On Mon, 7 Mar 2011 11:38:52 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

"Waldo" wrote in message
eb.com...
"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
anews.com...
"Frogwatch" wrote in message
...
OK, I have not hauled my anchor in the last 6 months but then it was
not too hard (28' 8000lb boat). Am I missing something? Does hauling
the anchor (slowly) get that much harder as one gets older (I am 55).
Generally, I haul her in slowly allowing the boats momentum to do most
of the work until the rode is vertical. That is when it requires a
bit of pull. I also use 1/2" nylon rode with 30' of chain so I am not
hauling all chain.
Does it get that much harder with a larger boat?
In place of a windlass, why not mount an old manual winch on the bow
and use it to help haul it in?



If you find yourself actually needing an anchor windlass then it should
tell you that what you really need is a smaller boat with smaller ground
tackle. Or, you might need to examine your technique. If you can't brute
force something perhaps you can finesse it - like using the displacement
of your hull to break the anchor free or reducing the chain length or
using the (heaven forbid) the auxiliary. Just a thought.


Wilbur Hubbard


A windlass is standard equipment on all serious boats, but as you say, a
day sailor like yours can make do without one.



Windlass = big electrical consumption = big motor with big alternator or =
big, stand-alone generator = big wiring = big battery bank = big weight =
big expense = big complications = big nuisance = big headache, etc. Is that
what sailing is supposed to be all about?

Waldo, the biggest part of the discussion here concerns aging sailors. There
comes a time when we MUST recognize the limitations that age imposes upon
us. In the case of ground tackle, the limitations are mostly due to a
reduced capacity in the aged to handle heavy weights. Sure, a windlass can
substitute but what happens when the windlass fails? Then the aged sailor is
stuck with no viable options often in dangerous situations. Would it not be
better to avoid danger than ask for it?

That's exactly what I was thinking... what happens if it fails...
mechanical and electrical things fail all the time, sometimes because
of your own stupidity (like, ummm... running out of gas) or because
there's a flaw or it wears out. What if something gets jammed in it? I
don't really think this is so much an age thing as it is a brains
thing. I know some pretty tough people in their 60's and 70's.


Would it not be wise for aged sailors to consider downsizing? Is it not more
gratifying to sail something one can still handle instead of being at the
mercy of systems that often fail at the worst possible times?

Just a thought. This bigger is better attitude is just plain stupid.

I think if everyone downsized a little bit, this would be a better
place to live. Do we really need all those SUVs on the road??