When Using The Anchor, What Should Be Noted?

When Using The Anchor, What Should Be Noted?

The anchor is an important tool for ship landing or fixed point , so now we will discuss how to safely and effectively anchor your boat. Be sure you understand the entire process, especially the instructions under Choosing a Spot to Anchor, before you drop your anchor. Even if you already have several anchors, reading or skimming the section on Selecting an Anchor will tell you valuable information about when to use each type, and how to evaluate anchor, rope, and chain quality.

Consider a general purpose fluke anchor. A fluke or Danforth anchor relies less on its weight than on its design, which consists of two flat, pointed flukes extending at a 30º angle from the anchor rod. This is one of the more popular designs on the market, and in soft mud or hard sand, has more staying power by weight than any other type.However, its broad-fluked design may prevent it from reaching bottom in a strong current, and like most anchors, it will have trouble catching on rocks and other hard bottoms.

Aluminum variations of the Danforth design, such as the Fortress, have excellent holding power. Some of these also have adjustable flukes, which can be made broader when anchoring in soft mud. A large aluminum fluke anchor may make a good storm anchor.

Research plow anchors for areas of high or changing current. The plow anchor is named for the plow-shaped wedge attached by a swivel to the shaft. It is effective in soft bottoms, and somewhat better in grass than other lightweight anchors. These tend to be heavier than fluke anchors of the same size, and thus will set more easily (though with somewhat less holding power) than fluke anchors. The ability of the shaft to swivel in the direction it is pulled without yanking the main anchor makes the plow anchor less likely to unfasten when the boat is pulled a different direction.

Plow anchors have no protruding flukes or pieces that the anchor line or chain can catch on. However, unless you have a bow roller, plow anchors can be difficult to store.

Only use mushroom anchors for light use. Mushroom anchors look like a disc or dish at the base of the anchor shaft. They don't have much holding power, but are a good choice for small boats that make short stops in areas with soft ground. If your boat is small enough for the size of mushroom anchor you choose, it may be your best bet for heavily weeded areas. If poking a hole in your vessel is a concern, mushroom anchors have no sharp edges and are less likely to damage thin hulled boats such as composite canoes, kayaks and inflatables.

Many electric anchors lowered by the push of a button are mushroom anchors.

Research other types of anchors for specialized uses. Many more types of anchor exist, and no single anchor is useful for every purpose. Grapnel, navy, or Herreshoff anchors are useful for anchoring small boats to rocky bottoms. Less common bottoms may require specialized anchors for best results, such as a claw anchor in gravel.

Now we will discuss how important it is to maintain the anchor and its chains. It is very essential that the anchor is painted and maintained in a good condition. The chain and the ropes that are used to anchor the ships should be in a good condition too. This will ensure that the ship is anchored well all the time. If the anchor is old and rusted or the chain and rope is broken the chances of the ship drifting increases many fold.

We hope by reading this article you will get a good idea of how does a ship anchor work. Even for fishing boat owners, anchoring is a skill that all must know when they are heading to the sea. They can also attend classes that train people on anchoring of a boat.