Yes, in the course of my initial research (long-timers here know of my
compulsion to know what I'm about before I set out to spend any
significant boat bux), we looked at them. I no longer recall the
reason we discarded them - whether configuration (we want vertical
windlass gypsy and capstan) or cost, we elected to choose from several
others.

Skip, I admire your tenacity and wish you well on your cruise but I
can't help but give you a couple of cautionary tales. You may need to
do a reliability and risk analysis for your key systems, and guage the
impact that failure of a sub-system will have on your voyage. Unless
you plan on staying docked at marinas most of the time, your anchor and
windlass are some of the most important gear on board. Think about the
difficulty of repairing/replacing precision machinery in the boondocks.
Think about the difficulty of pulling your anchor and chain by hand.
Think about the root cause of failure in your old windlass. Did you
disassemble and examine the inards? I had a 1500 on my old boat which
failed after a couple of seasons doing weekend boating, and was
appalled at what I found inside. These windlasses look beautiful when
new and perform well for a while, but they are not built to withstand
the rigors of constant, hard usage. That may be the reason why they
are less expensive than some other brands. Mine failed from a leaking
seal on the main shaft, which allowed salt spray into a gear box which
can only be described as rivaling a Swiss watch in delicacy and
complexity.