The only time that sort of thing happened to us was New Year's Eve in Clifton Harbor, Union Island in Christmas winds. The chain got hung up in the spurling pipe. Talk about a very crowded anchorage! Without a single word she communicated there was a problem and came aft to tell me we had 60' of chain out in 40' of water, then went below to unfoul the chain. Our chain is well marked, so there is never a question how much is out.
As far as "making" my wife do the anchoring, we have a $4000.00 windlass that makes anchor handling just as easy as driving the boat, if not easier, and she likes doing the anchor. Dirty mooring lines? Gee, that's what are gloves for aren't they?
I couldn't imagine anyone driving a boat of any kind through a crowded anchorage if they can't even see someone on the foredeck. We have a liferaft between the dodger and the mast and at times sail with an 11.6' Zodiac on the foredeck, with the motor on it. No one on the boat has any problem seeing forward at any time from the helm because they can simply step to port or starboard a foot or so and see all the way up either side of the boat and forward. I hold my right hand well off the center line when making signals to the foredeck as my wife has requested.
We anchor at least once a day and sometimes as many as three times. We do between 12 and 20 charters a season (pre C-19) and have never felt the need to "talk" when anchoring, mooring or docking. Things go wrong now and then, but the 30 or 40 feet from the bow to the cockpit takes but a few seconds to walk, so verbal communication is easily accomplished without shouting or miscommunication.
As for my wife being forced to do anything, she has gone from a professional equestrian who had never been on a sailing boat, to a hundred ton master, able to do refrigeration, pump, electrical, plumbing repairs and installation, expert varnish work and most engine repairs, never mind the fun stuff like going aloft and sailing. She is not the "Admiral" (that's fine for those who are) who doesn't want the challenging jobs, but wants (needs) to be a captain able to operate and repair, or at least understand every system aboard any vessel she is hired to operate after I am gone.
I put in my 2 cent's worth because I sincerely believe those who rely on things like headsets will have no fallback method of communication when they fail. Just as chartplotters, AIS, radars, etc are wonderful aids to navigation, those who haven't learned to operate their vessels without any of it will be in a world of hurt one day if those things fail. I've had it happen on a million dollar yacht on a voyage from Lauderdale to the Great Lakes, so I know it can happen to any of us.