How Ship Anchor Works? - Procedure For Anchoring a Ship at Sea

[@tomalex7827]

Very easy to understand. Great explanation

[@marineinsight]

Hey Tom, Glad to know the video is helpful. Please do share it with your connections and help us spread the knowledge. 👍

[@AnishW]

Easy for a landlubber too 👍🏻

[@marineinsight]

@@AnishW 👍🏻

[@welldoneservicess1987]

@@AnishWlll

[@welldoneservicess1987]

@@marineinsight oupkml

[@RomaineRC]

This guy deserves a sub, guys! He was thoughtful enough to provide captions and it's a very well done vidéo

[@marineinsight]

Thank you for the support 👍🏻

[@delphilungwyn5308]

As a former merchant mariner who sailed the oceans on similar ships, this video is spot on. Good job.🎯⚓

[@marineinsight]

@Delphi: Thank you for your comment. Please do share and support 👍🏻

[@scutumfidelis1436]

How do you become a merchant marine

[@delphilungwyn5308]

@@scutumfidelis1436 I went to a school called Harry Lundbergs school of seamanship. It is located in Piney Point, Maryland. There you study all that you need to work on those ships. ⚓

[@scutumfidelis1436]

@@delphilungwyn5308 is it quite complicated or is there easier jobs in the MM also how many semesters does it take?

[@delphilungwyn5308]

@@scutumfidelis1436 it's a nine month pseudo-military style training. You will take classes such as firefighting, government vessels and safety at sea certificate, which is Coast Gaurd required. This is the only Avenue I know to get there. I'm sure there are others.

[@xromeox7]

Educational yet soothing at the same time - unintentional ASMR. Information was just what I was looking for as I saw a video of an incorrectly deployed anchor which looked extremely dangerous

[@blackpoolram]

Our cruise ship anchor off Greenland last year became snagged on a large rock. It needed almost 2 hours of manovering to free the tangled chain but it was fascinating to watch the deck crew operate the windlass. A great cheer went up when were finally free!

[@marineinsight]

Nothing better than recovering a stuck anchor 🙂. Cheers to your team for that. Thank you for sharing this.

[@josephantony5589]

I think after watching this video I feel confident that I can anchor any ship provided that the sea is calm and quiet . Thanks for the explanation .

[@PaparazziDub]

Going as boatswain for the first time and a little bit nervous. What I should control and keep in mind if let go the anchor. Thank you.

[@fireboar2433]

I did NOT expect the anchor to be that huge, that is so cool.

[@marineinsight]

Yes, they are huge

[@dorkuchotanihu9589]

I am a Merchant seaman and thanks for the explanation. I have done that many times and that what we sailors goes through at sea. THANKS

[@marineinsight]

@Dorkucho: Thank you for your comment. Please do share and support 👍🏻

[@tysonsufi]

Sir I m also seafarer and this is the best video I have ever seen 👍

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked it

[@codyridenour3561]

This video got me my license to captain cargo ships!!!!! After my men went on strike over low wages I stole a large ship and it is now permanently full throttle going in circles in the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you random internet man

[@marineinsight]

Awesome....Glad the video came useful....please do share and support this random Internet man :)

[@johanesparaeng]

Thank you sir for explaining about ship's anchored.. It's very useful video..

[@marineinsight]

Thanks and welcome

[@마도-c8x]

Good video, during emergency anchor stand by for pilotage, stopper and gear should be disengaged? Only brake remain on? So that we can immediately let go ?

[@TheFreezyrun12]

Thanks man! This video is very good to refresh your knowledge in seafering, because after time you forget the names of certain parts of anchor system if english isnt your native language.

