On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:40:55 -0400, Larry wrote:

Now, you can pay out
more rode or wind it in by moving the old furler's control switch on-off-
on back in the center cockpit (half naked in the middle of the night when
a storm unexpectedly rears its ugly head, for instance.

That's convenient for sure, but you should *really* use a hook line on
the anchor chain to off load the strain on the windlass when anchored.
The windlass bearings and seals are not designed to withstand cyclic
and/or shock loads, and will fail prematurely if exposed to that kind
of wear and tear.

Don't ask me how I know. :-)