Below Deck Autopilot

AutoPilot System Components

• Raymarine EV-200 Sail Autopilot (T70155)
• Anchor Express $1,660 + $11 shipping
• Octopus 1212LAR12 linear drive
• Defender  $1,615
• Tests show that the patented piston pump unit used in the Octopus Linear Actuator is three times more efficient than the gear pump used by a leading competitor. An Octopus Linear Actuator can be expected to steer a vessel more than twice as far on the same battery charge
• rated for vessels up to 60ft or 33,00 lbs
• 12V @ 4-6A/19A average/max current

Raymarine EV-200 Sail Autopilot

Octopus 1212LAR12

Mounting the Octopus Linear Drive

Radial Drive Bracket

An Edson rudder stop post machined to accept the Octopus
piston rod end.

The Radial to Octopus piston rod end connection. The
mounting post was bolted with 316SS bolts coated with
Tef-Gel.  A layer of DMD (dacron-maylar-dacron) isolates
 the mounting post bracket from the radial to prevent galvanic
corrosion.  In addition, the mounting post bracket was painted
with black epoxy paint.

A side view of the the Radial to Octopus connection.

Mounting the Octopus Linear Drive

Remote pump for the Octopus drive was
mounted on the engine well side of the  quarter berth
 bulkhead just below the access panel.

Scupper Relocation and Octopus Mount Bolts

Rudder Indicator Installation

The rudder indicator arm mounted on G10 prior to installation

Rudder arm bolted to the rudder tube stringer next to the
steering radial drive. 

Custom made bracket rudder indicator.

Radial drive showing the bolt couples prior to mounting the
custom made indicator bracket.

Rudder indicator with bracket and linkage. 

View of the rudder indicator bracket and linkage. 

Side view of the rudder indicator bracket and linkage. 

Autopilot Controller Mount

The p70 autopilot controller is mounted starboard of the helm.
This provides easy access to the controller from the
helm and the cockpit.  But more importantly it uses the same
hole as the old SPX-5 wheel pilot controller.

Ground Tackle Upgrade

Prior to the present upgrade, the ground tackle consisted of a Fortress GX-23 anchor, 20' 5/16" chain, and 200' 5/8" 3-strand nylon rode.  The Fortress was set and raised by hand.  For the most part, this set up worked well, but on accessional wind shifts, the anchor would break free, foul, and fail to re-set.  With the upgrade, the Fortress has become a second or kedging anchor which is easily set-able from a dinghy.

Components of the New Ground Tackle

• 44 lb Vulcan anchor made by Rocna
• Fisheries Supply: $383.99 with free shipping
• Mantus S1 universal swivel
• Mantus Anchors: $42 + $5 shipping
• 150' 5/16" HT G4 Acco chain
• Defender: $3.29/ft (saved $175 shipping by purchasing at the Defender store location) 
• 150' 5/8" Nylon 8-plait rope
• KnotandRope.com:  $1.03/ft + $13.87 shipping
• 15' Anchor snubber:
• Made with 25' of the 8-plait rope, 3' of Dyneema Anti-Chafing Sleeve, 5/8" stainless steel thimble, and the Mantus 5/16" chain hook
• Maxwell RC8-8 windlass 5/16" chain to 5/8" rope
• ManVentureOutpost.com: $992.94 + $40.10 shipping

The 44lb Vulcan from Rocna. 

5/16" Acco G-4 chain purchased at Defender.

The Mantus S1 Anchor Swivel.  I originally intended not to use a swivel
but every good quality shackle I tried would hang up on the bow roller.
The Mantus S1 solved this problem and it likely the strongest and most reliable
anchor swivel available.  It is rated stronger that the chain for which Mantus
calls "The Strongest Link in Your Chain". 

The Maxwell RC8-8 windlass installed with the chain pipe over the anchor
locker and the windlass drive and motor over the v-berth in a leak-free installation.

Volcan anchor on bow roller.

Hand spliced 5/8" Nylon snubber with a Mantus
chain hook. The snubber consists of two 12' sections
with loop on one end spliced to a 5' section
 with thimble & chain hook on the other end forming
a "Y" bridal set up. Dyneema sleeves were
installed at the location where the subber pass
through the bow chocks.

About a year after the initial installation, the
non-skid on part of the anchor locker lid had
some wear marks due to chain slap. The wear
 was confined to a small region.  A stainless
steel door push plate (3-1/2" x 16" )purchased
at Home Depot for $10 and installed over the
wear region.   

C&C LANDFALL 38 Hull Number Database

The C&C LANDFALL 38 were first built in 1979 and last built in 1985. Several sources state that about 180 were built, but hull numbers range much higher suggesting that more like 250 were built.  The  LANDFALL 38 were built at C&C's Rhode Island (USA) plant, and as such the hull identifiers start with "CCY" (except for one which was built at C&C's Niagra on the Lake plant which has a hull identifier starting with "ZCC" instead).

