Just don't get too overly confident with a windlass' abilities. I don't know what type of anchor you use but you'll still probably want to snub the rode in a chain stop or with a cleat or a snub line when you get to 1:1 scope to break the anchor free.

The windlass will be fine for the dead lift and even moving the boat towards the anchor in light conditions but many of these new "inexpensive" windlasses today are just not built to retrieve under high winds nor can they handle the break out loads of many anchors.

I actually saw a guy fry his windlass in Seal Cove two years ago. Stepped on the button in 20 knots and pulled the boat the entire 7:1 rode length without a break. When he got almost directly over the anchor I heard a funny sound, then lots of cuss words and chain falling back into the water, then and yelling at his wife. From the sound of it, I could hear it in 18-20 knots from a few hundred feet, I would guess he mashed a shaft key or snapped the shaft entirely. If you get one just use it with common sense and you'll be fine..

I still use my vessels motor to move forward on the rode and then simply retrieve by hand. When solo in higher winds this may take more than one trip back and forth to the helm to get it all but I exert minimal energy retrieving my rode because the boat moving towards the anchor does most of it for me. Once at 1:5:1 or 1:1 I snub it then usually have to use the motor to break the anchor free unless there is some wave action.

Once the hook is free from the bottom I only need to lift the 33 pounds of anchor and the chain weight 15 - 30+/- feet. I have a manual windlass too but rarely if ever find the need for it using my boat to retrieve the rode and break the anchor out.

On boats I've owned with electric windlasses I found them more of a PITA than doing it the old fashioned way. Of course if I had a 40+ footer and a 45+ pound anchor I would be a much bigger fan, but on a 34 footer like yours, or my 36 footer like mine, not so much a fan, especially for the added expense, wiring etc...

How do you retrieve now? With you and your wife it seems she could run the helm while you retrieved rode? Have you considered a manual version?