Anchor Chain Prep Turns Into Full Windlass Refit! | Sailing Roam EP64
EP64 of Sailing Roam is full of surprises! What started as prepping the anchor chain became a complete windlass replacement. Watch Geri and Shawn clean, repair, and upgrade their cruising catamaran in this hands-on refit episode.
After nearly 18 months of refit work, it was finally time to tackle one of the last untouched systems on our sailboat refit: the windlass and chain locker, all in preparation for a shiny new anchor chain. In this episode, we dig into inspecting our existing windlass and gypsy to see if they were still serviceable—or if repair, maintenance, or full replacement was unavoidable. What we found was worse than expected, and honestly a little scary: the windlass was in such poor condition that we’re lucky it hadn’t failed on us already.
As Shawn wrestled with removing the windlass, we uncovered another major issue hiding in plain sight—a rotten wood bulkhead inside the chain locker. Years of rust, dirt, and debris from the old galvanized anchor chain had turned the chain locker into a filthy, neglected space. Geri took on the big cleanup job, sanding and cleaning the chain locker down to bare surfaces, while Shawn cut out the rotten bulkhead entirely.
To make sure this problem never comes back, we replaced the failed wood with Coosa board, a rot-proof composite material ideal for marine environments. We tabbed the Coosa in with fiberglass, creating a strong, permanent structural repair. After the glass work cured, Geri sanded the resin drips, applied epoxy primer, and finished the space with bilge coat paint. The transformation is incredibly satisfying—watching a grimy, rust-stained chain locker become a clean, bright, and beautiful space again.
The locker is now fully prepped and ready to receive new anchor chain… just as soon as the new windlass arrives. This episode is a perfect example of refit life: one project leads to another, unexpected problems surface, and in the end the boat is safer, stronger, and better than before.
If you enjoy sailboat refits, anchoring systems, windlass repairs, chain locker rebuilds, and real-world cruising prep, this episode is for you.
00:00 Short intro
00:13 Channel intro
00:32 Remove windlass
12:01 Clean out chain locker
12:58 Sand chain locker
17:31 Clean out rotten wood
20:43 Replace wood with Coosa
25:00 Prime and Paint
27:36 Wrap up
27:58 Like, subscribe, BYE!
28:20 End Card
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WE'RE GERI AND SHAWN. A couple travelers out chasing the horizon, meeting the people, and capturing it to share with you.
We’ve chosen to Roam the world by boat because, let’s face it, the most interesting path is rarely a straight line.
As we learn to let go of our American drive to finish, and embrace the meandering routes across islands, oceans, continents, and people, we hope to gain a better sense of our world and our place in it.
The path won’t always be comfortable or easy to find but, it will always #roam
#SailingLife #BoatRefit #SailboatMaintenance #CruisingLife #Rigging #DIYBoatProjects #SailingCouple #SailboatRestoration #LiveaboardLife
© Sailing Roam 2026
Sailing Roam
👋 Hi, we’re Geri 👩🏻⚕️(a retired nurse) and Shawn 🤓 (a not retired technologist). We’ve gone on the greatest adventure of our lives instead of living the comfortable and predictable suburban world we left behind. Living aboard Roam, our cruising catamaran, we explore and immerse ourselves in new cultures, do boat repairs in exotic places, and get up to all kinds of shenanigans. Roam isn’t just the name of our boat, it’s kind of a philosophy. We’re not taking the shortest routes or using a formula to sail around the world. We’re not in a hurry either. We’re meeting the people, seeing the places and getting distracted by things we find interesting along the way. We’re unconventional and we’re living the best life we can imagine! Join us as we turn our 11-year old catamaran into our perfect adventure platform and see what’s over the next horizon. We can’t wait to meet you wherever you are! Clamptite Tools link: https://clamptitetools.com/?sld=syroam 10% discount: gerischaffer10
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