Windlass

This morning we moored alongside the Hermod to take 20.000 liters of potable water. For mooring, the windlass, capstans and winches are used. What you see here is a part of the windlass at the bow of the Retriever. A couple of months ago I wrote that the system of pulling on an anchor chain or rope with a capstan has not changed for the last three hundred years. The only difference is that capstans are now hydraulically or electrically driven instead of manpower. The big black drum is a horizontal version of a capstan. It is powered by the drive shaft of the windlass. The red lever on the left is used to clutch in and choose between the capstan or the anchor gypsy wheel (you can see the gypsy wheel and white chain little bit more to the right). See how it works? The capstan is turning, our A/B Nyandang puts his small rope a couple of times around the capstan and the friction does the rest. Now he can pull the heavy mooring rope without manpower through the fair lead in the bow. No need to change this for the next three hundred years as well.