Windlass is Working!!

The new parts arrived and the windlass is reassembled, reinstalled, and working! I can’t tell you how relieved we are. This job has been tedious, difficult, and frustrating but we are so happy the effort paid off. Now, if we can keep it working until we get home in April we will be even happier. 

George raised the anchor by hand in Black Point yesterday morning. It was windier than it has been so he was very careful to clip the chain to his safety line and let go of the chain whenever the boat swung and the chain became taut—much to my relief. I had visions of his hands being caught and crushed between the chain and the boat. 

The parts had not yet arrived in Staniel Cay but we were ready for a change of scenery. Also, we were fairly confident they would arrive by the end of the day. We picked the last mooring ball in a location that had enough depth for Breeze On. Then we dinghied ashore and walked to the Bottom Line restaurant for a nice late lunch of Bahamian food. Then we returned to Staniel Cay Yacht Club to check on the parts and pay for the mooring ball and we were quite happy that the parts had indeed arrived. One set of bearings did not arrive but we had ordered a backup set from a different supplier so we could install one of those instead. 

George went right to work last evening installing the new bearing and washers and putting the windlass back together. It took all of this morning to get the thick electrical wires arranged properly inside the windlass so that the two halves of the windlass would fit together again. Then he had to reinstall the windlass on the deck, connect the nuts to those inaccessible bolts, then connect the wiring. By late this afternoon it was done. Hallelujah!

Upside down windlass with the electrical wires being threaded through the small hole. 

Breeze On tied up to her mooring ball. I dare not let her drift back too far when we drop the mooring lines tomorrow.