How US Navy Drops MASSIVE Aircraft Carrier Anchor at Full Speed

Welcome back to the FLUCTUS channel for a discussion about anchors dropped and hoisted from Aircraft Carriers and what it takes to keep them at optimum functionality.
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[@jimbonacum8917]

Just in case the casual viewer is not aware of this, the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most dangerous places in the world. For example the arresting cable can break and if you are not in a safe location it can cut you in half when it snaps back. The flight deck crew are highly trained and deserve tremendous respect. We tend to think of the pilots as heros and I am not saying they aren't. But the flight deck crew are remarkable men and women too.

[@serpico1616]

MAYBE top 3000 most dangerous.

[@I_Crit_My_Pants]

@@serpico1616 Don't be stupid.

[@serpico1616]

@@I_Crit_My_Pants Lol im not the one who said it was top most dangerous kiddo....

[@dougewald243]

Thanks - I agree - having flight deck experience. During ops - especially night flight ops I can't think of any more dangerous patch of earth. Intense is far too mild to describe it & incredibly so when you are the new guy out there. It's such a blast to be yelled at by the flight ops officer from the bridge for all to hear over the flight deck loudspeakers. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time but not for long.

[@dougewald243]

We were shown a training film of an incident on a carrier were a guy was hit in the legs by a snapped arresting cable whipping across the deck. This was in the days before crews were required to stay well away from extreme danger zones. In the film there were several other guys near the one that got hit. He wasn't doing something unusual. Obviously the arresting cable area (there are 4 at the rear of the deck) should be avoided during aircraft recovery operations. But the Navy didn't require it at the time of the incident. Why? The Navy did a lot of stupid stuff. If I remember correctly I believe we were told his legs were cut off at the knees. It sure flipped him over. Talk about reality TV. Then there's the training footage of the Forrestal fire. Simply horrific.

[@robertfolkner9253]

I served on two aircraft carriers. Whenever the anchors were deployed or retrieved, NO ONE was allowed to be in the windlass room! The links weighed 350 lbs. each and were each composed of three pieces. Imagine the results if one of them broke under tension and people were in the room!

[@jamessones4044]

Hi. What is the protocol when if/when the anchor is lost? Would it be salvaged if shallow or not at all? The sound of that much steal smashing around must be breathtaking

[@Costumekiller]

No way it only weighs 350 per link not even close

[@TheBamaChad-W4CHD]

@Costumekiller ⁠check out the specs for various types of aircraft carriers used over the years in various navies. You will discover that there are in fact links that weigh 350 pounds. Some even weighed less and many much more.

[@svenjansen2134]

Your 69th like was mine.

[@Loki_Dokie]

​@@TheBamaChad-W4CHDnot sure why people wouldn't believe that, all they need to do is realize how big the ship is

[@keywacat]

'Typically made of heavy metal' [calm dentist office music continues]

[@Mediocre_JT]

Yeah, I was hoping for at least a guitar solo when the anchor was dropping.

[@davepowell7168]

Special drums known as wildcats 🎉

[@music4ever1981]

This video was really interesting and informative! Speaking from my perspective as a US Navy submarine veteran, the bottom of the anchor on a submarine is designed in such a way that when the anchor is stored, the bottom of it conforms to the vessel's round bottom. There's holes in the bottom of the submarine that are specifically designed for the anchor's flukes, and the chain is stored in a bin in one of the main ballast tanks. When the anchor is stored in place, if you were to look at the bottom of the submarine when it's in drydock, unless you knew what you were looking for, it would be difficult to spot the anchor.

[@williamtsmith9668]

Thank YOU much for your service. 👻🗽💯

[@music4ever1981]

@@williamtsmith9668 Thank you for the compliment! I appreciate your support! 🇺🇲 Did you serve?

[@jasonrjohnston]

It never even occured to me that submarines have anchors. Of course they do. 🤯

[@coloradostrong]

@@williamtsmith9668 What "service"?

[@music4ever1981]

@@coloradostrong I was in the US Navy for 9 years, all active duty. I spent 5 years on a submarine, which resulted in 8 patrols. I served from Aug 2001 to Dec 2010.

[@oicfas4523]

I can't even imagine how you can stop such a heavy chain moving so fast downward with so much inertia in so little time. Amazing.

[@patrickkenney2259]

Same concept that stops automobiles. Friction exerted with immense pressure = stopping.

[@oicfas4523]

@@patrickkenney2259 I realized there must be a braking device. I was just marveling at how it can work so well. I think the heat generated during braking must be immense.

[@ws8061]

Big hydraulic pumps and asbestos brakes, there's actually a good bit of equipment just one deck down from the wildcats. It is wild though, everything on a Carrier is just so massive. Each link is roughly 300 lbs, anchors 32 tons a piece.

[@thismybid]

Earth dont spin genius simple

[@redrob6026]

Just grab it

[@brukujinbrokujin7802]

Fun fact. The one holding the ship is not actually the anchor, but the weight of the chain multiplied by the distance from center of chain to ship. This is why ships can stop even if they are above mud seabed where anchor wont clog into anything

[@Gigachad-mc5qz]

How does that work? Youd need something to hold on to? Or does the water itself provide enough friction?

[@prabalkahlon6910]

Details?

[@watetwolf54]

If I understand correctly, anchor is just a guide-pinpoint for the chain to follow. The chain itself is actually the thing that stops the ship (to be more specific, the friction between chain and the seafloor). So the more of chain is unfolded - the more of it is touching the floor - therefore more friction - more stoping power. *According to the information that I remember, be welcome to correct me if I'm wrong.

[@endymion2001]

@@Gigachad-mc5qz It’s just the weight of the chain, not so much the friction.

[@zefir813]

@@endymion2001 but the chain weight doesn't change when deployed, it's the same when inside the ship.

[@bluegizmo1983]

The anchor itself on large ships provides very little to none of the actual holding power when it's lowered into the water. The weight of the anchor is really just there to help pull out the chain. The weight of the chain itself stretched out along the sea floor is what actually holds the ship.

[@johnhuldt]

Casual Navigation did a whole video on this very topic as well :)

[@dimitristripakis7364]

This is why even smaller boats have some chain to the anchor and then the rope. If you tie the anchor with a rope (without a chain) it will tense repeatedly and break something. The chain provides a smooth bouncing.

