Manual windlasses are available as either lever-type (back and forth motion) or vertical axis (a circular winch-grinding motion). Lever-type windlasses are generally single speed, and vertical models, like sheet winches, have two speeds: a fast, low-power gear for light loads, and a slower speed with higher power for heavier loads.

Electric windlasses haul ground tackle aboard with a touch of a button or a step on a pedal. Most are available with remote controls for operation from the helm or elsewhere on the boat, and nearly all offer a self-tailing feature which takes in the slack as the line is hauled in and feeds it into the locker below deck.

The pulling power required from a windlass is generally three times the unloaded weight of the anchor and chain, but most experts recommend figuring four times the unloaded weight as a safety factor when anchoring in rocky areas or in adverse conditions.

Horizontal or Vertical

Although personal taste plays a part in choosing either a horizontal or vertical style windlass, much of the decision is by necessity based on the boat’s size and layout. The size and configuration of the foredeck, chain locker and forepeak dictate much of the criteria.

Horizontal windlasses are generally used on smaller boats with limited under-deck space. Very large yacht windlasses and most manual windlasses are also horizontal. The windlass is fitted directly over the hawse pipe and positioned in line with the bow roller to ensure a fair lead. Since the rode does not have to make many directional changes, it generally disappears down the hawse pipe neatly without kinking or jamming. Because the motor and gearbox are located on deck, they are easily accessible. However, they are more exposed to the elements and generally take up more deck space than vertical windlasses.

Vertical windlasses are installed with the motor and gearbox mounted below deck, and are very popular because they leave the foredeck relatively uncluttered. Vertical windlasses are versatile as the rode can be led from any direction. The rode leads from the anchor roller back to a capstan or gypsy, wraps around 180 degrees, and feeds through a hawse pipe and down into the chain locker. Again, the configuration of the boat dictates the feasibility of this system. Since the guts of the windlass are below, the motor may interfere with living space or physical limits of the chain locker. To pay out properly, manufacturers recommend at least 12″ clearance from the top of the stowed rode to the top of the locker. Before purchasing any windlass, the forepeak should be measured to ensure everything fits. The windlass manufacturer can generally provide a plan detailing all the dimensions for common installations.

Rode Types

All-rope rodes, most frequently used on smaller boats, require capstan-type windlasses. These are similar in appearance and operation to a sheet winch on a sailboat, and haul in the line wound around the drum. Self-tailing is a desirable feature with all-rope rodes.

All-chain rodes, often favored by larger cruising boats, are handled by all-chain gypsies. Self-tailing is unnecessary on a chain gypsy as the weight of the chain peeling off the gypsy will cause the rode to stow itself.

Combination rope/chain rodes are very popular, as even a short length of chain lends a lot of holding power to the anchor and the rope keeps the overall weight of the ground tackle down. Windlasses that handle rope/chain rodes use either a capstan mounted above a gypsy or a single unit with both capabilities. A gypsy handles chain through the use of internal pockets which the chain links seat into. The chain and the pockets must be sized the same or the chain will hang up. Combination models also use a gypsy, but feature an internal groove that handles the rope. The separate capstan/gypsy configuration requires that the chain stopper be set after the rope is retrieved and changed to the gypsy to haul in the chain, while the combination model allows “hands-off” operation. Most combination models require that the chain be joined to the rope by a splice, as the unit cannot accommodate a shackle. Most windlass manufacturers offer a few rope/chain models which handle the most commonly used specifications of each. As a general rule, windlasses for boats under 40′ use 1/2″ line with 5/16″ chain; for bigger boats, 5/8″ rope with 3/8″ chain.

Small sailboats are ideal for learning to sail -much better than a bigger boat because things happen quicker, and you learn to respond to changes in the wind and sea. I recommend that anyone interested in sailing starts with a small sailboat.

Among wooden small sailboats are the Mirror, Streaker and GP14 all designed by Jack Holt, while the Topper, Lasers and Yamaha small sailboats are all fiberglass. There is a whole range of small Laser sailboats. Waverleys were made from plywood in the early days, but are now all fiberglass. Most 420s and 470s are fiberglass.

