The title really does make for an apt VolksCruiser mantra…
I spent a couple of hours today working on the thirty or so year old Vetus manual windlass that came on the Islander despite the fact that it’s not really something I want on the boat. I’ll put it up for sale but I could not, in good conscious sell it in the condition it was in and throwing a perfectly good windlass in the dumpster just seems wrong. So, a bit of lube, some sanding, and a new coat of paint will hopefully help it find a new home at the next Puce Nautique I find myself at.
As it happens, the manual windlass I’m replacing the Vetus with is a Simpson Lawrence Anchorman which has to be nearly as old as the Vetus but it’s in like new condition. The real reason for the change is that I simply prefer a vertical manual windlass to a horizontal one.
Face it, with the silly high prices for boats and boat bits these days, you’d be a lot better off either repairing gear you have or buying used as it makes sense in terms of budget and environmental terms. Throw in the fact that older stuff like the Vetus windlass work well, are easily repaired/maintained, and more in line with the VolksCruiser vibe.
On another tack, here’s a very interesting article that’s all kinds of interesting and well worth a read.