You are missing the main point...arthritis. This is a disease that can
cripple your hand...I know...my hands are slowly slipping away. Therefore,
the windless is a necessity to safe boating and not a toy. On my trip to
Venezuela, I saw all kinds of screwups by people who professed to be good
boaters. I just wanted to point out that, it is paramount to control your
boat at all times during this critical phase of movement. How many times
have I seen the wife driving the boat through the anchorage with the anchor
dragging the mud while the husband is struggling on deck to hand pull up the
chain. It is paramount to get that anchor up and stowed...QUICKLY. If your
health is so poor that you can't get the rode and anchor up by hand, make
the investment...manual or electric. We can get into all kinds of "what if"
here...this is just one of the most common I have encountered. It is just
not a good idea to toss out a bad idea where bad boater can try it out. You
sound like a good boater
As to your problem about breaking out the anchor in the last few feet,
I cleat the chain and slowly drive over the anchor to break it out.
Bruce
Bruce:

Same thing could happen if you were pullin up the anchor by hand or
even with a windlass. In fact, windlasses I have seen are damned
slow.

My real intention was to break the anchor the last few feet when it is
really stuck. I rarely anchor by other ppl anyway.

What happens if Bruce's windlass fuse blows ath a critical moment? My
system aint got any fuses so seems more reliable. I dont consider a
windlass to be proper equipment, its just another gadget waitin to
fail.

John Hancock wrote in message . ..
On 14 Oct 2003 06:26:37 -0700, (Parallax)
wrote:

here is USELESS IDEA #3721:

A Gibbs Ascender

I have used ascenders (Jumars) for mountain climbing. They are not
devices that will stand up to corrosive salt water.

I used to use a line to one of my big winches. I have about 20 feet
of deck between the anchor roller and the primary. I would grab my
all-chain rode with a chain hook attached to a line. I'd haul in 20
feet of rode; tie it off with another chain hook; take another grab;
and haul in another 20 feet. My big 2 speed primary easily lifted the
all-chain rode and 66 pound Bruce anchor. It was easier than using my
manual windlass.
Then I installed a big electric Maxwell windlass. The winches will
still work if I have a windlass failure. The windlass has worked
flawlessly. It hardly seems to notice the weight of the rode and
anchor.
Here is the BIG thing: If I set the anchor a few yards from where I
want it, I have no hesitation about re-setting it.


Be serious, I wouldnt use standard Jumars or Gibbs, but a specially
made unit.

In response to a previous answer about the system failing while being
hauled up and anchor dragging: I worry about my anchor draging when I
am pulling in by hand and I get to short scope. So: Normally, I
anchor with two anchors, when I pull in the first one, I put it on
deck beside me ready to deploy if the 2nd drags when I am pulling it
in.

Hancocks method with the hook to his all chain rode is sorta what I
describe.