[@CaptainRockoBD]

Duh

[@CaptainRockoBD]

@@dimitristripakis7364incorrect. Anchor isn’t used to stop, it’s used to keep a stopped ship from moving. There shouldn’t be that much stress on the anchor to begin with.

[@patrickdoyle9369]

We don't talk about large weights in pounds... ONLY TONNES ..

[@sirclemeni1]

only freedom units can describe the anchor of a freedom bringer

[@allnamesaretakenb4]

Cause freedom aint needs accuracy

[@jjkill3847]

Like ya girlfriend

[@Glace077]

Common America W

[@edtracy650]

Aircraft Carrier anchors are not just 30000 pounds. They are 30 Tons. 60000 pounds.

[@BeckVMH]

The hazards of this work looks incredible and pretty daunting from an outsiders perspective. Kudos and appreciation to all involved.

[@BeckVMH]

@Duffelbag Drag Haha valid point.

[@RCAvhstape]

@Duffelbag Drag Until you get hit by an antiship missile barrage and lose 3000 guys in one bad afternoon.

[@dougewald243]

Sailors who work with these anchors aren't called "swabbies" like other sailors or the other nicknames sailors enjoy. The special name reserved just for them is "limpy" for obvious reasons. Or if you really like the guy/girl you can use the very affectionate 'gimpy" if the mood strikes.

[@dougewald243]

@Duffelbag Drag Typical interserice rivalry that often results in people not being just disgruntled but wounded or dead. It's sad that you actually believe the Navy is less dangerous than the army. You have obviously never set foot aboard a ship during ops. It's the dumb ones who volunteer to be shoot at in the desert by even dumber people. I'm ex Navy and Army so you can keep your comeback to yourself.

[@dougewald243]

@@BeckVMH, nowhere close to "valid." Have you served in the Navy? No branch is any less dangerous than any other.

[@LAGoodz]

From a different perspective ships anchors are the bane of my life working as a global communications engineer. They regularly drag across submarine floor breaking fibre cables, disrupting Communications and Internet across the world and can sometimes take weeks to fix using specialist cable repair ships.

[@waterboy8999]

That's why wee have charts, and I'm only a leisure sailor.

[@LAGoodz]

@@waterboy8999 Well they need to read them. In recent years my company’s off-shore data centres in Jersey, Guernsey were cut off. The FLAG Europe-UAE & Asia cables in the Med were severed. This is just a few caused by shipping.

[@waterboy8999]

@@LAGoodz yes, and the captain of a certain cruise ship in the Med a few years ago....

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

Obviously that is not satisfactory, but it is completely predictable, and is the flaw in the concept of the submarine cable

[@harryschaefer8563]

The room with the windlass is called the forecastle. My Marine son told me that the forecastle is a special part of the ship where promotions are sometimes awarded. I got to go on a "Tiger Cruise" with my son aboard the USS America. It was a major highlight of my 74 years.

[@johnlucier5654]

Everyone refers to it as fo'c'sle.

[@brian.7966]

yes, it's where you get the Golden rivit...

[@tombiby5892]

@@johnlucier5654 Good call. Sailors don't have time to enunciate long words when a hurricane's a-brewin'

[@johnlucier5654]

On the Coral Sea (CV-43) they had a weight room right under the focsle, of course it was tiny and consisted of one full station universal machine, you know the ones with stacks you put the pins in. Because the focsle is way up front at the bow, its movements up and down with the waves are more pronounced than anywhere else on the ship, making workouts very interesting. That 180 lb bench press goes to 300lbs then back below 100 during each rep. We went thru hurricane Ewa off the coast of hawaii I think it was 81, that was interesting to say the least.

[@lopan1698]

Whenever someone says there's a "special place where promotions are awarded" in the service, my imagination defaults to thinking it's for violently explosive high-turnover job openings providing so much upward mobility. I'm Artillery and we shared living & working space with EOD & Ordnance guys. One sympathizes.

[@rhodalphssanitorium5010]

I was in the US Navy. Thought I missed it the first time through, so I had to watch this a second time. The smart sounding lady did not answer the reason I clicked the video. I still don't know how an aircraft carrier drops it's anchor at full speed. That would have been something to see. Thanks anyhow. Love watching big ships in action.

[@PoppiB]

@@jonfrost2152 Understand, the anchor and chain don't have to hit the bottom to offer enough DRAG in the water to help a ship turn or stop.

[@robertquast9684]

I think they were referring to letting it free fall without restriction

[@SaintSaint]

@@robertquast9684 Yeah. I was also kind of hoping they were referring to the ship's speed and not the speed at which the anchor dropped. I was just too embarrassed to say something.

[@barryharris4]

Having built US Navy ships my entire life, it’s quite exciting for the brake band on the winless to catch on fire during free fall operation. This is due to hydraulic oil leaks in the system. An unavoidable consequence on the older anchor systems. I’ve been doing this 30 something years.

[@andypage9]

windlass not winless

[@johnlucier5654]

@@andypage9 they musta spelled it different 30 something years ago.

[@philh.7100]

Couldn’t they upgrade the hydraulic system to repair the oil leaks

[@HighlanderNorth1]

@@andypage9 ❓ So, do you expect the NY Jets to do so poorly that they end up with a windlass record?😁 Btw folks, that's the Russian protected cruiser Aurora at 0:31. It was launched in 1900 and commissioned in 1903. It's super cool that they saved and restored that old cruiser, because there are only about 2 or maybe 3 protected cruisers left in the world. MANY of them were cutting edge when ordered, but became obsolete just a few years later, after they were completed and entered service! During the post WW1 and WW2 period, these obsolete cruisers were quickly scrapped and their steel recycled into newer ships. The only other existing protected cruiser that I can think of is the USS Olympia in Philadelphia.

