Quick Prince DP2 windlass

[Vezo, Part II]

Anyone familiar with this unit and it's possible application on a 1977 Seafari 20?
I have an opportunity to pick up a used one for $400. Appears to be a grand new, similar to a Lewmar, but so much more of the unit below deck. Thoughts?

Thanks in Advance.

Vezo

[TomParis]

I have a friend who used one on a rental boat in the Caymans, he swore by and said it was awesome!

[Vezo, Part II]

Thanks Tom. Encouraging.

[Terry England]

Mike, Don't clutter the bow of that pretty little Powder Blue SeaFari up with a bunch of stuff you don't need. It ain't a Parker barge! Your'er not going to be fishing over 50' deep - get a plow or wishbone anchor on a swivel and an anchor ball. Throw it out in the morning, drag it around behind you all day and pick it up at night. Lots of rock piles off of Hernando, Bud. Martin, Kmoose and I don't cott'in to no wash down pumps or anchor winches! Don't clutter your life up with sh!t to fix - go fish'in instead.

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by Terry England

Mike, Don't clutter the bow of that pretty little Powder Blue SeaFari up with a bunch of stuff you don't need. It ain't a Parker barge! Your'er not going to be fishing over 50' deep - get a plow or wishbone anchor on a swivel and an anchor ball. Throw it out in the morning, drag it around behind you all day and pick it up at night. Lots of rock piles off of Hernando, Bud. Martin, Kmoose and I don't cott'in to no wash down pumps or anchor winches! Don't clutter your life up with sh!t to fix - go fish'in instead.

Terry is spot on with this. There is always an attraction to add nice options on the cheap but even if it is free there is a cost. I am certainly not one to preach against gadgets and gizmos with buttons and lights but over the years I have discovered exactly what Terry is stating. Anything you hook to the battery is something else to maintain and repair. That said, it better be worth the effort and provide comparable reliability as manual options. That is a rare attribute for many things on a boat that run on dc power.

If you had a 35' cabin cruiser a windless may be a viable option to pull a heavy hook and rode if you didn't want to interrupt martini time with some lady friends on the back deck but for our boats a good small Fortress with 15' of stainless chain, small anchor ball and a milk crate borrowed from the back of a grocery store will serve you well for all your anchoring needs in a much quicker and maintenance free package. Save the money for a good gps plotter and sounder. Terry and I will make sure you have plenty of spots to put on it.

[Vezo, Part II]

Ok, well said. So if fishing alone a good bit, or with not so careful novices, send them below and up through the hatch, is a sufficient solution? I agree, I'm not on my buddies Parker pilot house.

Thanks.

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by Vezo, Part II

Ok, well said. So if fishing alone a good bit, or with not so careful novices, send them below and up through the hatch, is a sufficient solution? I agree, I'm not on my buddies Parker pilot house.

Thanks.

Let me know when you want to come over for day on the water or when you are taking your sled out and I will run through the motions on handling this yourself with ease. The thinking is a little out of the box but once you see it done you will never have to go to the bow to set and pull your anchor again.

[kmoose]

Denny's set up is very similar to mine accept I don't have a hatch that allows access close enough to the bow to deploy and stow.... but in your case you do. That is somewhat of a game changer. The deployment and retrieval I use is similar as he mentioned as I prep my anchor set up prior to leaving the dock on a day I am taking other fishing and will be required to anchor multiple times during the day. Having the hook, line and chain in a small crate in the back ready to deploy and pull is a good way to keep the timing of deployment close at hand when your trying to set the boat for fishing a small spot. More of a process than can be explained here but we can practice that on the water. I think Denny's bow set up would be the way to go for your sled and there is nobody here with more experience on the hook as he.