A few years after I started cruising, I started thinking about a
windlass. Not so much for raising the
anchor, but for breaking it free, and setting it.
I found an old 2 speed sheet
winch at a swap meet for $50, and mounted it on the bow.
Besides being able to break an
anchor loose if needed, I mainly used it for settind a second anchor.
At the time I was using 2 danforth anchors, and would set them so the rodes were 90 deg. apart.
I would lower the first anchor, and back down in the direction where I was going to set the second anchor. Then I would let out an extra 50% of
rode.
Then
motor over to where I wanted the second anchor, and lower that one, and let a lot of
rode out without setting the anchor, falling back on the first anchor.
Then pull in the extra 50% of the first rode. Then start pulling in the second rode, untill the
boat is between the anchors, With the first rode cleated off, I would wrap the second around the
winch and winch it tight, which would set the second anchor, and pull on the first one as well. I would let the
boat sit like this a few minutes to let the anchors dig in more, Then slack off both rodes to where there was about 90 degrees between them.
This came in handy numerous times when I wanted to anchor under sail for one reason or another. Drop sail, and lower first anchor. Fall back and let
wind alone partially set anchor. Let out extra rode. Raise
jib and sail off to one side, and drop second ancho, and procede to set as above.
It allways worked good.
I since found an
electric windlass and like it even better.