[@HighlanderNorth1]

@@philh.7100 When I worked on carriers, we didn't have to bother with "hydraulics" to slow the anchors. As the anchor was being dropped, I just wrapped my arms around the anchor chain and applied pressure to it, which dramatically slowed it's descent. Sure, it caused some skin abrasions, and I ruined a lot of uniform shirts, but the navy happily paid for 25 new shirts a month..... 😉

[@stevensaid2200]

Another interesting fact about why arresting gear is needed is because the planes have to land at full power to ensure that if anything goes wrong the plane will have enough speed to take off again on the other end of the ship. Also I’ve seen video of an arresting gear cable snapping and taking some of the flight deck personnel’s legs off. A flight deck is by far one of the most dangerous places to work.

[@johnb3289]

Great video. Technical point. The purpose of the anchor is to hold the chain on the bottom. When a ship pays out its anchor chain, the bulk of the chain is on the bottom, and a small part angles upwards through the hawsepipe and onto the forecastle and is "clipped" in place by the pelican hook that is connected to a strong padeye on the deck. That curve is called "catenary" and serves as a "spring" to absorb the strain wind and seas would exert on the ship, as more chain is lifted off the bottom. When the seas calm, that chain that was lifted off the bottom eases back onto the seabed. The anchor plays a critical part, but it is the accumulated friction of the chain on the bottom combined with the anchor that holds the ship at its anchorage.

[@keamu8580]

Yes! The anchor hook itself would not be enough to keep the ship from straying. It's also friction, and the enormous weight of the chain (which increases due to classical mechanics as the chain is pulled horizontal) that reaches an equilibrium with the ocean forces and holds the ship in place. When pulled horizontal, the chain effectively weighs so much that even the mass of the ship cannot overcome it.

[@TheDaniel688]

Thank you, I was waiting for the video to explain that the weight of the chain plays a significant part in anchoring a ship, not just the strength of the chain, but the video missed this important detail.

[@baldskits]

I thought the catenary results in a straight pull on the anchor. Since the flukes can swivel, this results in digging the anchor deeper, the harder the strain.

[@neilthomson168]

The weight of the sea on the chain on the ocean floor together with the shallow angle of the chain to the ship provides the resistance or strength to the anchor system … in other words a 30 ton anchor and chain system hanging just perpendicular would not provide the strength to secure the force of an aircraft carrier being moved by the seas. In stormy seas, the ratio is 7 to 1, meaning for every foot of depth at anchor, 7 feet of chain needs to be lying on the ocean floor … hence why the chain is over 1,000 feet long.

[@steiny3353]

John B ..Well THAT is very interesting, John. I didn't know that, but when you explain it like that , it all makes sense. Thank you.

[@catatonicbug7522]

Just had my first experience with a ground-based arresting cable last week. The commercial plane I was on ran over the cable just before takeoff from the VPS (Valparaiso, FL) airport. The runway is shared by Eglin AFB.

[@Hurst6969]

It’s amazing watching an aircraft engage a barrier pendant. Navy vs AF engagements are very different!

[@catatonicbug7522]

@@Hurst6969 of course! For the AF, it's an emergency, but for the Navy, it's just a landing.

[@chrislewis7238]

It's not the anchor that holds the ship, it's the weight of the chain on the sea floor that does. The anchor is there to keep the chain in place.

[@GirishVenkatachalam]

Thanks

[@wallacegrommet9343]

You have it backwards. Chain is used instead of rope or wire because it resists abrasion and is easier to be lifted by a windlass, which grips each link securely.

[@chrislewis7238]

@@wallacegrommet9343 That was the explanation that was given in Seamen school so I'm gonna continue to go with that one and if you can find me a rope or wire that can pull a 30,000 pound anchor through the Hawsepipe across the deck around the windlass and down into the Anchor chain room and come back up without turning into a big knot I'd like to buy stock in that company

[@MrSkullWolf]

@@chrislewis7238 lol 😂 exactly navy taught us the right way lol

[@flick22601]

I was just getting ready to make the same comment as you did Chris.

[@user-vy3de8me9t]

Such a task can't be done without specialized engineering supervision and alert personnel teams,outstanding work 👍

[@wichitarick]

Cool, is rare or distorted a lot when viewing that many times! This gives a brief glimpse of how DANGEROUS handling that chain could be,it misses in the fact,that is just ONE :) I slept right under the 3 wire on 2 cruises & worked full ops for days on end but just being around the systems around the forecastle had me hugging the bulkhead :) Thanks to my curious bosses a Lt. and a master chief we got to see them install the main chains and anchors(systems) in dry dock on the U.S.S America & Indy Also saw them re-install the engines and propellers on the America, have always regretted not finding a way into the engine rooms during full ops :( Met the crew testing or "pinging" those links on the dock of the Indy it wasn't glamorous lol ,we were popular ,we had permission to drive a work van onto the dock so we could bring real food AND BEER :) true Navy way a squadron hat and some beer will get you access to many places :) Have done all manner of crazy dangerous jobs and that was the best for about a dollar and hr :) Side note I liked going in the forecastle on a cruise because it is CLEAN :) everywhere I lived and worked was soaked in j.p.5 :)Be safe and a heads up to anyone who has ever worked on one these boats :) Peace. Rick

[@inconnu4961]

I'm going to assume J.P.5 is the jet fuel?

[@wichitarick]

@@inconnu4961 Yes assume correctly, actually is no escaping it anywhere, Especially under jets all day or night,funny part is it washes off all the hydraulic oil & cuts through black layer of jet exhaust "film" that cover everything else :) If your lucky and work in a few shops you can wash off the jp,(it is diesel fuel so it has oil in it), in acetone or MeK :) Rick

[@kirkkirkland7244]

Boats????? No SHIPS!!!!

[@RainingArtillery]

Fun fact the big metal bit at the end just guides the chain. What keeps the ship in place is the actual chain dragging against the sea floor.

[@Bduh2]

I can't even come close to imagine the constant maintenance on an aircraft carrier but I envision the "simple" maintenance on my truck and multiply that by a million just to get close to imagine what needs to be done to keep the ship in tip-top condition and, I think, that's not even close because there are so many departments with their own maintenance.

[@deirdre108]

@@busimagen You're right! My experience was that a 12 hour work day was a short day.

[@timothyboone5003]

The comparison of working on your truck, would be more accurate if you drove it only in the beach every day.

[@crazyredhare]

A simple sweep and dusting occurs every morning. Imagine five thousand close quartered persons shedding skin cells.

