Hi All,

You have 3 options

Capstan

Cheapest option, you can use your current fairlead, anchor and rope. You will pay around $1000 to $1500 and quite easily fitted. Downside is you still have to go up front through the hatch to bring the anchor in. I have one on my 6.0 scorpion and it works great.

Windlass

More expensive around $3000 you will probably need to replace your anchor rope chain and fairlead and if you don’t have enough depth in your anchor well so the rope drops in a nice pile you will get heaps of tangles. But you don’t have to go forward it can be operated from the helm.

Drum winch

Can be even more expensive $4500 and you will need the whole setup rope anchor fairlead and enough room in your anchor well for the drum to fit. Good option for a fiz boat and can be operated from the helm as well.

Hope this helps

Ive got a drum winch, on a 5.3m Figlass. Its a Viper Pro Rapid 1000w. 

Those drum winches sound good but I have no experience  of them.

Thanks for all the replies - helps to clarify options. I am leaning towrds the capstan to me it simpler , cheaper and I am OK with go forward to raise anchor. Also i have a good length of chain and the warp is in good condition so seems a shane to have to replace it. 

I am leaning towrds the capstan to me it simpler , cheaper and I am OK with go forward to raise anchor.

Position the capstan and pressure switch very carefully so can also fold drop warp easy below.
 Then is the question of the chain going around... Way back I asked the Maxwell ppl reply was  " depends if want to srcatch the capstan chrome or not"  So I have been doing so for many yrs.
 I do 4 around on the warp, then when chain just goes around reduce to 1 or 2 turns... Cant rem which.
Some ppl dont have the pressure switch, or have a by pass on/off switch.
I have thought about for yrs, still havnt a on/off. Im ok to use on/off myself but last thing need, be on off or not, is someone distracted for a second and have a finger go round several times.. sorta ruins the day out.
Advantage is (espec in a west coast/swell chop) its hard to keep constant load on the capstan. As the sell comes thru, sitting on the hatch side, knee on pressure switch, one leans with the swell, knee off switch , then back on.

From memory min cable size is 16 sq mm (???).

Self install is very easy, hardest is pulling the wiring thru cavities

Hope this is of some help.


 Edit:I have also swapped my bollard out for a split bollard the chain simply drops down into and a sprit pin holds it there.
 Also the anchor bow spirit thingy, has a spring loaded pin to hold the anchor down...So anchor is always secure in place, be chop swell bar crossings.. just watch your head when boat is on trailer and step between car and trailer.

The big thing that stuffs up the advise I gave above is, someone puts a roller in the middle. That changes the angles  and stuffs up self leveling.

If possible centre the winch inline with roller.Direct pull/strain.Stops warp/chain jumping out of roller and get warp spliced to chain ,eliminates a shackle.Think its around $25/30 for a place to splice.