[@marineinsight]

Awesome. Glad you found the video useful. Please do share and support 👍

[@phillipbailey70]

Fantastic video - I was only looking for a simple explanation, but this is like a training video - excelllent work thank you. Best revelations to a non-sailor? The use of the chain 'caternary' to hold the vessel and the fact that all vessels point into the current - I will be able to notice that for the rest of my life! Great stuff :)

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Philip. Glad you found the video useful 👍🏻

[@LoongAqua]

Ships are deliberately parked in the same direction. 🤫

[@kamithraj5077]

Superb fabulous awesome Your all videos are very nice & very clearly explaining It's # shipping

[@marineinsight]

Thank you 👍🏻

[@magicassassin1947]

This video is better than what is lectured in school hehe💓

[@mathunnyjose4467]

How do you de-anchor to release ship to run ? Or how do you release the ship from the seabed taking off the anchor?

[@marineinsight]

The windlass or anchor winch is used to wind up the chain and lift the anchor. If the anchor is stuck, the ship is moved aft and ahead to release the anchor (which is unlikely as ships are anchored in dedicated anchor stations where such problems do not occur).

[@cadetamanthakur2262]

You guys are doing very good work thanks alot.

[@marineinsight]

Thank You, Sunil. Please do share the video and spread the word 👍🏻

[@Victor-iv4kf]

Great Job. Information given in this video is very clear and useful. Thank you🔥

[@marineinsight]

Glad it was helpful! Please do share and support.

[@chrisdamore5347]

Awesome video, best explanation of all aspects!!

[@marineinsight]

Thank you for your comment. Please do share and support 👍

[@krishnakumar-pe4xe]

Nice.... video with a good detailed explanation

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked it. Please do share and support👍🏻

[@ShrKhAan]

So on the lifting process. how you asure the anchor will not play against you ? should you pull it against water current maybe ?

[@flaviobriggs]

How often does the chain/hawse pipe opening need to be replaced/repaired? It seems like it would undergo an insane amount of wear having a hundred tons of chain scraping over it every time you drop anchor.

[@kingofstage6273]

Hawse pie opening i dare say maybe 10 years...chain about 3years

[@robertlevine2152]

Chains are generally end for ended at least once in every five years. This ensures even wear over the life of the vessel. When the chains are end for ended they are usually water blasted and painted. Ships are, depending on state regulation, docked twice in 5 years, with the maximum period not to exceed 3 years. At this time chains, and the entire anchoring system are inspected and repairs are made. In my career as a naval architect I never once heard of needing to replace a hawse pipe. Replacing a hawse pipe would require significant structural work. Hawse pipes and bolsters are generally cast steel and are very long lead items. Depending on wear, some bolsters or hawse pipes may have needed hard facing by welding. Shackles, swivels and other parts, such as brake linings may need replacement from wear. My career work was with tankers ranging from 30,000 to 265,000 DWT. I can only remember once or twice that a vessel lost an anchor or a chain. When I startred working in the mid-70s ships were required to carry a spare anchor onboard. By the early 1980s a single spare anchor for each class of ships was kept shoreside. We also kept a complete cable of chain shoreside for each class. R. A. Levine

[@double-you5130]

best video on the topic! thank you :)

[@marineinsight]

Awesome. Please do share and support 👍

[@riostatus5753]

Is this any possible of lower both two anchor chain?. And if two anchor will mingle and lock what u will do .. Then ur all in shore u must anchoring or anything else?!

[@marineinsight]

Yes it is possible but done one by one so that they dont mingle.

[@ToddReuterOutdoors]

+1 for the Caddyshack clip.

[@marineinsight]

😁👍🏻

[@err0ne0us1]

Thanks for taking the time to explain this, very thorough and clear explanations.

[@marineinsight]

Glad you found the information useful 👍🏻. Please do share the video and support us.

[@deniseantonietti7083]

Thanks for the amazing explanation. I am doing some research about ships for the novel I am currently writing, and I have a question. Do you think an adult could pass through the hole of the hawse pipe, if the ship in question was a large container ship? (I apologise in advance if the question should sound too silly for those who actually know the business!) thanks to anyone who will take the trouble to answer ❤️

[@brightawe9002]

thanks. this was so comprehensible.