An interesting story provides some hints as to why in 1982 the last two hulls from C&C went from # ~160  straight to #229 and thus likely resolves the 180-250 confusion.  Rather than going back, the 1983 production started off with hull #230.  Further support comes from that fact that so far  hull numbers in the range from ~160-228 have not been reported.  For more details "see Golden Handshake".  [UPDATE] With the addition of hull #165 built in 1984 at the Rhode Island plant, it turns out the confusion continues.

 

Hull #	Model Year	note	Vessel	Hailing Port	Owner
001	1979		S/V Cool Change	Portland, Oregon	Frank Noragon
004	1979		S/V Pegasus	Ballard, WA	Doug Mountjoy
009	1979		S/V Oceanis	Bayfield, WI	Fred Street
013	1979		S/V Masala	Wiarton, ON	Jeff Cole
035	1980		S/V 2 C'S	Sausalito, CA	David Clay
040	1980		S/V Allies Galley
068	1980		S/V Nina	St John, VI	Brian Davis
071	1980		S/V Topanga II	Newburyport, MA	Tom Lochhaas
072	1980		S/V Pegathy	Pasadena, Md	Dan Sheer
088	1981		S/V Johanna Rose	Carrabelle, FL	Paul Eugenio
090	1981		S/V Stella Blue	San Francisco, CA	Wally Bryant
106	1981		S/V Interlude	Sheboygan, WI	Michael McGrane
108	1981		S/V Animus	Stuart, FL	John Davenport
115					Jeff
125	1982	destroyed by fire in 2007	Stinky Dog	Davy Jones's Locker	Ray Shibe
136	1982		S/V Adios	Richman, VA	Doug Ludeman
137	1982		S/V Sea Ember	Portmouth, NH	Anonymous
144	1982		S/V Aero Nauti	Anoka, MN	Robert Lingman
149	1982		S/V Anastasia	Richmond, VA	Charles Howe
155	1983		S/V Cassidy's Free	Kingston, Ontario	John Christopher
165	1984		S/V Alegria	Racine, WI	Spencer & Martha Johnson
214	1982	built in Niagara on the Lake	S/V Raft	Midland, ON	Ross & Beverly Joslin
229	1982	built in Niagara on the Lake (see Golden Handshake)	S/V Prime Interest	Toronto, ON	Ed Vanderkruk
230	1983		S/V Rainy Days	Annapolis, MD	Robert Boyer
	1984		S/V Violet Hour	Seattle, WA	Patrick Davin
234	1984		S/V Plan B	St Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia	John Sandford

To update or add to the hull number registry, just leave a information in a comment below.

Windlass Installation

For the last year I have been mulling over the idea of installing a windlass.   I have had my eyes on a Lewmar V2 5/6” G4 as the prices were reasonable ($1.5k) but recently I found the Maxwell RC-8-8 (from my understanding a much better windlass) online for an unbelievable price: $1,048 with free shipping from TheDigitalOasis.com.  This windlass normally goes for about $2k.  So I ordered it, and it shortly arrived in a factory sealed box from Maxwell.  But before ordering,  I called Maxwell support and asked them if there where any problems or plans to replace the RC windlass.  They said that the RC is one of their best devices with no plans to replace the line, but that they were aware of some retailers having aggressive pricing like Defender.

For additional equipment,  I went 150’ 5/16” G4 HT chain, 150’ 5/8” 8-plait nylon rope, Mantus SS swivel,  and 44lb Vulcan anchor.   Also I read good thing about using a 4WD winch controllers on a marine windlass, so I picked up both a wireless remote and wired remote( and socket) winch controllers from amazon. The wireless controller works great but does have a slight delay which the wired controller does not.

Maxwell RC8-8 windlass

MAXWELL RC8-8 SPECIFICATIONS

Model			RC8 8mm - 5/16"
Maximum Pull			600kg 1320lbs
Static Hold			1200kg 2640 lbs
Chain Short Link			8mm 5/16"
Rope Size (3 strand or 8 plait)			14mm-16mm 9/16"- 5/8"
Chain Speed (Normal working load)			32m/min 105ft/min
Rope Speed (Normal working load)			28m/min 92ft/min
Power Supply (DC)			12V
Motor Power			1000W
Net weight DC Low profile version			16.5kg 36.3lbs

Planning

The plans was to install the windlass directly over the bulkhead separating the v-berth and the anchor locker so that the deck chain hole is over the anchor locker whereas the windlass drive hole was over the v-berth.  The advantage of doing it this way is that the windlass motor, drive unit, switching solenoid, and all electrical connections are protected from saltwater and weather.  It turns out that the space between the two holes is almost exactly the width of the bulkhead leaving little to no room for error.

The location of inside bulkhead was transferred to the deck using two strings.  Within the v-berth access, a string was stretched from the center of a bow cleat bolt to the center of the opposite bow cleat bolt, one string topside and the other inside (see picture below).  An identical string was stretched on the deck from the tops of the same two cleat bolts.  Measurements along the string and perpendicular to the string where easily transferred from inside to topside.  This allowed for a somewhat precise determination of the bulkhead location which was drawn in pencil onto deck.  The Maxwell mounting template was placed by aligning it fore & aft so that the bulkhead was aligned with the template gap between the two hole cutouts. The port & starboard location (i.e. direction along the string) was determined by aligning a straight rode from the left bow roller with the rode location as indicated on the mounting template.

