Went with a vertical capstan/chain
gypsy windlass. Wanted the ability to use the windlass to help kedge off when I run aground as well as other times when needing serious pull on a line. Went with vertical because you don't have to worry about having a fairlead and getting overides. The vertical also takes up way less deck realestate.
The first time I had occasion to use the
winch, the capstan paid off handsomely. Backed myself into a corner when the
engine wouldn't start and ran aground on a rapidly falling tide, rowed out the kedge anchor and tensioned the
rode to twist the boat away from a boulder that could have done damage to the
hull, left the tension on the rode and waited for the tide to come back in. Woke up in the morning floating nicely. To do that with a horizontal windlass, would have had to rig a block which would have been a BIG problem to get a fair lead to the windlass.
I used to be a big fan of manual windlasses but going out
diving off a friends 30,000 pound boat convinced me otherwise. We anchored and reanchored 6 times in an afternoon looking for the ideal dive spot. He essentially used his large boat like we would a
dinghy because of the electric windlass.
Single handing, the electric windlass is great. I can retrieve the anchor while conning the boat from the
cockpit. Saved my butt when the
wind came up overnight and would have been nearly impossible to retrieve the anchor with a
manual windlass without ending up against a bulkhead.
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