[@WhittaII]

Yeah fuck that it stresses me out looking after my machine at work let alone a whole fucking ship

[@kube426]

then add the 100 or so aircraft on it that also need constang maintenance

[@luxuryhub1323]

i was aboard the USS America on a "Tiger Cruise" with my Marine Son. I was allowed to wander all over the ship at will, and I returned to the forecastle many times because of ceremonial significance of the forecastle. My son explained that often, promotion ceremonies are held there. For the rest of my life I will be grateful to the Navy for giving me the opportunity to live life aboard an aircraft carrier with my son. The food was damn good too! Happy to see that Navy beat Army today!!

[@yyxy.oncesaid]

Navy beat Army at what please sir.We can read Ur mind unfortunately

[@blakeh6250]

@@yyxy.oncesaid its a famous football rivalry for over 100 years.

[@blakeh6250]

Did a few of those on destroyers..we got to show off shooting the big guns.

[@podunkcitizen2562]

@@blakeh6250 Yes, and the game will be in Dec. 2022 so I don't get it.

[@seanswader2124]

@@yyxy.oncesaid wth

[@0mnom]

I’d love to witness that in person (from afar lol), I reckon it would be a massive thrill to see so much weight and power moving at that speed, I wonder if everyone on the ship feels it under the feet as it happens? Fascinating

[@michaelfortier9907]

I served on the USS Constellation, CV-64 in the 80’s. When they dropped an anchor, You felt it and heard it. I was 3 or 4 levels below it and astern a bit. It was a slightly distant mechanical banging-clanging at the start that you could not miss, there was no mistaking what you were hearing. Also had a resonating tone to it once it got moving. I played with an audio tone generator to find the frequency from memory. I thing it was about 550 Hz-the sound. Lasted about 4 to 5 seconds as I recall. I remember feeling several pulses of energy when an anchor was dropped also. I might be off a little, it’s been 35 years!

[@sydneymomma11]

​@@michaelfortier9907 Thank you for sharing this, I was able to experience it from just your words. cheers.

[@idonwantella2824]

The final question for my ESWS was "Where were the anchors manufactured"? I do not have the slightest clue now, but that was 21 years ago.... Earning ESWS on an LHA was my most satisfying achievements during my service. I do regret not getting EAWS but it was far more difficult because the Aviation divisions were too busy to sit down with us.

[@sjp35productions6]

Fun facts about the BAK-12: It uses a B-52 brake to slow the aircraft catching the cable. There are 2 brake/engine combos, one on each side of the runway. The reason you saw a firefighter running the BAK-12 is because during an emergency, we can’t always get the CE crews out in time to reset the cable. We (base fire dept.) trained at least once per quarter on resetting the cable. It’s a lot of coordination between the two crews to pull the cable back in place. But wait! There’s more! There was a second arresting system that used webbing stretched across the runway called the BAK-11. That was for large frame aircraft to catch. What did this use to slow and stop aircraft? Anchor chain!

[@maximumdura3077]

Hell yeah, power pro

[@deirdre108]

This was interesting. My squadron berthing compartment on CVAN-65 USS Enterprise was just aft of the fo'c'sle, the compartment where you see the chains in this video. It was kind of a nice place to hang out unless the Bos'n's were doing maintenance or anchor drops. We were caught in a typhoon in the South China Sea and the waves were so high that water was entering the anchor chain holes (sorry, I forget the nautical term for these, I was an airedale) and flooding into our berthing compartment.

[@baraxor]

Hawse pipes.

[@deirdre108]

@@baraxor Thanks! I could have never remembered that term.

[@forcetechno2190]

incredible when the officer dropped the anchor. how the anchor falls slowly into the water. a beauty

[@lizardskinard3485]

Thanx for the memories. Spent 3 years onboard the USS Saratoga (CV60) in the 80's. Those were the days!!

[@PoppiB]

I left her in 84 Best of the 5 ships I served on.

[@Sagittarius-A-Star]

It's incredible how much effort has to be put into maintaining a seemingly unimportant part like an anchor chain.

[@MervandtheMagicTones]

It probably cost half a million dollars. That's reason enough

[@supertramp6011]

And it is a very important part of any ship….

[@alexayache8556]

I guess brakes on a car aren't that important either ....

[@megaluckydog1212]

"If it moves salute it, if it doesn't move paint it." RN.

[@Sagittarius-A-Star]

@@capablemachine Right - I chose the wrong word but at least I put "seemingly" in front of it ;-)

[@axelfoley1768]

America,, what an amazing country. The engineering prowess & logistics acumen is mind-blowing

[@justinkraynie6435]

Amazing how this video about aircraft arresting systems briefly gave mention of an anchor and never explained "How US Navy Drops MASSIVE Aircraft Carrier Anchor at Full Speed".

[@tampoponomonogatari]

Yeah, this video kind of crapped out halfway through and turned into a documentary on land-based aircraft landing arrest systems. An interesting topic in its own right, I guess, but not a lot to do with aircraft carrier anchors. I was kind of bummed out.

[@deathtrapgonzo7141]

The system they start to show at 10:30 is actually called M31 MCEAGS (Marine Corps Expeditionary Arresting Gear System). It's a self contained mobile arresting gear system the Marine Corps can install pretty much anywhere.

[@vp4822]

Makes sense, and totally useful to have. E.g., in places with very short run-ways.

[@longbowshooter5291]

Somehow I missed them dropping the anchor while going full speed?

[@wudznutt6732]

Me too.

[@mc911]

@@wudznutt6732 me three

[@mytech6779]

I think they meant anchor in free fall, because the editors are idiots with poor grasp of the language.

[@podulox]

@@wudznutt6732 Me foor.

[@RCAvhstape]

Yes, and halfway through the video it suddenly turned into a lecture about aircraft arresting gear systems for some reason.

[@chicobicalho5621]

It isn't only the anchor, "hooked" to the sea bed that keeps the ship from moving, but a great length of chain as well, who's weight, stretched along the bottom of the sea providing slack to stop the boat from drifting away.

[@Max_Meier]

The anchor itself does nothing else than to give the chain a fixpoint, it isn't even theoretically capable of holding the ship in place.

