Selecting an anchor winch/windlass

An anchor winch (also commonly referred to as a "windlass") is a small machine to automatically retreive your anchor. It's also sometimes referred to as a "wife's arm saver".

There are two types of winches: horizontal and vertical. Here's a brief summary of each:

Vertical Winches

Vertical winches are the most popular winches. They are lighter, take up less space, and are easy to install. The gear and motor are also normally installed under the deck which provides for more protection from the elements. Also, the rode wraps 180 degrees around the "gypsy" allowing the winch to operate more tightly and subsequently, more smoother. So what's the problem? Vertical winches require more room for your rode to "fall" which can be problematic in some boats. How much fall required should be specified by the manufacturer, but normally it's around 1 foot (Photos courtesy of Lewmar).

Horizontal Winches

Boaters generally choose horizontal winches over vertical winches for one of two reasons: they don't have enough "fall" room or they like the design. All the mechanics of horizontal winches sit above the deck, exposing themselves to all of the elements. If you have the option of installing a vertical winch, do it. However, horizontal winches are still a huge upgrade over sheer arm strength!

Which Winch?

When selecting a winch, there's three things to consider: the length of your boat, the anchoring conditions, and the weight of your anchor and rode. Winches are generally rated in terms of maximum pulling power and just how much power you need depends on these three factors.

Most winch manufacturers will provide some sort of chart specifying which winch you need in regards to the length of your boat.

The next two factors, anchoring conditions and the weight of your rode & anchor are accounted for in the following equation:

[Weight of your rode + weight of your anchor] x 3 = Required Pulling Strength

Basically, your winch needs to be able to pull at least three times the weight of both your anchor and rode (the rode includes the rope and chain, if applicable). We multiply by three to account for wind, tides, and some margin of safety. So for a setup involving a 27 lbs claw anchor and 60 lbs of weight in rode, your required pulling strength will need to be at least 261 lbs ([27+60]x3).

For safety reasons, manufacturers generally recommend that the maximum pulling strength of the winch should be at least three times this required pulling strength. So in other words, for our setup of a 27 lbs anchor and 60 lbs of rode, you need a winch with a maximum pulling strength of 783 lbs (261 x 3). Of course, most manufacturers want you to buy the most expensive winch possible, so take this number with a grain of salt.

Vertical Winch
Horizonal Anchor Winch

Horizontal Winch

Price, Bow Rollers, Automation, and Installation

A few other points to consider:

As a very rough estimate, your average quality winch is going to retail for around $600 for a boat up to 35' in length. Welcome to the world of boating.
The anchor will need somewhere to rest while not in use,and your rode will need to be guided to the windlass. This means you will need a bow roller of some sort if you don't already have one. Windline is probably the most popular manufacturer of bow rollers. A bow roller is going to be in the $150-250 range but occasionally some good deals come on eBay or Craiglists (we're also looking at bringing some in for the 08' season).
Some of the winches come with "free fall" switches which automatically release the anchor, saving you from climbing up to the bow.
These are eletrical units meaning they need to be wired when installed. It's fairly simple if you're at all famaliar with wiring, but nevertheless, its something to keep in mind.