Centerboard or dagger board

Because small sailboats are usually launched from the beach, you need a retractable keel, so and all have centerboards or dagger boards – these are types of lifting keels. You need the keel to counteract the force of the wind which is trying to push the boar over. In a small boat, you have to lean out to counterbalance the force of the wind when sailing to windward. Sailing to windward is when are at an angle of about 45 degrees to 75 degrees from the wind.

The dagger board is a keel that is just raised or lowered by hand, being pushed down or pulled up vertically in its housing in the small sailboat. It is very simple, and is usually held in position by a pin – fully up when running before the wind, maybe halfway down when the wind is on the aft quarter, and with it fully down when beating to windward.

A centerboard is a type of lifting keel used on most small sailboats. It pivots in a housing, and has an lever projecting from the top end. When the centerboard is raised, the lever is right forward and you pull it back to lower it – with this arrangement, you can have as much of the centerboard lowered as you like, moving the lever to any point from fully up to fully down.

The reason that the position of the centerboard or dagger board is important is that these small sailboats are used mostly for racing, and you want the maximum performance you can get. If you are just going out for a sail in a small sailboat, leave the centerboard fully down except when you come back to the beach, or of course if you run aground.

Small sailboats are a lo to fun to sail, cost little, are robust, and as they are kept out of the water require very little maintenance. The Lasers, Streakers and Europa are among those that have ‘cat’ rigs – just one sail, like a mainsail on a normal Bermudian rig. They can still sail very fast, and can be sailed easily single-handed. They are used for single-handed racing.

Most other small sailboats have a Bermudian rig, usually with a small jib and fairly large mainsail. The exception is the Mirror Dinghy which has a gunter rig – the mainsail is hoisted up the mast and a spar that goes almost vertically from the top of the mast. The shape of the sails is almost the same as the Bermudian, but this rig was chosen because the mast is shorter making the boat easier to store at home and transport to the water.

Small sailboats come is all sizes, shapes and weights. Some are built with a gaff rig, some with the gunter rig, some with cat rigs, and most with Bermudian rigs – there are even some with two masts, each with a cat rig.

The great thing about small sailboat is that you can take it from the boat store or from your home to the shore easily and launch it single handed. This hardly takes any time – and then you are sailing. Mostly, small sailboats are used for racing, or for short cruises of a couple of hours, but some people have cruised across oceans in modified small sailboats like the Waverley and Drascombe.

So if you want to get a sailboat and have limited funds – or no experience – I recommend you buy a small sailboat.

The weather is usually good for sailing (Location catamaran) in November, when some sailboats cruise to Bermuda. This island chain is nowhere near the southern trade winds, however historical records on nautical records show that the wind can arise from any region. If you’ll be crossing the Gulf Stream, check the weather carefully before sailing to miss being grabbed by a northerly wind, which may produce steep currents that are nauseating and can become troublesome. In the famous Newport-Bermuda sail race in June of even years, almost 200 fast boats made the journey in 3 days, depending on the currents. In odd-numbered years the Marion-Bermuda race is a more relaxed competition for cruising boats.

A British territory, Bermuda offers much to cruising sailing enthusiasts. The city of Hamilton boasts the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and has a quality large harbor full of all types of boats. On the other side of Bermuda, the lesser city and harbor of St. George’s are home of the St. George’s Dinghy and Sports Club. Both clubs and both harbors have fantastic facilities for traveling cruisers. Boat manufacturers, and other businesses abound.

With around 20 square miles of land spread over numerous closely placed islands, Bermuda hosts a stable population of about 66,000. The economy is healthy and the locals friendly, and even low income neighborhoods are well kept and make for pleasant visiting everywhere. The subtropical climate keeps the island warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Beautiful beaches of pink sand seem to be everywhere, and coral reefs make for good snorkeling, although the ocean is cooler than in the Caribbean.

With so many boats traveling there from so many other areas, Bermuda has amazing procedures for assisting with sailing and arrival. Mariners should have high quality charts to avoid the plentiful reefs surrounding the island chain, especially on the northern side, but Bermuda Harbor Radio is easily reached on the VHF and should help guide you in. Customs must be cleared first in St. George’s Harbor, customs is well marked and illuminated for day entry. You enter the harbor through a thin jagged cut that seems very small even for a medium sized boat, but concerns about squeezing through soon turn to embarrassment when you see a large cruise ship make the same passage.