[@timotmon]

This is cool, I was in a squadron on USS Saratoga and then the USS Enterprise.. even though I've been in this space at the forecastle many times I never got to see the anchor actually being dropped.

[@PoppiB]

it's loud, and the RUST DUST is blinding.

[@timotmon]

@@PoppiB Yeah, I do remember hearing it! Our birthing was above it. So rust dust, I see they have eye protection.. what about their lungs?

[@PoppiB]

@@timotmon all these after-thoughts, We’ve only had anchor chains for what 150 years? My berthing was under the starboard cat. My rack tree was only 2 high because of the cat tunnel. Got to the point where I couldn’t sleep if we weren’t launching…

[@timotmon]

@@PoppiB God I know.. I used to jog through the hanger bay while the corrosion teams were painting their birds in the wide open. What was I thinking? If I remember they were supposed to be using a sort of epoxy safer than polyurethane or something like that. Then I found out our corrosion team was using the unsafe version on the ship, then it turned out most of the squadrons were as well.

[@Fazzel]

I was a black shoe on the USS Constellation for 3 years and the only time I can recall the anchor being used was one time when we were in Hong Kong harbor. For some reason we couldn't dock there. Of course if you are tied to the pier you don't need to use the anchor. (For those that don't know, a black shoe is someone permanently assigned to the ship and a brown shoe is the people assigned to a squadron and go where their squadron goes.)

[@Chuck59ish]

Tailhooks on land based fighters are nothing new, we had them on the McDonnell-Douglas CF-101 Voodoo that was built in the 1950s, hook was on a spring steel arm like a big leaf spring in your truck and had to manually set back into place. In fact on the TV show My Three Sons, the character played by Fred McMurray, Steve Douglas, was a McDonnell-Douglas Engineer attached to an Air Base in California where there was a F-101 Voodoo wing.

[@tommurphy4307]

come on, Uncle Charley.....

[@kepler186f4]

Excellent video about the anchor chains and arresting systems. I was a bit disappointed that there was no mention of the motors that retrieve the fifteen ton anchor chains.

[@JohnThomas-ci9ml]

No mention either of the need to have the ship perfectly stationary vis à vis the sea floor otherwise the momentum of a moving ship of that size would just tear the hook off. Have been on board a supertanker on the bridge as the very fraught procedure was undertaken. As soon as the ship was stationary & the hook was dropped the relief of the crew was palpable.

[@kepler186f4]

@@JohnThomas-ci9ml The tremendous energies involved would be phenomenal. I suppose a ship of that tonnage would use thrusters instead of sea anchors for station keeping.

[@JohnThomas-ci9ml]

@@kepler186f4 Sea anchors. They were definitely dropping the hook(s). I remember they had some sort of Doppler equipment to measure the motion of the ship against the sea floor. Maybe they had thrusters to help achieve optimum conditions. Very intense concentration from all concerned. The hook would have been torn off even at a slow crawling speed less than a knot. No ifs or buts. The ship had to be stationary.

[@kepler186f4]

@@JohnThomas-ci9ml What some without understanding would considered a simple task, others with knowledge would know how stressful a situation like that is.

[@steveib724]

@@JohnThomas-ci9ml gotta be moving to set an anchor ⚓️ that anchor ain't snapping

[@noelht1]

3:25 I like how my man is testing the anchor and representing his clique at the same time.

[@StreamCrops]

11:44 The US Navy also enlists common arachnids to build emergency web systems which act as a final line of defense

[@thetruelu8116]

🦷

[@vp4822]

Roger that

[@PoppiB]

You know that information is still classified.

[@arandomguyontheinternet9057]

spooder

[@alexiswilks]

they enlist what now?

[@robertmcdonnold3038]

No mention of showing the anchor being dropped at "full-speed". What does arresting Lines and the airforce have to do with anchors. You should have tried a little harder to present the anchoring system of a ship. Two unrelated stories presented together. Do better next time. Your welcome Bob

[@coloradostrong]

_You're_ welcome, not "your" welcome. Bob.

[@robertmcdonnold3038]

@@coloradostrong thank you, I'll do better next time.

[@Urbicide]

There is a neat video here on YT showing a navy ship losing it's anchor & chain during a training exercise. A couple of very brief clips from the video were shown in this video. The wildcat could not stop the rapidly free-running chain, & the whole length of the chain ended up on the sea bottom. There was so much rust dust kicked up by the chain that you could barely see. Check it out.

[@joelpatterson9410]

yeah just fantastic)

[@tomtransport]

I saw that, I also commented----"Chain made in USA wildcat (brake) made in China". Oops.

[@johnlucier5654]

Yeah that was an amphib landing ship I think pretty fat anchor and chain. Not quite as big as the CVNs tho. That video lookd like a disaster scene for sure and it looked like it caused damage.

[@monk1776]

Watched this in person from the chain locker on the USS -NASSAU LHA-4 it's incredibly loud and the whole compartment filled with smoke, it was awsome.

[@pacificcoastpiper3949]

And I’ll bet everything shook

[@jamesgrandt8194]

The birthing compartment my division was assigned aboard the USS Coronado (LPD-11) was where the anchor shaft was located. Being in the rack when the anchor was dropped was like having an earthquake.

[@johnlucier5654]

LOL you mean berthing though with all the women coming back from cruises pregnant perhaps someday they will rename it. If you think anchor drops were noisy, nearly any berthing space on a CV is a racket when flight ops are going on. Air wing personnel are berthed just below the hangar deck and our work spaces are just below flight deck. You get used to the noise.

[@casajump]

@@johnlucier5654 Air Wing VAW-125 berthing area right below the third arresting cable on CV-60. I can sleep through almost anything now.

[@ogbytes]

My berthing compartment was in the same place on the FID. All the way forward by frame 5. Ig the hook wasn't being dropped; the cats were in use during night flight ops. Like Greg J. stated, I can sleep through almost anything.

[@PoppiB]

@@johnlucier5654 also on CV-60, OPS berthing is right below the forward cats, my rack was the top rack under the starboard cat. When I say under, the normal rack configuration is 3 high, mine was 2 high, and sitting up had me head against the overhead (ceiling). During a deployment, after a week, I couldn’t sleep unless we were launching.

