Viktor,like Terry, we have a 1991 Passage 42. I just checked out some video of your boat, and see that your windlass-to-anchor-well system is somewhat like ours in that it is a drop into a well that opens directly to the deck, and doesn't have an immediate vertical drop from the windlass. I carry 350 feet of 3/8" chain for my rode, and used to carry 350' of 5/16" chain, and I have always had to hand-tail the chain. I have anchored many hundreds of times in all different conditions, and have always thought it is a safety hazard to have to handle the windlass chain under adverse conditions. I'm sure we have all read the stories about sailors who have lost fingers in windlasses. As a result, I have spent MANY MANY hours pondering, reading, and talking to others about improving the system so that hand tailing is not required. It would not be an exaggeration to say I have spent over 100 hours to this end. My end conclusion is that any modification to set up a system that doesn't require hand-tailing on a boat like yours and mine would incur more expense and disadvantages than benefits. It would require substantial structural modifications, and I'm unwilling to do that.
Having said all of that, I have always remembered to keep my hands away from the side of the chain that is headed INTO the windlass, and I've been OK. And I have weighed anchor in everything from a lee shore w/a fetch in 40 knots with waves breaking completely over my head and the forward 1/3 of the boat to riding a "bucking" bow caught on numerous coral heads as we've wound our way around to untangle it in the wind and waves.
I agree with Terry---it's just something to get used to. I wouldn't trade the security of having the ground tackle appropriate for your anchoring needs just for the convenience of "hands-off" anchor retrieval.
HOWEVER, should you find a better way to do this PLEASE share it with the rest of us.
Cheers,
Paul.
