On 13 Jun 2006 19:43:57 -0400, Marc Auslander
wrote:

On the other hand, it appears that these days
every power boat more than 15 feet long has a power windlass
controlled from the helm :-)

Darn right, and if I ever own another sail boat it will have the same.

There is no substitute for weight if you want an anchor that sets
quickly and reliably, and if you believe that, you will need a
windlass.