noelex
Well-known member
The big advantage of an electric anchor winch is that if something is not quite right with the chosen spot, it is very easy to move.
The other bonus is that there is no difference handling a big or small anchor so there is little incentive to skimp on ground tackle.
The downside is the potential lack of reliability of anything electrical on a boat. Good installation (protecting the motor and gearbox from salt water and good wiring) go a long way to reducing the risk of problems. Learn how to bypass the solenoids and have a couple of independent switches (say a wired and wireless remote) and you are very unlikely to have any problems, especially with good brands like Lighthouse, Muir and Maxwell.
It still pays to have a back up plan. Most (not all) electrical winches are very poor in manual mode. Fortunately, yachts have powerful manual winches installed as standard. While they are designed for sail loads, with a couple of snatch blocks and chain hooks that usually works well in a back up situation. The best option is usually to use two winches alternating port and starboard. It is worth sorting out the best system and hardware needed beforehand.
The other bonus is that there is no difference handling a big or small anchor so there is little incentive to skimp on ground tackle.
The downside is the potential lack of reliability of anything electrical on a boat. Good installation (protecting the motor and gearbox from salt water and good wiring) go a long way to reducing the risk of problems. Learn how to bypass the solenoids and have a couple of independent switches (say a wired and wireless remote) and you are very unlikely to have any problems, especially with good brands like Lighthouse, Muir and Maxwell.
It still pays to have a back up plan. Most (not all) electrical winches are very poor in manual mode. Fortunately, yachts have powerful manual winches installed as standard. While they are designed for sail loads, with a couple of snatch blocks and chain hooks that usually works well in a back up situation. The best option is usually to use two winches alternating port and starboard. It is worth sorting out the best system and hardware needed beforehand.