[@PoppiB]

@@ogbytes last time I saw FID & SARA together was in Newport RI. They were way too quiet. I got to go down the pier, when SARA was being towed off to Texas. No pumps, no hull noises. It was obvious, she was dead.

[@pmichael73]

My departure from a US carrier was delayed when the anchor got away from the crew and anchor and all the chain went to the bottom (The end of the chain is not connected to anything.) Each link in my carrier's anchor chain was 360 pounds and each anchor weighed 30 tons. It always amazed me that the chains were pulled taut on the forecastle.

[@hcolt360]

Why don’t they connect the end of the chain to anything?

[@drfiberglass]

Had the same problem while in the Coast Guard. It took all day dredging for the chain before snagging onto it.

[@lelandgaunt9985]

@@hcolt360 It is for emergency reasons, in case the ship needs to dump it. Or if the anchor is caught on something at the bottom it can be ditched as well.

[@pmichael73]

@@hcolt360 The weight of the anchor and chain could tear out several bulkheads and damage machinery, electrical systems, water supplies, etc.

[@PhilSmith71]

Forgive my landlubber ignorance…. If the anchor chain is not connected to anything, how does the crew stop the chain from getting away(?) from them and conversely, how is the anchor chain brought up into the ship?

[@philipmontoya2078]

Kudos and appreciation to all involved.

[@robroskey6515]

It's crazy to me how many different and massive components and areas of the ship it takes to operate a carrier. Nevermind a small city worth of people.

[@aldolajak1267]

I like the cool high tech car-tire component of the Air Force's BAK-12 system.

[@ginog5037]

It was probably a $20k modification...lol

[@hairyparatestes1183]

That high tech tire probably cost the American tax payer $26k knowing our Federal government.

[@jeremyhess7977]

Yeah...that's some hokey shit right there. 😂

[@SDrtheone]

I’m very confused how we went from Anchors to stopping aircraft… I mean I can see the connections but…

[@jpatt1000]

I don't know If a BAK-12 is installed atOshkosh every year (probably not as we had an F-16 go off the end of 18 a few years back) but there was one (or a unit similar to it) in place in '91 or '92 the first time the F-117 made an appearance at EAA. It was brought in a few weeks prior and a pair of F-4 Phantoms were testing it after it was in place. IIRC a tailhook has been installed on every USAF from the F-100 onwards.

[@Scootersnmore]

Very true crazy choreograph, chaos, dangerous lethal adrenaline rush loved it for years

[@robertbishop5357]

What does arresting gear have to do with anchors?

[@Jonathan.D]

Is your comment satire?

[@napiersliberty]

seriously? this has to be a joke

[@hoosierdaddy4742]

I race drag boats, so I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to anchors, but...I would have to imagine it has a WHOLE LOT to do with them being able to control it & slow it down to keep it from just free-reeling/running itself all the way out due to all the speed/weight/gravity/inertia involved once it starts hauling ass!

[@jeremyhess7977]

Nothing..... nothing at all. They're two entirely separate systems.

[@DetroitMicroSound]

"Is [this chain’s] pattern strange to you? Or would you know the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? It was as heavy and as long as this seven Christmas Eves ago. You have labored in it since. It is a ponderous chain” -Jacob Marley.

[@lifeofjelllo3596]

former Aviation Machinists Mate from the navy here. i was on a deployment on the Eisenhower back in 2020, and it baffles me how something so massive could move so terrifyingly fast. keeping your head on a swivel transfers over to the civilian world too

[@SurpriseMurder]

at the end of each use, seamen give the chain a slap and utter: "this baby ain't going nowhere."

[@mommymawmaw1852]

Love and respect to those who serve in all areas of these ships and in our military

[@TheBenjammin]

They do a great job killing civilians and spreading chaos and death throughout the world. What's next? You're going to thank God for us dropping atomic bombs on civilian targets in Japan?

[@jamesrichardthompson]

Not "wind-lass" it is pronounced "WIND less".

[@frednutz1604]

You might want to look up the definition of "windlass" James.

[@5DNRG]

...and forecastle is pronounced foksil....

[@BrokenMedic]

Those anchor rooms look amazingly clean and decorated. I was in the army and we took pride in certain areas and decorated them similar. Can anyone in the navy confirm ? Also these areas were only open to certain people of an MOS.

[@desertegle40cal]

LOL, the greatest feat one must get over while living on an aircraft carrier, in my opinion of course, is where the air wing sleeps. We slept two decks DIRECTLY BELOW flight deck and on deck below the arresting gear machines. It goes, flight deck, the arresting gear deck and then the air wing birthings. On both my cruises most of our sorties were flown during the day so if you were on night check you had to sleep through aircraft basically landing on your head. The thump, then the high pitched grinding whistling noise of the arresting gear machines doing their thing was loud as heck! It takes you about a month to not hear them anymore and THEN you can practically sleep through a hurricane. Fun fact, the best sleep you’ll ever get on a carrier is in rough seas. The aircraft carrier is so big that it just rocks you to sleep and you feel you can sleep forever. Its is the best sleep i think ive ever gotten in my life lol.. Also, for a reason that is pretty understandable, most of the birthings are found in the middle of the ship. Not many in the bow or aft of the ship because it its hard to sleep when the aft and bow are getting the most travel. I remember this one time where we went through the Atlantic when we did our world cruise on the Vinson and it was like 40 foot swells with clear blue skies. We had a Halo Xbox tournament in the bow of the ship on our way home. Which ill remember for the rest of my life because three of my buddies and I entered the tournament and we were doing GREAT! But then all of a sudden you saw one person get up and run out of the shop they were holding it in, then another, and another. My team was in second place and in the runnings for the final round. But then the tournament coordinator cancelled the tournament for the day because too many were getting sea sick because of where the tournament was located. That pissed us off because the day they had it next was on a day where the air wings was back to flying sorties when the seas got calm again. So we couldn’t compete! It was for a brand new Xbox and the newest Halo game. We were going to win it for our AM shop for everyone to play when they were off duty as well as watch movies.. But nope, because a bunch of green gills never left their shops and never experienced rough seas like the ones we were in, they cancelled it due to so many people getting sea sick. We could have won that xbox! And we didn’t get our 25 bucks back either! Oh well. LoL

[@taraswertelecki3786]

The anchor chain is not attached to the ship, it is held in in the chain locker by gravity. Only the catspans and drums that pull up or lower the chain connect it to the ship. The chain locker is a void, or space not intended for human occupation, and the chain just piles up in it. It is normally never entered by the crew.