A view from within the v-berth, a string was
stretched from the center of a bow cleat 
bolt to the center of the opposite bow cleat 
bolt.  Measurements along the string and 
perpendicular to the string can be easily 
transferred from inside to topside.

RC8-8 deck cutout & holes details. Note: the cutout marked
as "B" is not required unless one plans to connect a chain
link counter.

Final placement of the mounting template.  Also shown is the
topside alignment string and a tape with a center line indicating
the proper parallel rode direction coming from the left bow roller. 

Drilling holes in the Deck

Measure many times, and cut holes once became the crucial plans.

Chain hole was drilled with a slight
angle from aft to fore.  

Partial hole as seen from inside anchor
locker looking up.

Drilled hole into anchor locker

Preparing for cutting the windlass drive hole.

View of the roller furler from
v-berth up through the windlass
drive hole. 

Dry Fitting the Windlass

Deck placement of the windlass.

A view of the chain drop hole aligning
with the windlass during the dry fit.

Dry fit of windlass without drive unit. 

Dry fit of windlass with drive unit.  

The forward bolt hole interfered with the
anchor locker bulkhead. Part of the
bulkhead was carved out to provide room
for the mounting bolt, nut, and washer.
This areas was later sealed with epoxy.

Dry fit of windlass with drive unit.  A 

little bit (~3/16"x2"x2") of  the bulkhead was removed 

with a Dremel sanding drum out to provide

 clearance for drive unit. This areas was 

later sealed with epoxy.

Sealing the Deck Core

Removing/Reaming the balsa coring with a Dremel sanding drum.

Over sized bolt holes were first
wetted with epoxy, filled epoxy
thickened with colloidal silica,
and after curing, redrilled to
proper size.

Sealed coring with first an application of wetted epoxy before
filling reamed area with epoxy thickened with colloidal silica .

East System epoxy and colloidal silica
obtained from Noah's Marine.

Mounting the windlass

Deck masking for easy removal of excess
sealant.   

After masking the windlass outside and chain drop inside, lots
of sealant was applied for the deck mount.  An abundance of sealant
is needed to provide a watertight seal so that water does not enter
into the v-berth.   A paper towel & white tape was used to cover 
the Super-Lube greased drive shaft during installation so that no
grease contaminated the sealant surfaces.

Windlass motor and drive unit.

Install without the backing plate initially to set the sealant
and form a nice gasket seal. 

Installed with 3/4"epoxy sealed marine plywood backing plate.
The backing plate also provides mounting surface for the
solenoid switch junction box.

Electrical Wiring

I originally planned to use 0 AWG battery cable, but ordered 1 AWG.  To get a better than 0 AWG equivalent, I added 4 AWG in parallel for the long runs to the solenoid switch.

Windlass wiring schematic

The switching solenoid unit .

Working installation.

Finishing the Installation

Reinstalling the v-berth headliner.

V-berth with windlass cover box. Bottom panel has a vent
to promote airflow and easy inspection.

Feeding 150' of 5/16" G4 HT chain.   A future plan
includes mounting a stainless steel protective sheet
under the chain run of the anchor locker lid.

Several months after installing the windlass
and stainless steel plate was add to the anchor
locker lid at the location of greatest chain wear.

Remote Windlass Controls

I am not a big fan of the commonly used foot switches for controlling a windlass.  Not only does it mean cutting additional unnecessary holes in the deck, these switches are know to fail due to the harsh saltwater environment.   Instead I chose to install a wireless remote system commonly sold for off-road vehicles (Trucks, Jeeps, ATV).  These systems are standardized, pretty robust, easy to install, and amazingly affordable at under $15 Amazon Prime.  The unit I purchased came with a standard hand-held remote and a second mini keyring remote.  To install connect 4 wire: red & black for 12V power and white & yellow for up & down control.  A 5th wire is the antenna for the remote box.

I carelessly dropped the remote overboard during my first week of use and retrieved it as it remained floating.  A quick fresh water rinse and all was fine. UPDATE: After 5 years of use, the wireless remote system remains working perfectly.  Since the first drop overboard, I have been more careful and have not done so again.  The remote works from anywhere on the boat (50ft range claim).  I often use it single-handing from the cockpit to the bow.  I cannot say enough good things about it.  6 out of 5 Stars.

DC 12V Black Wireless 50FT Remote Control Kit for Car Truck Jeep ATV Winch Tuff Stuff keychain remote Warn Ramsey Gorilla Bulldog Latest Long range model Indicator light Universal as listed on Amazon for $14.49.

As a back up, I installed a CSI W130 Winch Remote and CSI CSIW261 Remote Control Socket.  The socket was installed in the v-berth.  To operate, the wired remote is led out to the bow through the v-berth hatch.  I have used it one to test it out and have not need to use it since.  Ironically, the wired system cost me $20 more than the wireless system.  I view the extra as insurance.

   

The above photo show the CSI socket and the CSI W130 Wired Winch Remote with 12' cable.