5.
-Anchors, cables and anchor work
The ground tackle consists of all the equipment used in anchoring. This includes
the anchors, cables, connecting devices and the windlass.
An anchor is a heavy hooked object that is dropped from a boat into the water at
the end of a chain in order to prevent the boat from moving. In other words, it is a device
for holding a vessel to a place on the sea bed. The chain attached to an anchor is called
anchor cable. The different parts of the anchor are:
-Ring (or shackle): the ring to which the cable is bent.
-Stock: the cross-arm below the ring.
-Shank: the long center part of anchor running between ring and crown
-Crown: rounded lower section to which shank is fixed.
-Arms: pieces which extend from each side of the crown.
-Throat: inner curved part of any arm where it joins shank.
-Palm or Fluke: the broad part fixed to the top of each arm at its end.
-Bill or Pea (or peak): tip of the palm or fluke.
The anchor cables are made in 27.5 metre lengths known as “shackles”, consisting
of “common” or studded links but with an open link (or end link) at each end, and
connected by joining shackles. Sometimes to prevent turns developing in the cables when
a vessel is moored in a tideway, a swivel may be fitted.
The scope of chain to be laid out when anchoring varies, depending on the size of
the ship, the weather and tide conditions and the quality of the holding ground.
The cable lockers provide the stowage for the cables.
Hawsepipes are openings where shank or patent anchor is stowed. We refer as
hawsepipes to the two pipes on either bow which accommodate the bow anchors. The term
hawsepipe is in general use for the stowage space for the anchors of a vessel. From the
hawsepipe each cable leads aft to its cable holder (also cable lifter or wildcat), thence forward
to its navel pipe (or spurling gate), and down this pipe to its cable locker, which is situated
in the bottom of the ship. Each cable holder is fitted with a band brake, operated by a
handwheel just abaft the cable holder. This brake controls the speed at which cable is
allowed to run out when the cable holder is disconnected. It also holds the cable holder fast
when the ship is riding at anchor or made fast to a buoy.
When the vessel is at anchor at night, one or more men are posted on anchor
watch. It is their duty, under the officer on watch, to see the security of the ship, to see that
there is sufficient room for the vessel to swing with the tide without striking another
vessel, to keep thieves away from the side and to watch for the outbreak of fire.
If a ship is moored in a good holding ground and the weather is fair, there is little to worry
about. There are, however, a number of rules to bear in mind about anchor work generally,
and managing/handling vessels at anchor in bad weather in particular.
Terms and expressions used in anchor work:
Anchor aweigh: the anchor is said to be “a-weigh” at the moment is broken out of
the ground and clear of the sea bed, that is, immediately it is clear of the bottom.
Weighing anchor: is the operation of heaving in cable until the anchor is broken out of the
bottom.
Anchor a-cockbill: when the anchor is hanging vertically from the hawsepipe, with
the flukes turned into the ship’s side. In this position it will not stow correctly in the
hawsepipe.
Anchor buoy: a buoy used to indicate the position of the ship’s anchor when on the
bottom.
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Anchor coming home: means that the anchor is being drawn towards the ship in
the operation of heaving away, instead of the ship being drawn towards the anchor as it
should be. It is also referred to as anchor dragging.
*Anchor dragging: when instead of holding the ship, the ship drags the anchor
involuntarily along the bottom. The anchor is said to be dragging when it is not held in the
sea bed.
Anchor position: place where a specific vessel is anchored or is to anchor.
Anchor warp: the name given to a hawser or rope when it is attached to the anchor
and used as a temporary cable.
*Brought up: a vessel is said to be brought up when her way has stopped and she
is riding to her anchor, with her anchor holding. The terms “come to” and “got her cable”
are sometimes used to mean the same thing. A ship is said to come to an anchor at the
moment of letting go. A ship has got her cable when she has dropped back on her cable
and is riding to it.
*Clear hawse: it means that the cables are clear of one another when a ship is
riding to two anchors. Foul hawse is a term used to describe the crossing of the anchor
cables, when both cables are used at the same time, owing to the uncontrolled swinging of
the vessel when anchored with both anchors (moored). If the ship swings 180 degrees, she
will have a foul hawse, and the cables are then said to have a cross in them; another 180
degrees more in the same direction would cause an elbow in the cables; a further 180
degrees would cause an elbow and a cross, and yet another 180 degrees (making twice
round in all) would cause a round turn.
*Clear anchor and Foul anchor are terms with opposite meaning. A foul anchor is
one that has its own cable twisted around or has become caught on an underwater
obstruction.
Dredging anchor: moving the anchor along the bottom voluntarily.
To grow: a cable is said to grow in the direction in which it leads outside the
hawsepipe.
To hang cable: is to hold it temporarily with a stopper.
*To heave up anchor: complete action of picking up the anchor until it is stowed
in position in the hawsepipe.
Lying at single anchor: floating at anchor
*Let go: order given when the vessel has reached anchor position and anchor is
required to be dropped.
*Moored: a vessel is said to be moored when she has two anchors down to the sea
bed. The object of mooring with two anchors is usually to reduce the sea room required by
the ship for swinging.
*Riding to anchor: lying or floating at anchor; relying or depending on the anchor;
securing or maintaining at anchor; keeping a ship moored; being carried along or supported
on, lightly or smoothly. (To ride: be carried by, be borne along by, travel on)
To check (or snub) cable is to stop it running out by putting on the brake.
*To shorten cable: to heave a portion of the cable, so reducing the scope.
To slip anchor: deliberately break the anchor chain by disconnecting a shackle or
by letting go all cable.
To surge: to allow a hawser to run out (ease out) by its own weight or by the strain
on the outboard end.
To veer cable: to let it run out under control, that is, to pay out cable under power,
by walking back the gypsy of the windlass.
To walk back the anchor: to lower the anchor under power.
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*Tide rode: a vessel is said to be tide rode when she is riding at anchor head
to tide.
Up and down: the vessel is said to be up and down when it is vertical, that is,
when the angle the cable makes with the water surface is 90 degrees. When weighing
anchor the cable will be up and down just before the anchor is broken out of the bottom.
*Wind rode: a vessel is said to be wind rode when she is riding at anchor head
to wind rather than to a tidal stream or current.
Anchoring
(going to anchor/leaving the anchorage):
Stand by port/starboard/both anchor(s)
Walk out port/starboard/both anchor(s)
Let go port/ starboard anchor
Pay out/Slack out cable
Check the cable
How is the cable leading?
The cable is leading ahead/astern
to port/to starboard
round the bow
up and down
Put ....shackles in the water
Shorten cable to ....shackles
Is she brought up?
Is/Are the anchor(s) holding
How much cable is out?
Put the windlass in gear
Walk back port/starboard/both anchor(s) ....shackle(s)
Heave up port/starboard/both anchor(s)
Stop heaving
The anchor(s) is/ are clear of the bottom
The cables are clear/foul
Attention! Turn in cable(s)
How is the cable growing?
The cable is slack/tight/coming tight
How much weight is on the cable?
How many shackles are left (to come in)?
Switch on the anchor lights
Hoist the anchor ball
Check the anchor position
To swing round
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1.-Reading
(Kemp and Young, pages 44-45)
Expressions
To come alongside
To put the engines astern
To check the vessel’s way
To swing the stern in
To make a ship fast
To proceed slow ahead
Shackle of cable
To pay out cable
To gather sternway/headway
To cant the stern
To heave in
2.-Find terms for the following:
1.- The place in harbor in which a ship rides to her anchor or is secured alongside
2.- Space around a vessel at anchor, and in which she will swing freely
3.-Buoy securely moored so that a vessel can be attached to it and lie safely
4.-A type of berth where the ship’s stern is secured to the quay and two anchors are laid
ahead
5.- A light rope used to haul in a heavier rope
6.- Buoys, lighthouses, seamarks, landmarks, etc
7.-Deck and shore fittings for making fast the rope
3.-What are the opposites of the terms below?
Drop the anchor
Heave in the anchor
The anchor is dragging
Foul anchor
Lower the anchor
Stockless anchor
Veer the cable/anchor
Taut
Slip the cable
4.-Find synonymous terms
Drop the anchor
Raise the anchor
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Veer the cable
Taut
Bring up the ship
Anchor cable
Pay out the cable
Riding anchor
5.-Finish the sentences by supplying the appropriate term:
1.- Putting the ship to ride between two anchors is called______________________
2.-A ship at anchor with the wind against the tide is riding___________________________
3.-A ship is wind-rode when she is at anchor with her head to _______________________
4.-When the ship lies vertically above the anchor, the cable being taut, the cable is said to
be__________________________________
5.-The main parts of a patent or stockless anchor
are______________________________ _____________
______________________ (7 elements)
6.- The basic types of anchors are ______________________________
7.-When a ship is coming to anchor she is said to be ___________________________
8.-Merchant ships are usually supplied with ten anchoring ________________
9.-A link connecting two lengths of chain shackles is called a_________________________
and is painted white or marked specially ____________________________
10.-When the ship drifts or moves at anchor because of the act of weather or tide she
issaid to be ____________________ whereas when she moves her anchor intentionally
by means of her engines, her anchor is ______________________________
11.- We had to engage the local divers to clear the ________________anchors
Supply the missing verbs:
Anchor watch. When the ship is ______________to anchor in bad weather with danger
of the anchor________________ anchor watch must be ____________
as a precaution. The watch normally consists of an officer of the bridge who by
_ ______________________ compass bearings of shore objects can detect whether an
anchor is _________________,and small party on the forecastle ready to ______________
the cable. A dragging anchor can often be detected by ________________________
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vibrations in the cable. Another sign is when the cable____________________
and tautens alternately in a marked manner
6.-Translate the following into English:
1.-Cuando se fondea con viento es usual aproximarse al atraque proa al viento ya que no se
necesita dejar margen para (contar con) el abatimiento. Se debe usar el ancla de barlovento
porque de lo contrario la cadena encepará la roda a medida que deriva a sotavento después
de haber largado el ancla.
2.-Cuando un buque fondeado con un ancla garrea con un temporal fuerte puede ser difícil
poner el buque proa al viento para levar el ancla. Si hay suficiente espacio a sotavento se
deben poner las máquinas avante y girar alrededor del ancla.
3.- Cuando se atraca de costado estribor al muelle el buque se aproxima con un ángulo
muy cerrado con el malecón, dejando margen para el abatimiento y enfilando el buque
hacia un atraque imaginario al través del atraque real, pero con una distancia de una manga
alejado de él.
4.-Antes de poner la máquina atrás se le da una palada avante con el timón todo a babor
para hacer caer la proa hacia el viento.
5.-El buque entonces deberá ser parado con la proa (amuras) apuntando un poco alejadas
del malecón, porque a medida que deriva hacia sotavento las amuras se desviarán del
viento más rápidamente que la popa y cuando el buque derive hacia su atraque de costado
el buque estará paralelo al malecón.
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6.-Con un viento que sopla hacia afuera, cuanto más cerca se aproxime el barco al malecón
menor será el efecto del viento a medida que el buque se mueve hacia el abrigo formado
por el malecón, pero como las amuras se moverán hacia este abrigo antes que la popa las
amuras tendrán una gran tendencia a caer hacia el malecón mientras el viento aleja la popa
de él, y se debe contar con esto durante la aproximación.
