• LUCZORAMA SHIPWRECK SCAVENGER HUNT GIVEAWAY. 4 Weeks of Fun • 1 Legendary Prize ((OcCre’s Fram Ship)) • Global Crew Welcome!
    **VIEW THREAD HERE**

Windlass help ?

M

Martin By Eye

Joined
Mar 11, 2024
Messages
68
Points
78

Hello, can anyone give me any info on this small manual windlass, American around 1870-1890 , please? Make possibly? Works with a crank or a crossbeam ?Schooner_America windlass.jpg
 
Picture is pretty small but that might be a steam windlass. There is an lever that could be for a clutch or brake. However, there doesn't seem to be arms or sockets in line with the shaft that would be expected on a manual winch. Perhaps the lighter colored spot at about 1:00 indicates a socket for an arm. I hope we hear from those with more expertise. Fair winds!
 
AndyA said:
Picture is pretty small but that might be a steam windlass. There is an lever that could be for a clutch or brake. However, there doesn't seem to be arms or sockets in line with the shaft that would be expected on a manual winch. Perhaps the lighter colored spot at about 1:00 indicates a socket for an arm. I hope we hear from those with more expertise. Fair winds!
Click to expand...
Thank's for replying. This is on the America after refitting , a racing yacht, so, no steam. Clutch maybe , as there is both wildcat(gipsy) and drum , allthough i don't really see the point in a hand machine . I really wish to know the probable cranking mechanism , a double handed beam as seems common practise at the time, or a rotary hand crank
 
ROUGHLY MARTIN said:
This is on the America after refitting , a racing yacht, so,
Click to expand...
If you contact the New York Yacht Club they may be able to help you as they were intimately involved with her when built and have had several professionally built models of her. The book The Yacht America by Winfield Thompson could very well have this kind of information as well. The model room at the NYYC is a must for anyone visiting NY City as there are hundreds of models spanning nearly 200 years.
Allan
1737144009462.png

​

 
AllanKP69 said:
If you contact the New York Yacht Club they may be able to help you as they were intimately involved with her when built and have had several professionally built models of her. The book The Yacht America by Winfield Thompson could very well have this kind of information as well. The model room at the NYYC is a must for anyone visiting NY City as there are hundreds of models spanning nearly 200 years.
Allan
View attachment 495719

​

Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply, Allan. I'm sure the book is great , but average cost is about ten times the cost of building my model so that's why i'm here. If i can't find any info i'll just wing it, i'm not entering any competitions.
 
Following the Civil War that ended in 1865, America was acquired by the ex Civil War General Benjamin F. Butler, who did race her. This included an unsuccessful attempt to Defend the America’s Cup. In those days multiple defenders took part in the races. This happened during the 1870-1880 time frame of interest. Sometime after that she was donated to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD. where she was allowed to decay until she collapsed in 1943. It is my understanding that records rom her final days are held by the Navy. I would email both the Naval Academy Museum and the Naval Historical Command.

Roger
 
Your period of interest was a period of rapid industrialization in the USA, particularly in the New England States. Among other manufactured items were many patented windlasses, made necessary by the adoption of chain anchor cables.

The most famous of the companies organized to manufacture these was the Hyde Windlass Company. But there were many others. Fortunately, the US Govt. has digitized patent applications made after 1830. Google windlass patents. My belief is that the windlass in the photo is one of these patented ones.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
Your period of interest was a period of rapid industrialization in the USA, particularly in the New England States. Among other manufactured items were many patented windlasses, made necessary by the adoption of chain anchor cables.

The most famous of the companies organized to manufacture these was the Hyde Windlass Company. But there were many others. Fortunately, the US Govt. has digitized patent applications made after 1830. Google windlass patents. My belief is that the windlass in the photo is one of these patented ones.

Roger
Click to expand...
Thank you very much , Roger, for putting me on the right track. It is indeed the period after the refit commanded by Benjamin Butler that interests me. She was skippered at that time by James H. Reid, my namesake, which is what led me to this project . To my mind she was at her most beautiful at this point in her life, and i already have a small 1/140 model of her original 1851 trim , with what seems to be a Perley 1850 windlass. Almost all the patents seem to to be run on a reciprocating beam action (i only saw one with an orbital crank , older and much larger) I will try the navy as a last gest, but i think i will go with what i have
 
Thank you very much to Roger who has put me on the right track, and all other contributors. :)
It is indeed the period after the refit commanded by Benjamin Butler that interests me. She was skippered at that time by James H. Reid, my namesake, which is what led me to this project . To my mind she was at her most beautiful at this point in her life, and i already have a small 1/140 model of her original 1851 trim , with what seems to be a Perley 1850 windlass. Almost all the patents seem to to be run on a reciprocating beam action (i only saw one with an orbital crank , older and much larger) I will try the navy as a last gest, but i think i will go with what i have
 
A book was recently published about America’s demise. Its title is The Last Days of the Schooner America. You can find it on Amazon, but I don’t know about availability in France. I have neither seen nor read the book but it got very good reviews.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
A book was recently published about America’s demise. Its title is The Last Days of the Schooner America. You can find it on Amazon, but I don’t know about availability in France. I have neither seen nor read the book but it got very good reviews.

Roger
Click to expand...
Thanks, i managed to drag out a couple more photo's from the review, every little helps !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top