Advanced Marine Shark Jaws Set New Standard for Anchor Handling Safety

As the global maritime industry continues to pursue safer, more efficient, and standardized offshore operations, marine shark jaws have emerged as indispensable core equipment for offshore engineering vessels, towing ships, and platform supply vessels. Designed to securely clamp anchor chains, steel cables, and ropes while withstanding heavy loads, the latest generation of marine shark jaws integrates cutting-edge design, strict standard compliance, and intelligent operation, redefining safety benchmarks and operational efficiency in marine deck handling.

What are Shark Jaws?

Offshore Shark Jaws (officially classified as towing pins or chain stoppers) are large, hinged steel jaws mounted on the stern of AHTS vessels. They clamp down around the anchor handling wire or the anchor chain to hold heavy loads. The name derives from the serrated, tooth-like grip the jaws exert on the tow pin or wire, preventing slippage under tens of thousands of pounds of pressure.

1. Introduction

Shark jaw is used to holding wire rope or chain tightly, and as a brake to withstand load. When weighing anchor/ dropping anchor/ towing, the shark jaw rise, other times, the shark jaw pack up and remain flush with the deck, maintaining deck smoothly.

2.Main Specification

Main technical specification
Rated load	30T
Working pressure	18Mpa
Suitable Wire Rope size	Φ12~φ45mm
Suitable Chain size	Φ12~φ40mm
Height of lift pin	200 mm Above deck
Height of towing pin	305 mm Above deck

3.Construction Introduction

Shark jaw is consisted of shark jaw box/ jaw part/ towing pins/ lifting pin/ hydraulic pump station and electric control system.

3.1 Shark jaw box, welded by high-strength structural steel plate, frame construction, withstand load on shark jaw part and towing pins, structure is compact.

3.2 Jaw parts, is link structure, tow jaws flip independently, driven by hydraulic cylinder. When jaw turning to up side, put chain or wire rope to middle side of two jaws, when jaw turning to down side and flush with the deck, to ensure the deck surface without obstacles. Two heavy load hydraulic cylinders connected to jaw part by a lever plate, extending and retracting jaw parts.

3.3 Towing pin, used to limited chain or rope between two pins, for safety consideration. The pin has towing bollard which can extending and retracting separately, driven by hydraulic cylinder, the extending bollard can rotate to reduce the chains and bollards friction and wear. The hydraulic cylinder which used to drive towing pin, can extend bollard at any position above deck. When absolutely retracted, remaining flush with the deck.

3.4 Lifting pin, located between two jaws, driven by hydraulic cylinder, to lift chain or rope from down side to the top of wedge apex between jaws.