[@marineinsight]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Biggles2498]

I was a 3rd Mate back in the 80's and we all got told it is the weight of the WHOLE CHAIN that holds the ship from dragging , the anchor simply holds the chain in place.

[@marineinsight]

Absolutely true 👍🏻

[@atakd]

@@marineinsight Nah, loads of videos showing the cable bar tight and off the seabed with the anchor doing all the work.

[@phillipelwood5760]

The anchor chain and the anchor both hold the ship. The more chain on the sea bed, the greater percent of the holding force attributed to the chain, and the greater resistance to dragging the anchor. The video mentioned paying out more anchor cable in worse weather, which increases the force the anchor / chain system can withstand.

[@morry271]

Roy C Horton True to an extent but in a strong tide the chain can be 80% off the bed. The only solution in that case is to ‘reverse trim’ whereby the ship will generally port-round to gain some slack. Then and only then can they move beyond the bed-line.

[@Biggles2498]

@@morry271 Sir : what about a 250000 ton Tanker on Steam Engines Alone with No variable pitch propeller and it takes an hour to get Engineers to adjust mode of "Astern Thrust" to "Slight Forward Thrust" and your Captain and Chief Officer say to you "You are in charge get on with it"! I ordered the second anchor out much to the disgruntlement of the Senior Second Mate who hated me but it worked in the prevailing horrible conditions.

[@arvin8395]

Sir, is there any buttons in the bridge for anchors? I know not all but those modern?

[@marineinsight]

No..the anchor is dropped from local anchoring station.

[@tvoommen4688]

If seabed is at a deeper level than the total length of anchor and chain, how is ship prevented from drifting ?

[@dbergerac9632]

You wont "anchor" in blue water. You are also unlikely to drift into another boat or beach. In a sailboat you can "heave to" to stop forward motion, but you will still drift. A "sea anchor" ( like a small parachute) can help maintain position of a small sailboat in heavy winds, but will drift with the current. To maintain a ship on station at sea requires using the engine.

[@tvoommen4688]

@@dbergerac9632 Thank you ; this is something I have always wanted to know, purely out of academic enthusiasm.

[@kingofstage6273]

We wont let go anchor if the depth is too much than the length of the chain...if ship need to stay at those depth it will just drift

[@BadassBobY]

@@kingofstage6273 I've also heard that most of the newer ships use Computer based positioning to stay afloat at the same place in the open waters.

[@kingofstage6273]

@@BadassBobY maybe..not too sure about that though

[@MrBaconAnimations]

Great video! Very helpful, thanks!

[@divinefavourchinaza9586]

Very educative! And well explained,, thumbs up 👍

[@iputudharmayoga9922]

do you know the formula to calculate the swing circle of anchor? , please telling me, i would be very appriciate of it

[@astlefernandes1429]

Sir very gud video gud knowledge wanted to ask one thing as we r telling the lead long stay short stay by that captain looks the position if anchor holding the seabed or not .Wat is the exact use of telling clock many of seaman don't know why they tell clock lime 12:00lomg stay medium why clock is told ya if we tell long clock wat will happen ??why captain ask the clock as of we tell the lead of anchor long ya short ya clock is told??

[@101airbourn]

Very informative. Excellent work.

[@marineinsight]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@i.khussain5164]

Thanks for the explanation to understand the Public. Keep it up !!!!!

[@marineinsight]

Glad that you liked it. Please do share and support 👍🏻

[@nickd3056]

They picked the perfect guy to describe the picture.

[@marineinsight]

🧐

[@Tina-d8f]

Excellent video. Very informative.

[@jacksonfitzsimons4943]

What do you do when the anchor chain gets knotted up? The chain links are thousands of pounds so it’s not like you can just unknot it.

