96 Carver 355 AC Windless

[williamnugent]

Can anyone help me with this one?
I'm new to boating now completing my first season with a '96 Aft Cabin. Last weekend, while retrieving some excess anchor line, a snarl jammed the flywheel of the Maxwell RC 80 WINDLESS. I immediately lost power to my control circuit (helm and foot switches). The circuit diagram shows a 3 amp fuse/breaker in that circuit. I've torn the boat apart and can't find that breaker or in-line fuse. Does anyone have any thoughts as to where to look. The most obvious place (with the battery selector switch) has a place for a WINDLESS reset button, but no button.
Thanks,
Bill Nugent

[tomschauer]

Bill, my 355 has a "push/ Pull" breaker under the step next to the battery switches. Pull it out and push it back in to reset. If I have a control fuse, I hope it never blows because I have no idea where it is.

[mjk1040]

Well, If you checked the anchor locker and no breaker, go to the seat in front of the helm and check the breaker panel there under the seat and back toward the helm. If no luck there take the back rest off that same seat and remove the helm panel and see if there is any thing inline with the helm control switch for the windless. Our '98 355 AC has the windless breaker in the battery switch box as you said there was a place for but was not there. Mike

[Dewmyster]

Look again in the rope locker. I had the same issue and looked for days. Was ready to buy a new circuit breaker. Finally with the help of a mirror and flash flight found the inline 3 amp fuse in the locker behind the motor! Good Luck.

[mjk1040]

Dew! that makes the most sense, right next to the windless motor. Mike

[williamnugent]

We'll, a sincere thank you to all of you that replied. After insuring that the solenoid and motor had power, and that the motor stilled worked (and hearing that a stupid 3amp in-line fuse still may be hiding in the anchor locker). I eventually found it above the motor.
Who'd have thought they'd stick something like that there.
Obviously I've got a lot to learn about the boating mentality.

[mjk1040]

Great! Say you may want to take the top part of the windless off, remove the clutch and see why it knotted up in the first place. Mine did that and the two internal parts were broken and in pieces. There's a stripper and a tensioner in there and if they are bad or broken you will continue to knot up all the time. I also replaced the all rope rode that had bad frayed spots in it. Mike