Anchor Paraphernalia

[Hermit Scott]

"For similar reasons, a chain stop or other solution should be in place to guarantee the anchor is retained home once it is retrieved – tension from the windlass should not be relied upon for this.
A devil's claw is an alternative to a chain stop and emulates most of its functions, but it is not 'automatic' in the way that a chain stop is when the finger is present, by allowing chain to be retrieved but not let out (a non-return mechanism). " Rocna site

I was talking about a one way mechanism that would help with retrieving the anchor. After all this discussion on these multiple anchor posts, I don't think I will actually need one. They seem to be more important on a bigger boat, especially with all chain and a huge anchor.
Craig- do you recommend going up in size for a Rocna?

 

[Craig Smith]

You use the chain stop for retrieving the anchor too; pull up as much chain as you can until the windlass starts complaining, then release a little chain back - the stop will grab it, whereupon you can use the boat to power out the anchor without worrying about damaging the windlass.

Don't rely on the windlass, even on smaller boats, they are not designed to take that sort of load.

Craig- do you recommend going up in size for a Rocna?

Rocna's sizing is a lot more conservative than most manufacturers, and generally the answer to your question would be no. That said, what I recommend is studying the recommendations and how they're made, making sure you don't compare sizes across different manufacturers, and then making your own decision.

For Rocna's part, here is the info behind their sizing: www.rocna.com/kb/Rocna_sizing_recommendations