[@SirWyx1604]

That's why you really need to know how and where you drop anchor, to avoid this things, I never so this happened, I've seen twisted chain, anchor stuck and we left it there and recovered after two weeks with barge but never a knot on the chain.

[@lutzheinrichborchers7554]

How does the anchor work in tidal streams which have two oppsite directions?

[@sundermehra6855]

Good explanation, thanks. 2 questions though... How much cable to be paid out for it to hold and how one will know that its actually holding but not drifting?

[@marineinsight]

The anchor chain length will depend on the depth of anchoring point. The thumb rule is "Scope of 6" i.e. if the depth is 25 m, the anchor cable to be paid out 150m. The Ship should move in a fixed diameter and that should not change....however, in case of wind, there can be a small drag.

[@celianavato3532]

@@marineinsight there is also difference in paiding out of cable or shacke in good weather condition or bad weather condion

[@sundermehra6855]

@The Unholy God says if its too deep, the anchor won't reach the seabed to hold or there won't be enough cable for the anchor to hold the ship. So yeah, they drift in deep waters while keeping the surrounding traffic or hazards in check by adjusting their positions time to time using engine. Near ports/ pilot stations where its shallow, it's rather preferrable to anchor as to remain fixed in a particular area. Plus it also depends on the stoppage time, for an hour or so drifting is all right rather the whole anchoring operation and preparation. And yeah the meteorological conditions too... So yeah couple of factors to consider.

[@mathewrenouf5246]

Hello. I have a technical question sir. For a massive ship like an oil tanker with a dwt capacity of 400,000 tones of oil, what is the anchoring procedure for such a colossial giant, where neither the anchor chain or the windlass (or winch or capstan) is broken? I imagine this to be extremely difficult!

[@DanElgaard9]

How do you "un-kink" if the chain gets kinked?

[@niteshlamba6087]

Thank you marine insight For making this video Your video is amazing 😎

[@marineinsight]

Hi Nitesh Thank you for your support. Please do share and spread the word. 👍🏻

[@bubbersherr7466]

Nice informative video

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@allezvenga7617]

Thanks for your sharing 👍

[@marineinsight]

Thank you too

[@venkataraoeaswar1859]

Upto what depth this will work,means is it useful in middle of ocean

[@marineinsight]

No, only used in anchor station and near coasts.

[@SirWyx1604]

You have a maximum of 13 shackles of chain that means 357m of chain, but you cannot use the anchor in depth of 300 m, as explained in the video you need a certain amount of chain to be able to keep the vessel in position. Just think about that for 10m of depth you need 3 shackles of chain

[@IGNOUBLISCLISMLISBellLibrary]

will it works when depth is very high?

[@marineinsight]

No, it wont. That is why all the ports have designated anchorage areas.

[@n.arunkumar]

Thank you. Easy to understand 👍

[@marineinsight]

Glad to hear that!

[@theadventuresofjohnandjennifer]

Very cool video. Thank you for sharing it.

[@marineinsight]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@nickjimenez6138]

Very informative. Never knew that the chain actually held the ship. I am still curious about pulling up the anchor. If the flukes have dug into the sea bed how do you get it to come up? Sheer power? Great video by the way.

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Nick for the comment. There are dedicated anchoring zones in all ports around the world with no pipelines, rocks etc. on the seabed which will make it easy for the ship to lift the anchor. If the anchor, it will the winch pull that will bring up the anchor. In worst case scenario, if the winch is unable to pull it, the chain will be cut and anchor is left there to be lifted by dedicated service providers, if possible.

[@nickjimenez6138]

@@marineinsight Thank you, that must be expensive to have to leave it behind.

[@SolidStateH2O]

The anchor works by the 5/1 or 7/1 ratios and does not have any strength when pulled vertically. So when pulling the anchor, the ship gets pulled over top of where the anchor lies on the sea bed which takes away the ~5/1 ratio across the floor and allows you to pull just the anchor up rather then the ship pulling it across the bottom.

