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Anchor windlass

An anchor windlass within the forecastle on the main deck of the sailing ship Balclutha. The vertical shaft is rotated by crew driving a portion of the capstan above.
The combined port anchor windlass and winch of the modern ferry Stena Britannica. The hydraulically operated brake and pawl allows the anchor to be dropped from the ship's bridge.[citation needed]

A windlass is a machine used on ships that is used to let-out and heave-up equipment such as a ship's anchor or a fishing trawl. On some ships, it may be located in a specific room called the windlass room.

An anchor windlass is a machine that restrains and manipulates the anchor chain on a boat, allowing the anchor to be raised and lowered by means of chain cable. A notched wheel engages the links of the chain or the rope.

A trawl windlass is a similar machine that restrains or manipulates the trawl on a commercial fishing vessel. The trawl is a sort of big fishing net that is wound on the windlass. The fishermen either let-out the trawl or heave-up the trawl during fishing operations. A brake is provided for additional control. The windlass is usually powered by an electric or hydraulic motor operating via a gear train.