Bobk, I know how you research things before deciding on the best course of action (once an engineer always an engineer). Since we have the same model Hatt, what would you do in my case?

Walt

 

[Maynard Rupp]

We replaced our rope drum only GM winch with a used one from GM. I really think the Ideal and GM winches are exactly the same. If it will help anyone i have our complete, less motor, rope drum only winch available. This thing has never sen salt and looks like new except the peeled chrome on the baseplate and drum. Their chrome looks great but seems to peel off. I bought a chain pipe from them as part of our conversion. Two years later the chrome is peeling on that part. The GM folks are great and will work with you. I don't know about Ideal, but i was told their winches are exactly the same.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

My Ideal did not have a clutch that could be adjusted by screwing the top of the capstan up and down as you do with the GalleyMaid. It was different. It was made to lower with the motor. The GM says to loosen the clutch to lower the anchor. They obviously don't want you to use the reverse function much and there must be a reason for it. Our Ideal (1983 vintage) said nothing about using it in either direction. Maybe some of the Ideal models are identical to the GM, but not the one we had.