[@DanElgaard9]

How long an anchor chain does a ship usually have? I.e. on how deep waters can a ship anchor?

[@Vladoz11]

The anchor chain consists of 5-13 shackles. Length between shackles - 25-27.5 meters depending on the vessel. The length of the anchor chain depends on the type of vessel

[@amitmulye9794]

hi, thank you! during start of heaving the anchor, is ship driven closer to anchor, so to get the anchor out of the soil it anchored to?

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

This is when the rose got exposed unfortunately

[@AftabKhan-tf7se]

Finally I understood in depth Thank you 👍 & your answers in the Comment section was again Excellent source of knowledge .

[@marineinsight]

Glad the content is easy to understand and useful. Thank you for your comment 👍🏻

[@captainron8111]

Excellent video, thank you Sir.

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Ron for your comment. Please do share and supprt 👍

[@thomasraj7205]

Very informative 👏

[@agontop1]

Superb video!!!

[@anuruddhadissanayake4881]

Bravo...Well explained

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Anuruddha 👍🏻

[@princechaudhary1518]

very good understanding.

[@marineinsight]

Good to know 😊👍

[@mikem5043]

But... how long is a typical anchor chain? Like on a container ship.

[@sendhilm8468]

Very good knowledge sharing. Thanks.

[@marineinsight]

@Sendhil: thank you for commenting and we are happy the info shared by us is useful to fellow professionals.

[@prasadsaiel9194]

Superb video

[@marineinsight]

Thank You Prasad for your comment. 👍🏻

[@kattubadiibrahimkattubadi3599]

Good ,Engine stop after , reverse motion can help as breaks to ship

[@gtmalalo]

Beautiful explanation 👌🙏❣

[@marineinsight]

Thanks for liking

[@gshivasankar]

In the event! For some reason if the anchor stuck heavily or not allowing rewinding !! How this is detected and does someone dive in to water to remove/learn the issue? How this is handled I hope this issue could have some definite solution/working. Pl advice. I am a layman have no idea on this industry/subject, but intrested mechanical soul.

[@marineinsight]

If the Anchor is stuck, the mooring winch will not be able to wind and heave the cable. The current will go above the limit.

[@gshivasankar]

@@marineinsight !! Sorry for my silly question! Should I understand that the chain/anchor will be left/dropped off on sea, to move ship!! Or someone will dive to sea bed to recover or attempt to remove anchor!!! thank you for the reply.

[@TheNigeltwist]

Thanks for that, very informative!

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked it. Please do share and support

[@rakhee721]

Got an idea upon anchoring the ship. But how is an anchor released and the ship needs to move again...

[@suratunbegum7506]

Good video.

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked it

[@kanishklatwal6838]

Can you make a video in which the full steps of Anchouring is done like Captain make a team of 3 to 4 people and they go to forecastle and check the machinery like this type of steps

[@marineinsight]

Sure

[@gokulchandran5586]

Very informative...👍👍👍

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Gokul. Please do share and support 👍🏻

[@ДаниилКириллов]

Why am I watching this, I cannot even afford a ship.

[@marineinsight]

It is ok. We cannot even afford an anchor....still made a video on this😁

[@kishanpreston1533]

Me to bro

[@marineinsight]

@@kishanpreston1533 😁

[@kishanpreston1533]

@@marineinsight😀 🤙

[@marutikarnati123]

Ship or fish

[@ghoulardi8875]

Very interesting! I'm one of those people who always thought that the anchor provided the primary "anchoring" force, not the length of the chain draped on the seabed. Now I know better.

[@marineinsight]

Awesome 👍🏻

[@abbaszakir1551]

Nice! Can an anchor collide with the body of the ship and damage it?

[@KutWrite]

Yes, in a heavy sea.

[@abbaszakir1551]

@@KutWrite oh okay. Thank you

[@marineinsight]

Thank you for the comment.

[@YankeeSierraHotel]

And what about anchoring in rivers with strong currents? Should we lower it above sea level or drop instantly?