[@philmenzies2477]

BS

[@joelang6126]

It's connected to the ship via the "The Bitter End"

[@taraswertelecki3786]

That's the mooring lines.

[@joelang6126]

@@taraswertelecki3786 Mooring ropes are not connected to anything. The anchor chain is secured to the vessels structure via the bitter end. The chain locker is inspected at least every year. I've been at sea 20 years as a deck officer, look it up.

[@taraswertelecki3786]

@@joelang6126 Have you even been in the chain locker? I have been. Never did I see anything to which anchor chains were attached. The catspans on the decks though engage the chains like sprockets. However, some ships do not have anchor chains, they have a thick wire rope at the end of which the anchor is attached. The other end is connected to a windlass.

[@Kane-ib5sn]

if the woman narrating these videos is also producing them - she's absolutely brilliant at what she's doing. the specifics of the technology, and an eye for the beauty of the thing she's describing. very accurate.

[@viperdemonz-jenkins]

am sure she is part of the NAVY, she know the subject far to well to not be.

[@brotherimzee]

i love it when we still use good ol tech that hasnt changed much. after 100s of years nothing beats a huge hunk of metal on a chain.

[@mattalden10]

its terrifying how much energy and mass is being handled by those chains.

[@rl8571]

Anchor drops on a Navy ship is a very intense event with no less than 6 people for their larger sized ships. Then i went on a luxury cruise ship which was bigger than an AS or AD, and the anchor drop had only 3 people and they were casually chatting while the anchor was dropping. Go Navy!

[@thornil2231]

Go Navy , because it takes 6 guys to do a mindless job that 3 people do while casually chatting?

[@nix4644]

@@thornil2231 Can you say 'facetious'...

[@kirkkirkland7244]

It never bothered me dropping the anchor on my ship! It's a pretty safe operation as long as you know what your doing!!!

[@bikersoncall]

I was the captain of three of the Navy's largest battleships during WWII, at the same time, I personally attended all anchor droppings because I felt that it was my duty, being the most important part of a ship's operations, and being the most important man in the Navy, I say this because I read the first 10 comments, and you should thank me for my service, whether I served or not, because I can spell anchor and Navy, having watched others do it.

[@podulox]

No wonder you don't have time for Ads...

[@romelegionmaker8625]

Wow, thats INCREDIBLE! What did you experience, MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN THE NAVY, while serving in the INTENSE PACIFIC THEATER! You are a god among men and my hero.

[@bikersoncall]

@@podulox No wonder you can't cook, you're too busy with your mindless, and childish one liners. 🤐🤪🤣🤣 I'm sure we would all love to see what you have 'ever' written in in your life that was more than a sentence, and in the interest of improving our community here at youtube, or attempting to improve the human experience through writing about freedom, and the human condition, what makes it all work, and what impedes it. All ears bro...

[@bikersoncall]

@@romelegionmaker8625 Gnats, Mosquitos, and horrible-food*, 😲 *which was easily corrected during my PTSD recovery; 🍕🍕 All kidding aside, I have great respect for the men that died and served in the military, under the assumption that they were fighting to preserve our freedom, which includes family members from the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Iraq.

[@JDs_RandomHandle]

Probably one of the funniest things I've read in a while.

[@goosecubes]

This was fun and nostalgic to watch. I was on the USS Theodore Roosevelt cvn-71. I operated and lead catapults 3 and 4 at various times of my sea-duty. I later went to shore-duty in PAX River MD, where I also got to operate in the test catapult and arresting gear. The gear engine and damper systems are very similar to what is on board the ship. I'm no stranger to maintaining large and heavy equipment and seeing those sailors working on the anchor systems; that's hard work for sure. Even the airman have hard work running drills/operations and maintaining those air-force variants of the arresting system. Thank you.

[@prestonbaldwin796]

Thank you for your service. Pax ain’t to far from me. As a civilian I have done construction work there multiple times. I’m from Calvert

[@marekpumex5452]

TV is so good at keeping You to listen the same infos over and over during this 11 minutes and You still feel excitement You learning something new :D

[@nelsmohawk257]

The purpose of the anchor is to pull out the chain, the chain is pulled out along the sea floor via the ship backing down and a swing arch (the point of anchor drop to a specified length: dependent on the depth of the anchor spot) is plotted. That's why the anchor drop spot is Not where the anchorage spot is designated. The weight of the chain on the sea floor is what holds the ship in place.

[@crunchu2361]

@@MidwestFarmToys yes

[@brookeggleston9314]

@@MidwestFarmToys *YES!!*

[@ianhadlock2405]

Incredible respect to anyone serving in any branch of our military. Thanks

[@joshuakarr-BibleMan]

That anchor drop test at about 4:00 or so, made my skin crawl. I was a pit snipe, and I'm a machine repairman now, but seeing that chain tear through, knowing those links are like 250 lbs of steel each, just gave me a lot more respect for the deck apes.

[@mattjones5987]

Wow, look how that chain sparks on the metal loop!

[@Stacy_Smith]

It's the weight of the chain that holds the ship in place NOT the anchor! The anchor just provides "grip" on the seabed to keep the chain from moving.

[@jamesfloyd1864]

Correct! It's the weight of a long section of chain lying on the bottom that holds the vessel in place. Thank you for making that clear.

[@brussels13207]

“Made of heavy metal” gosh I never would have guessed that!

[@tampoponomonogatari]

The best ones are made of chocolate and peanuts

[@shamirdaya]

I’m here, not because I’m interested, but because I’ve gone down the KZbin rabbit hole.

[@joe18425]

Sorry, I may have missed it. Approximately how heavy is one of they links ?

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Fun fact, it is the weight of the chain that keeps a ship in place not the anchor itself.

[@raikeycs6056]

fun fact u make no sense

[@2112jonr]

I believe you're a troll sir !

