Abstract: A ship mounted winch is used to retrieve a continuous member for the retrieval of an anchor, a fishing net or the like. The continuous member is handled equally well whether it is a rope, a chain, a cable, or the like, even if the continuous member comprises sequential sections, for example, of rope, chain and cable connected by knots and other irregularities. This is accomplished by an annular series of notches on the central periphery of the winch drum and a central groove that transects them. Further, a detecting device detects markers attached to the continuous member that mark the end of the portion of the continuous member to be retrieved and stop the winch automatically at that point. Also, a stopping device prevents the winch drum from being pulled backwards by the weight of the retrieved object when the winch is stopped.