Hi, and Welcome to CF!
To take a shot at your windlass question, here's my $0.02 worth.
1st,
Definitely get one which has a warping drum that you can operate independently from the chain's wildcat. And IMO, the best
route to go for such, is with a vertical windlass.
Especially as with a vertical windlass, it'll let you put a line on it/pull, from 360, thus greatly increasing the windlass's versatility & utility.
2nd. You need one with a minimum pull of 3x the weight of your heaviest ground tackle combination. And if it's not too much more
money, go up a size from there.
3rd. You want something which has a
remote (my preference being for such a device which operates via a wire, not a
radio link). And also that the windlass allows you to operate it via a
remote foot switch should you so desire.
If you're dead set on a
Lewmar, go with one of their V series
Vertical Windlasses
From talking with Evans Starzinger, he & Beth had a Lewmar V5 on Hawk for a good while, before they
sold her. Which is a pretty good endorsement IMO.
That said, my personal preference would be for a Vertical
Maxwell. One with the features described above, and which doesn't have an integral chain pipe. So that it can be mounted aft of the chain locker. Specifically, it's drive
motor.
Thus, the
motor doesn't live in that constantly damp
environment, & it also would be positioned where it would be impossible for it to get splashed via errant waves or submersions via the hawse, when the bow is plunging up & down through the
water.
That, & with a windlass thusly configured, it makes the windlass a bit easier to mount a little further aft on the
boat. To assist in helping to keep as much weight as possible out of the bow.
In addition to, of course, Maxwell's multi-decade reputation for quality &
reliability.
Ah, & for the
record, were it me, I'd use 6mm (HT G40/G43 chain) on a boat that size. It's stronger than,, definitely lighter, & cheaper than 8mm PC or BBB when comparing WLL's.
That is, of course, unless your boat weighs 10t, & it thus requires 8mm chain.
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