A Reaction Paper in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Bachelor of Science in Marine and Transportation
Asian Institute of Maritime Studies
Submitted by:
Abejuela
Abulag
Alimboyao
Armado
Bacoy
MT32-C2
Submitted to:
Capt. Lauro S. Torrechilla
What is anchoring of ships?
An anchor is a large object that is shaped in such a way that when it sits on the ocean or harbour floor and is pulled by the ship it will dig into the mud/sand and stop the ship from moving further. Most ships have two anchors, one on each side of the bow (front). Oil drilling rigs have 8 anchors.
The anchor can only be used in water that is only so deep as it depends on the length of the anchor line or chain.
An anchor will not keep a ship "stable" as I think you are intimating however as I have mentioned above it will keep the ship from moving away from the point that the anchor is held. This only applies to the direction of the wind or the current as if there is a change in the direction of either the ship can move in a circle around the anchoring point.
Steps to Smooth Anchoring
At some point in your boating career you will probably want to anchor. You may want to stop and fish, swim, have lunch or stay overnight. A second reason to drop anchor may be to control the boat if bad weather is blowing you ashore or if your engine has quit and the wind and current are pushing you into shallow water or other boats.
The first step in anchoring is to select the proper anchor. In spite of claims to the contrary, there is no single anchor design that is best in all conditions. On most pleasure boats, the three anchors you will find most are the fluke or danforth type, the plow and the mushroom anchor.
Mushroom anchors do not have the holding power of a fluke or plow anchor and should only be used on small, lighter weight boats. A local marine supply store can help you select the proper anchor for your boat and for the waters in which you will be