[@timdelvillar8063]

Okay, Air Force, that cobweb at 11:45 is UNSAT! I never saw one of those aboard ship.

[@Gweb52]

I’ve always wondered how there big ship anchors work when they are in deep water where they anchor can’t hit bottom . Do they just not drop anchor? Or do they have enough chain to reach extreme depths

[@jppagetoo]

Thanks to all that are serving and have served.

[@thepotato405]

If you guys want your very own warship anchor go look in the anchorages outside Annapolis. When I was in the navy we were told basically that you're 100% going to loose your anchor because of the soil down at the bottom. There's probably hundreds.

[@DieFlabbergast]

*lose

[@jaredlapierre1304]

@@DieFlabbergast who gives a shit, loose, lose, you still know what he meant.

[@theferrones]

I served in the navy from 84-88. Ad3 on the forrestal. Don’t think I miss it really but the memories are real and some were pretty good. I’d recommend it to anyone to serve their country.

[@elwin38]

I served in the Navy from 86-89. ABHAN on the Belleau Wood.

[@dacelutamilekega2586]

Me just chuckling while remembering all of my moms Navy stories, this being one of them.

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Lol the “arresting system,” otherwise known as tailhooks became associated with some misbehavior in Las Vegas some decades ago; that tailhook operation became a great big headache for the Navy.

[@calvinh.8882]

I'd love to have about 400ft of that Aircraft Carriers anchor chain to use as a fence around my house. lol. That would be awesome!

[@tommurphy4307]

the fence posts would cost a FORTUNE.....

[@charlesforrest7678]

Fences always make good neighbors.

[@calvinh.8882]

@@charlesforrest7678 Yes they do. But I just have one around my house, not my entire property. I live in the center of 10 acres and have a couple of acres around my house fenced.

[@PoppiB]

@@charlesforrest7678 Good fences make the best neighbors.

[@charlesforrest7678]

Something is better than nothing.

[@deadpeng]

Pretty dangerous job for the workers in that anchor room. I am sure any accidental physical contact with that metal beast is going to shred anyone.

[@JStar-pg5sj]

The question was yesterday about Delia's accident which collapsed the bridge in Boltimor - whether anchors on container ships can stop a ship. I'm trying to find out why ships don't drop anchors or do they not brake or its too long to do ?

[@IanCrouse]

Nice seeing the USNS Mercy at teh beginning. I was stationed on it during Desert Storm.

[@echospaw899]

Very interesting... most people have no idea how much work goes into these projects and functions.

[@alexsnyder6352]

So much financing for life worthy experience like this.

[@thehobosapien3250]

Wow! This was incredibly insightful. Always wondered how planes and shit stopped so fast on Aircraft Carriers

[@richardpark3054]

00:18 Wow! That's the anchor off the bow of USS Hornet museum here in Alameda, CA! Only about 3 miles (4.8 km) from my home, where I am now!

[@hoosierdaddy4742]

& only 36 miles from mine, here in the North Bay (Petaluma)

[@PoppiB]

only 3071 miles from my home just west of Boston.....

[@richardpark3054]

Alright, boys & girls, bring it on: how many miles is this anchor from your home!

[@sitbone3]

It’s actually not the anchor the holds the ship in place; it’s the weight of the length of chain extended on the sea floor that does the job.

[@saltygorilla9285]

Thought this video was covering the anchor system, how did we get on arresting cables?

[@lawrence5039]

Each chain weighs 246,000 pounds for a 60,000 pound anchor. There are 2 of these. They are what actually holds the ship in place while at 'anchor'.

[@robertsantos2362]

No, the weight of the chain on the bottom holds the ship in place. The anchor just holds the chain in place.

[@nowherepeople3431]

@@robertsantos2362 That’s literally what he said dude.

[@HarryKuloh]

@@robertsantos2362 that's literally what the guy said...

[@culdeus9559]

What's one link weigh?

[@olenilsen4660]

Once you mention that "without this system, aircrafts would need an entire runway to land" you should also specify what you mean by an entire runway, as it is highly specific to the make and model of aircraft trying to land. A Boeing 747 needs 2km + whilst a small propeller plane might need only 2 feet.

[@JC.998]

You do realize the numbers you just stated are absolutely ridiculous right. 🧐☝️

[@olenilsen4660]

@@JC.998 Nope. Check out STOL competitions ;) I mean really small, really light aircraft.

[@lukew6725]

Meanwhile a Harrier only needs the the length of the plane to land.

[@AA-tz2bm]

@@olenilsen4660i swr they levitate

[@causewaykayak]

Great recruiting video for aspiring engineers. Huge range of career options on show there.

[@marekpumex5452]

Career in the people killing institution

[@causewaykayak]

@@marekpumex5452 And what precisely is wrong with that. Strong forces , brave service folk, protect pacifists free speech however bizarre. In war the lives of the opposition have minimal value. Their pain is a self inflicted injury. I'm a European. We have a great track record in this field.

[@marekpumex5452]

@@causewaykayak So much men power and talents wasted to serve mostly some corrupted government cause.

[@marekpumex5452]

@alex Earth or Kepler?

[@TM-tz9rr]

Anchors have been around just as long as the ships they were designed for? Wow that is so interesting… Tell me more.

[@geraldwhite583]

imagine how much power they could recover with a kinetic charging system

[@SaintSaint]

Good thought! I guess dropping anchor fast is important for an aircraft carrier. So it would have to be something that could disengage.

[@kummer45]

The hazard level on the chain rooms is insane. A mishap or a sleep can costs your life there. This work is very serious.

[@SaintSaint]

Probably not allowed to cook a chicken by slapping it with that chain then. Drat.... well at least I could water ski behind it. Wait what?! I can't!!!!

[@nothanks9503]

6:33 you know the nerd who designed those blast shields felt special

[@ericjohnson6105]

Those few years of ships without anchors was particularly exciting.

[@foute90s]

I doubt anchors usually are made of heavy metals (mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), thallium (Tl), and lead (Pb)) as stated in this video. Usually its just a steel alloy.

[@Xbob42]

I think they meant "the metal is heavy," not specifically that it's actually made of heavy metals which is a bit of a silly thing to say, yeah.

[@tampoponomonogatari]

I caught that too, he could've phrased it a little better.