Hmmmm, an electric windlass that is much more prone to failure than headsets and is much more of a problem when it fails vs a manual windlass that is certainly significantly more reliable than an electric one. When the headsets fail, we can switch to hand signals. What to do when the electric windlass fails? The manual option on most windlasses is pretty limited.
I had absolutely zero problems using my Seatiger 555 manual windlass with my Mantus 65 pound anchor in 6 years of full time cruising. But I see and read about electric windlass failures often.
Hmmmmm, that's really a pretty funny post. Every electric windlass I've ever used has a manual back up that leaves one with exactly the same option that anyone with a manual windlass has all the time. You just stick the bar in the slots (holes, depending on the windlass), push, pull and whee, up comes the anchor, all be it a bit more slowly than with electricity. And, needless to say, manual windlasses can fail, too, and then where's the back up for that; gene winches, I guess.
As we are a charter boat, sometimes anchoring as many as three times a day, from your post it would seem we are much overdo for our windlass to break down, which it has never once done in over 4 years of almost daily use. However, we do maintain it, checking the electrical connections for corrosion, dismantling and lubing it a few times a year and keeping it clean w/fresh water once in a while.
Like so much equipment aboard boats, I think you'll find that those who do regular maintenance on their gear have much less trouble than those who don't. There is absolutly no reason at all for an electric windlass to fail on a well maintained vessel.
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