[@marineinsight]

It will depend on the situation the ship is in! If there is an emergency, the anchor needs to be dropped instantly.

[@kingofstage6273]

And watchkeeping duty will be maintained☺

[@epicnavigator]

Excellent présentation!! Please make a video on double anchor technique.

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked the video. We have forwarded your suggestion to the team 👍

[@marineinsight]

👍🏻

[@WestWindYouTube]

Really good

[@marineinsight]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@knsnowisit999]

Super work

[@marineinsight]

Thank You . Please do share and support.

[@parthibanp5512]

What is the purpose of cables during anchor the vessel. Port control said anchor your vessel at designated area with 7 cables.

[@marineinsight]

Cables defines the depth of the anchor chain enough for holding the ship

[@kingofstage6273]

More deep the place is..more cable is needed...and chief officer/captain determines how many cables

[@MegaPhilX]

I always thought the chain was straight to the seabed and wasn't any looser than that. What would happen if the chain was straight to the surface without any part of it resting on the seabed?

[@marineinsight]

If the anchor is not laid in the sea bed, the ship will drag

[@kyuhoanchoo7841]

Good job!

[@emekaisuochi368]

Great video

[@dipankar.kataky]

Very informative.

[@stevejohnson9717]

Can a ship be anchored when it is out on the sea?

[@parulsharma7409]

Its that perfect explaination which I wanted thanks a lot sir

[@marineinsight]

Thanks and welcome

[@keeff8195]

how are kinks in the chain undone?

[@giri6996]

thanks for such a wonderful explanation

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Girish. Glad you liked it👍

[@nithinbabu5081]

Great bro

[@marineinsight]

Thank you so much 😀

[@edc5135]

How do you unpile/untwist/unkink a cable? Thanks.

[@helvisea]

Hi Edward: Unlucky situations. Depending on the situation, there are different solutions. Worst case scenario might be to slip the chain and anchor.

[@scottkasper6378]

Good video. The i in “pivot” rhymes with the i in “video”

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Scott. The I in Pivot will be different with the I in pivot accross of India :P

[@thesushifiend]

Everyone knows it's a pie vott!

[@perrydiddle3698]

marineinsight you mean like vydeo?😉

[@venkataraoeaswar1859]

Is it useful.in middle of ocean

[@marineinsight]

No. if the sea is very deep, it may break the chain and even damage the mooring equipement

[@shreyas1034]

Awesome video bro

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Shreyas 👍🏻

[@grxale4141]

How can be mesured the lenght of the chain? Is there any mark on the chain?

[@marineinsight]

Yes. There are coloured marking on the chain

[@Tsamokie]

@@marineinsight 'shot marks' red, white, blue one shot = 15 fathoms = 90 feet

[@ahmadsunandar8174]

Thank you for your information,, for me to refreshing about knowledge anchoring ☺

[@marineinsight]

Glad it is useful. Please do share and support 👍

[@ahmadsunandar8174]

@@marineinsight thank you,,

[@johncarmelo555]

anchors are dislodged by piloting the vessel above where it is in place, and once the cable slack has been reeled in, the anchor then be brought all the way up.

[@marineinsight]

👍🏻

[@reason4being]

What if it gets stuck in a rock or in a shipwreck or something

[@dharmasingh7999]

Super sir

[@marineinsight]

Glad you liked the video 👍🏻

[@Blackcats007]

Grate explanation thank you

[@marineinsight]

Thank you Arvind. Glad you liked the video. Please do share and support 👍🏻

[@nativeafroeurasian]

What do you do if the ancher is stuck in the sea bed and what if the worst case (the chain brakes under water) occurs?

[@marineinsight]

Worst case in stuck Anchors, the chain is cut and anchor is left at sea along with a marking (such as attaching a buoy to other part of the chain attached to the anchor) so that it can be retrieved later, if possible.