Sat on the fore-deck wrestling the anchor and it's chain back aboard last week I finally accepted that we need an anchor windlass in the interests of health and safety. I don't need or want the push button luxury of an electric windlass with it's attached current demand and charging issues, so am looking carefully at a manual windlass; specifically the Lofrans Royal.
Does anybody have experience of fitting or using one of these, especially on a P275? Does anybody know to what extent the gypsy needs to be in line with the bow roller? Also there seems to be room at the back of the chain locker to fit a hawse pipe to take the chain directly from the gypsy into the locker rather than it dragging over the edge of the locker, has anybody tried this? Finally does anybody have any other suggestions for a suitable manual windlass for us to consider?

As a little update, we have obviously had to postpone this year's planned circumnavigation of the UK, thanks to everybody who has offered help and advice (Lee, I've PM'd you about the charts), hopefully we'll be able to try again next spring.

Phill
P275 Flamingo