Manual or electric windlass?

[Koeketiene]

There is a fair bit of heavy cabling required with an electric (or dedicated battery) and generally you need to run your engine when weighing) and what do you do if engine or battery fails?

Most modern electric windlasses can also be operated manually.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

Most modern electric windlasses can also be operated manually.

Yes, used that once when we blue a fuse with a trapped chain. A manual winch isn't any better than pulling in by hand, we rarely anchored before, last three years since we went electric we've anchored whenever we can, makes it an absolute doddle.

 

[Poignard]

I have a 28-foot yacht with a 35 lb CQR and 65metres of chain.

I have had a Lofrans Royale manual windlass for several years . Most of the time I don't find any particular difficulty getting the anchor without using the windlass. Sometimes it's a help breaking the anchor out but, apart from that, it's rarely used because it's very slow.

I wouldn't want an electric windlass because: (a) they're expensive to buy and install; (b) I'd have to run the engine to use it; (c) I don't need one (yet).