I recently added another winch to Arriba, which got me thinking about winches...
Full writeup and photos here:
blog.arribasail.com/2014/03/tech-wonder-of-winches.html
Andersen winches?? Yes!! Pretty much the best you can buy.
Unless it is an anchor winch or we are on a 100 ft mega yacht, why would anybody bugger up a perfectly good winch with an electric motor??
I gotta say, I absolutely LOVE my electric winch. You can't beat the convenience & safety when you're light handed or single handed - which I often am. In fact, I'd say it's right up there with having an autopilot.
Also, previously I didn't even have a winch at the helm - IMO, bad design. Anyway, previously it meant going to the mast every time to raise a halyard or reef. Even with a winch at the helm, grinding on a manual winch while keeping pointed into the wind is easier said than done. Now, I can do everything at the helm easily, including reefing.
And yes I agree that Andersen winches are beauties.
