On Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:25:28 -0500, " Sir Gregory Hall, Esq·"
åke wrote:

"Bert van den Berg" wrote in message
eb.com...
As far as manual windlasses are concerned..... yesterday I watched (and
heard) a manual windlass in action. The conditions were perfect, hardly
any wind but it took the poor fellow almost ten minutes to bring up his
anchor. The sailboat was around 35 feet long and the depth was also about
35 feet.

In my opinion an electric windlass is as much a safety feature as well as a
great convenience. If the weather had suddenly turned or the boat was
dragging anchor or someone else was dragging anchor and about to collide
with the 35 footer above I think the poor guy above would have been hurting.

With an electric windlass you don't really have to think twice about
re-anchoring elsewhere or dropping anchor at one spot only for a bit of a
dive or other temporary activity. With a manual windlass (or none) you
would think twice about doing same.

My two cents worth...


====================[reply}==================

And, two cents is about all your comments are worth because
your comments assume electric windlasses will work each and
every time. Too bad that is not the case. Ergo, this thread.

Like any other electrical system, electrical windlasses can and
do fail with great regularity and assuming they will always pull
the fat out of the fire, so to speak, is a disaster waiting to happen.

Your attitude indicates laziness, ignorance and overreliance
upon technology which technology remains unreliable and should
not be taken for granted, especially when safety and lives are at
stake.

Your rationale is tantamount to that of a diesel motor sailor who
takes a chance on motoring into untenable conditions because
he views his motor as infallible and thus takes chances he
would not normally take. When he ends up on the rocks because
of his attitude does he blame himself? No, he blames the motor.

The very same thing can be said about relying upon electric
windlasses on small, recreational sailboats.

Get a clue before you end up being the object of a maritime
rescue.


More glorious words of wisdom from the armchair sailor.
--
Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok