Olah Gerak Pertemuan 4

Choice of anchorage; anchoring with one or two anchors in limited anchorages and factors
involved in determining the length of anchor cable to be used.

explain how to choose an anchorage and lists the factors which influence the choice

While it’s difficult to find the completely perfect place to anchor, there are many factors to take
into consideration when choosing a good anchorage.

An anchorage should provide:

1. Shelter from all directions

A typical ‘perfect anchorage’ might be a horseshoe-shaped bay encircled by cliffs or hills,

ensuring good shelter from all wind directions, unless it is blowing straight through the entrance
which would drive in swell and make the bay extremely uncomfortable.

Be aware that wind often swings through 180 degrees during the night, when a strong sea
breeze changes to a light land breeze. Anchoring in the lee of high hills or mountains may
appear to provide the best possible shelter, but not when a katabatic accelerates down the
hillside at violent speed!

2. Flat Water

Ideally, your anchorage should be as flat as a mill-pond. Any swell will make it extremely
uncomfortable. If the boat starts rolling, things seldom get better. Best advice is to move on
as soon as possible to seek and alternative anchorage. This may be caused by the wind
 swinging onshore. However, swell is unpredictable and can roll in during the night if you are
unlucky. The best solution is departure at dawn.

3. Good holding

Anchors are incredibly effective at holding a boat, but need a good holding. The best surfaces
are sand or mud, which allow the anchor to dig in deeply. Rock and weed or shingle will
provide a less secure holding. Never drop an anchor on coral.

4. Room to swing

Your boat should have room to swing through a 360 degree arc, without hitting anything under
or on top of the water, including nearby boats. All boats will swing as the wind or tide changes,
though yachts and power craft tend to swing at a different speed. If there is insufficient space
to swing through a wide arc or full circle, the solution may be to attach a stern line to the shore,
which will hold the boat in a fixed direction. This is useful when there is limited space in an
anchorage and common practice in Baltic countries such as Sweden and Finland. Remember
though, if you are secured differently to the other vessels around you, your swing will be
different to theirs.

5. Tidal effects

If you anchor in a tidal area, you need to be sure there will be enough water under the keel at
low tide. The exception is if you wish to ‘dry out’ with a bilge keel yacht, lifting keel yacht or
shallow draught catamaran. Tidal flow may also affect where you can anchor in a river or
estuary. Every six hours, your boat will swing through 180 degrees as the tide changes. An
anchorage with the bows facing into the wind and tide should provide flat water and good
shelter for the crew in the cockpit, but the boat may start to rock and the cockpit may get
draughty when the wind blows against the tide.

“Some of my most enjoyable nights on the water have been at anchor with friends. The article
is called a ‘perfect anchorage’, yet we all know it is unlikely to be absolutely perfect, however
if you spend some time considering the points covered here before arriving at your anchorage
and use a check list to select your spot it is likely to be an enjoyable stay with no unexpected
surprises”, comments Vaughan Marsh, RYA Chief Instructor, Sail Cruising.

So remember; things to consider when choosing a good anchorage:

• Shelter from the wind

• The weather forecast in case the wind direction changes
• The nature of the seabed shown on the chart. Mud and sand are better than rock or shingle
• Space behind the boat
• Whether there is enough room to swing when the tide turns
• Check on the chart for a recommend anchorage
• Look in the pilot book for advice or warnings
• The boat must be outside any channel used by other boats, including if it swings
• The depth of water. It may be necessary to work out the minimum depth of water in which to
anchor to be sure that the boat will not ground at low water
• Once secure, monitor your yachts position in comparison to the other vessels and hazards
including the depth for the duration of you stay

states that an anchoring plan should be prepared in advance, showing the direction and
speed of approach and the dropping position(s), with check bearings
Maintaining a safe operation All checks, inspections, and calculations as per the Arrival
Checklist must be completed in a timely fashion to avoid interfering with a smooth, planned
approach. A suitable risk management system must comply. Keep the engine room fully
advised of the vessel's progress, especially when entering: shallow water, high-risk areas,
restricted or confined waters.

As far as circumstances permit, maintain excellent communication with the Port Authority
and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS). Request any information regarding shipping movements
that could affect the vessel's safe progress to the anchor position. The vessel will now
proceed to the designated anchor position and anchor as per planned method.

Clearing the anchor(s) for arrival

• ensure power is on to forward windlass

• ensure the break is applied and windlass is in gear
• remove the guillotine bar or bow stopper and anchor lashings release the brake
• lower anchor(s) clear of the hawse pipe
• report to the bridge "Anchor(s) clear of hawse pipe and ready for letting go"
• await further instructions from the bridge.

Always be alert to any changing circumstances e.g., excessive vibration or unusual noise of
machinery.
Once the planned length of the chain is in the water, the guillotine bar should be dropped and
secured, and the chain allowed to bear against the guillotine bar. The guillotine bar is
designed to take the weight of the anchor cable.

The Windlass should be out of gear, and the brake applied. Throughout anchor period the
appropriate anchor signals are to be used (ball, lights, bell, and gong).

During an anchoring operation the following factors should be considered:

• general safety procedures and precautions including PPE

• identify a safe anchorage with good holding ground
• identify a safe anchorage that lies within the Territorial
• Waters of the Port State Authority

• local weather and forecasts

• good seamanship
• the direction of the current or tidal stream
• sufficient depth of water
• anchor to be used
• amount of cable to use / payout
• anticipated final manoeuvring prior to letting go or
• walking back
• method of letting go or walking back
• communications
• escape / abort route should circumstance dictate.

Preparing and lowering the anchor: When the anchor party has been briefed, the Officer in
charge will first establish communication with the Bridge before proceeding forward.
Before arrival at or off the port, both anchors are to be cleared ready for use. Anchors should
only be cleared when the water depth will allow recovery of the anchor and cable if they are
accidentally let go. An anchor marking buoy is to be available and ready for use.

Visual Inspection: Before clearing the anchors, a visual inspection, as far as possible, should
be conducted of the anchoring system. The visual inspection may include:

• confirming power to the windlass

• windlass brake assembly
• clutch / gear mechanism including securing pins
• general appearance of visible components such as D Shackle,
• Crown Shackle, Swivel, Center link and short chain
• ensure “D” and crown shackle pins in place and tight.

Under the direct supervision of the Officer in charge, the procedure for preparing and
lowering the anchors can be completed. Particular care must be taken when the weight of the
cable is secured by the windlass brake only. The anchor party must be alert to any changing
circumstances.

Arriving at the anchoring position: Before anchoring, the direction and speed of the current
or tidal stream and wind must be confirmed. Attempts should not, whenever possible, be
made to anchor across the current, tidal stream or wind. When all the way has been taken off
the vessel, the vessel's head should be close to the direction of the tidal flow or wind, and the
bow should not be swinging excessively.

Planning for Anchoring:

Master Should identify a suitable anchoring position before entering the anchorage area.
Conduct a planned approach including speed reduction in ample time and orienting the ship's
head before anchoring to
(a) Same as similar sized vessels around or (b) Stem the tide or wind whichever is stronger

A decision on the method of anchoring and the number of shackles to use depends upon the
depth of water, expected weather, and holding ground. A simple rule in determining length of
cable to use:

Standard condition:
Length of cable = [(Depth of water in meters * 2) + 90 ] / 27.5
When good holding power cannot be expected e.g. strong wind, strong current, harder sea
bottom etc. then the length of cable = [(Depth of water in meters * 3) + 140 ] / 27.5

It is suggested that the use of a radar parallel indexing technique is a useful tool in
maneuvering approach to anchoring position. A fixed reference point is necessary for
establishing the intended anchoring position relative to this fixed point.

Preparation for Anchoring

The Chief Officer (or another experienced officer in lieu) must supervise letting go or
weighing the anchors and should only assign experienced crew members to anchor work.
Prior to Anchoring, the Chief Officer should be aware of:

1. Approximate anchoring position

 2. Method of approach
3. Which anchor to use
4. Depth of water
5. Method of Anchoring
6. Final amount of Cables

explains how to judge that ship is stopped ready for letting go

Preparing the vessel for anchoring can start days before arrival. This is when a Master checks
the charts for marked anchorage areas days before arrival.

Anchorage area for the vessel could also be suggested in the agent’s pre-arrival message. In
any case, the Anchorage area must be physically checked in the chart to ensure that

• it is designated for the type of ship,

• the depths comply with the UKC requirement of the company
• depths are less than the maximum depth ship can anchor
• is clear of any cables, pipeline, wrecks or other obstructions. and
• the nature of seabed is appropriate for anchoring
When checking the charts for underwater obstructions, attention should be paid to the chart
symbol ‘#’.

This symbol means there is a foul ground and shall be avoided for anchoring. I am particularly
mentioning this chart symbol because you may not miss a wreck but it is easier to miss this.

It is important to be aware of the ship’s windlass lifting capacity. In any case, most of the ship’s
windlass are able to lift the weight of the anchor and about 3 shackles.

Vessels could easily anchor in depths of about 80 meters. If anchoring in depths more than that,
you might need to first check the windlass capacity for the particular ship.

As a thumb rule, you should never allow the anchor to drop from a height of 20 meters. That
is, one must lower anchor to a level when the distance between the bottom and the anchor is
not more than 20 meters.

But that is a maximum figure. One must lower the anchor to as close to the bottom as possible
before it is let go. But if you aim for lowering the anchor to say one meter above the seabed,
you may end up touching the anchor to seabed while the ship still has some speed. That is not
good. So here is another rule of thumb. We should aim for lowering the anchor to around half
shackle from the bottom before we let go.

To summarize, here is how we should anchor the ship by letting go

• Approach the anchor position heading into wind and tide with speed around 2 knots at
0.5NM from the position.
 • Lower the anchor with gear to around half shackle off the bottom and then hold the
anchor on brake
• Give Stern movement to stop the vessel over the ground once the vessel is in the
anchoring position. if using starboard anchor, check the starboard swing (for Right hand
fixed pitch propellers) because of Stern movement.
• When in position, drop the anchor by opening the brake
• maintain around 0.5 knots stern speed to allow the cable not to pile up.
• Hold the break once required cable length is paid out.

explains that positions should be obtained on letting go and again when brought up
Anchor position

While anchoring operations are underway, the anchor-chain position is a matter of high
concern. The positions are reported normally in

a. Clock format – Considering the bulb as 12’o clock, the position to be reported with
reference from the bulb. The positions on starboard side will be 1’o clock, 2’o clock etc. and
port side will start from 11′ o clock

b. Cardinal Points – Reporting using the points system with every point 11.25 degrees.
Example – 2 points on starboard bow.

2. Chain Stay

Along with the Position, the stay of the chain is also to be reported. Stay of the chain is the
tendency of its movement. While reporting the following terms are to be used for the
respective observations.

a. Short stay – when the chain is leading in a short range from the ship’s side.

b. Medium stay- When the chain is leading in a medium range from the ship’s side.

c. Long stay- When the chain is leading in a longer range from the ship’s side extending from
the hawse pipe.

d. Up and Down – When the chain is vertically leading parallel to the ship’s side. It will not
extend and will be leading vertically downwards from the hawse pipe to the seabed.

Example of reporting – Position 2’o clock, long stay.

Different officers have different reporting styles. It is good to use the way an individual is
comfortable with, as long as the Master and the rest of the anchoring team is clearly able to
understand.
In normal cases, while letting go the anchor, the chain needs to be stretched out for the
anchor to hold the vessel. After dropping the anchor, the chain stay will be longer. When the
anchor is holding to the seabed and the chain is settling down, the stay comes gradually to
medium and then to a short range. Finally, the chain will go up and down which means the
anchor is holding and the chain is settled down.

Safety

The deck officer in charge is responsible for the safety of the equipment and the crew
members involved in the anchoring operation. The officer has to watch out for himself and
his crew during the operation. Unsafe practices should be corrected and the officer should be
able to lead the crew and guide them on doing the operation safely. Regarding safety, the
following points should be noted:

a. Use of proper PPE including safety helmet, gloves, goggles, and ear muffs (if needed)

b. While checking the anchor and its chain, find the apt position from where you can observe
the anchor and avoid leaning over from the ship’s side.

c. While letting go the anchor, stay well clear from the windlass

d. While lowering/heaving the anchor on gear, do it in a gradual speed and avoid sudden and
repeated alteration of the speed of windlass and its direction of movement

Anchoring is a crucial and highly practical operation. In most of the cases, theoretical
guidelines and bookish knowledge are helpful only to an extent. Situational awareness and
spontaneity of the officers, and their instant decision making capability helps to carry out the
operation fruitfully. A good knowledge of ship’s maneuverability and the limitation of the
equipment involved will further help the officer to make such spontaneous decisions. The
competency of the officer is decided upon his ability to consider the situation, command his
crew and to assess the orders given by the Master, to carry out the operation safely and
efficiently.

Pertemuan 5

Choice of anchorage; anchoring with one or two anchors in limited anchorages and factors
involved in determining the length of anchor cable to be used.

describes the use of anchor buoys

An anchor buoy is a part of a mooring system which is used as a mooring tie off for boats. It
can be as large as a SUV or as small as a plastic bottle. Based on the size of the marine
vessels they are meant to tie, their size varies. These buoys are colored with florescent colors
which help ship pilots to see them from far distances. They are most of the times present at a
certain distance away from a jetty, which is located at the loading or unloading ports.
As the large ships need larger water depths, so that their hulls do not come in contact with the
seafloor, they are anchored to the mooring system at certain ocean depths. This is done
because they cannot come the near loading, unloading ports because of shorter water depths,
thus, the loading and unloading in large carriers are done in the middle of the sea.

lists the factors to consider in determining the length of anchor cable to be used as
- The nature of the bottom

- The strength of current wind

- the strength and direction of the tidal stream

- the exposure of the anchorage to bad weather

- The amount of room to swing

- The expected length of stay at anchors

- plans anchorage positions and manoeuvers to anchor the vessel using one and two anchors

Factors determining anchor planning:

1. Position of anchoring defined

2. Depth of water and amount of cable
3. State of tide HW/LW, rise of tide
4. Type of holding ground
5. Prevailing weather and shelter
6. Underwater obstructions
7. Rate of current
8. Swinging room from surface objects
9. Length of time vessel intend to stay
10. Shipsdraft and UKC
11. Use of 1 or 2 anchors
12. Proximity of other shipping
13. Local hazard outfalls etc.
14. Current weather and expected
15. Position fixing method
16. Distance from shore by launch
17. Types of anchor and holding power
18. Wind direction
19. Speed of approach
20. Night or day signals

performs manoeuvers to anchor the vessel using one and two anchors
Mooring on double anchors is difficult if you think you can shift the anchor outboard using a
dinghy. It is also difficult to make it grip firmly and it is to be hoped that the wind doesn’t
change. This kind of mooring is a good one if your boat is provided with two bow anchors
and so you can maneuver via engine. First drop one anchor with a long chain and then, after
having changed your position, the other anchor and then retrieve the first anchor. It is good
for big and heavy boats.

To kedge an anchor is difficult if you don’t know the technique for dropping the second
anchor, which has to be dropped beside the bow, generally with 5m-chain, on 3-4m seafloor
and dropping the second anchor at sea level. While in reverse mode, drop the first anchor
with determination, release it, then drop the second one and after 30m you are firmly
anchored. Dive with a mask to check.

A technique you must know is the use of the signaling buoy, i.e. a small fender placed on a
floating rope intended to help retrieve the anchor in case it tangles, as it is pulled out from the
front, trying to overturn it (it’s easier said than done, but worth trying). You can do it from
the dinghy, but a person has to stay at bow to counterbalance your weight and that of the
anchor.

A maneuver few are able to do is anchoring tidying up ashore. If your crew is small or if you
are no more agile than before, I suggest you this technique that I have developed over time.
Two people are required.

The captain (that is generally the person who criticizes someone else’s work) singles out a
place to anchor (usually the wind blows from the coast, i.e. from the stern). He will drop the
dinghy with about 30m-line and a fender, then he will leave the steering of the boat to a
member of his crew. While the boat is keeping its position or sailing roadstead, the captain
gets off the boat and fix an extremity of the line to a rock or a tree and then will move
towards the boat. The line will lay on the seafloor and the fender will stay in the wind, far
enough from the shore not to impact the steering, thanks to the wind.
Once back onboard the anchoring will be performed by aligning to our stern signaling buoy, The line lying
on the seabed will be retrieved by means of a mooring hook and used to tie up the stern ashore.

While the captain was off board, he had checked the seafloor. Do try it. This is a safe technique, not to be
found on manuals.