Line hauling device

A line hauling device such as a windlass ( 10 ) is disclosed for marine craft. The device has a support ( 12 ), a drum ( 20 ) held on the support and rotatable with respect to the support ( 12 ), a motor ( 18 ) for selectably driving rotation of the drum ( 20 ) in a forward (hauling) direction and a reverse (paying out) direction, and a line laying mechanism for laying the line ( 28 ) onto the drum ( 20 ). The drum ( 20 ) is adapted to store the line ( 28 ) on the drum ( 20 ). When operated in the forward direction, the line-laying mechanism lays the line ( 28 ) onto the drum ( 20 ) in a first series of turns. On completion of the first series of turns the line-laying mechanism lays the line ( 28 ) in a second series of turns overlying the first series of turns. The line-laying mechanism includes a carriage [ 50 ] which is driven reciprocally along fixed shafts [ 52 , 53 ] with respect to the drum ( 20 ) by rotation of the drum ( 20 ).