The Hypnotic Process of Installing Gigantic Anchor into US Aircraft Carrier

Welcome back to the FLUCTUS channel for a feature on ship anchors, learning the complex and fascinating process of maintaining the anchors of US aircraft carriers. From conventional anchors to innovative solutions, we also explore various techniques to maintain stability in even the roughest seas.
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[@lyndababy]

The anchor cable (chain) plays the primary role in holding a ship at anchor. The mass of the cable and the catenary between the outer end of the cable and the ship offsets the mass of the ship and the dynamic forces acting on it. The anchor serves to hold the furthest outboard end of the cable in place. Direct pull on the anchor only normally occurs when the ship is weighing anchor, and immediately after the anchor is dropped and the ship backs away. At least that's how I learned it during my training in the Royal Navy.

[@Shipspotting_Vietnam]

Wonderful!

[@Fuck_YouTube_Hard]

Change your name to captain obvious.

[@hemusbull]

Brilliant and understandable for all, engineering explanation!

[@RJS1966USMC]

STOP using artificial voices to read your narration for your videos. It's not "mili-watts": it's MEGA-Watts. WHY would a huge generator only be capable of generating "milli-watts" of power?

[@horsepowerchef]

I came to say this…

[@Legalmachinist]

Because all we need to do is charge up a D cell sized NiCad battery………. morons…does nobody with an education ever QC these videos?

[@neilnewman3673]

I agree!

[@donalfinn4205]

I’m so glad that perfect little you are around to correct the mistakes.

[@robertmack7116]

@@donalfinn4205Getting things right is not unimportant.

[@RSTI191]

A moment of negligence can cost you your life. Utmost dedication to your job is a must. Hat's off to all involved...

[@bruceringrose7539]

It’s not an anchor wind-lass, it’s a capstan. A windlass has a horizontal main shaft and cable drum (think of a boat trailer which), a capstan has a vertical main shaft and cable drum (as shown in the video). In the case of ship anchors, the drum is a wildcat with proper grooves to engage the anchor chain and draw it in.

[@christophermarshall5765]

WRONG!! One of my friends operated a professional fishing boat until he recently retired. That had a VERTICAL anchor windlass to raise/lower the anchor, & it had written on the drum it was an anchor windlass.

[@johnb9825]

@@christophermarshall5765 Then it was written WRONG!!!!! Capstans and Windlasses basically do the same job but they do have different names depending on whether they operate vertical or horizontally.. But the biggest difference between a capstan and a windlass is that a capstan has a smooth drum and is for moving rope only, while a windlass has a gypsy (teeth) that interlock with the anchor chain. Sometimes there is a drum next to the gypsy on the same shaft that handles rope. It's still a windlass.

[@Daledavispratt]

We called it an anchor windlass on my destroyer, and it was my sea and anchor station more than once, you know, there in the "anchor windlass" room. 🙂

[@bmacdoug]

Great video, especially the second half about floating wind turbines. There is a small error in the script however that mistakes Megawatts for milliwatts. It's a factor of a billion, but, who's counting...

[@mountainryder3056]

How about a video on how they ‘cast’ those large anchors. The ‘mold’ on that has to be interesting

[@Almaco10578ft]

The Nimitz class are from previous classes of carriers. The new Ford Class use a new different design

[@campkohler9131]

I second the motion.

[@DeadEyeDave]

While showing painting of the anchors, you never mentioned why some anchors are painted gold, while others are gray. A gold anchor is awarded to a ship that has a high retention and re-enlistment rate.

[@MikeHudson-px2gc]

At one point in the design of the Ford class the Navy considered eliminating the STBD anchor as a cost cutting measure. Cost cutting was a high priority in the final design of the Ford Class.

[@luapkirner5331]

Do anchors ever get stuck? And if they do, how do they unstuck them?

[@matthewbeesley5850]

That inner piece on each chain link is a British patent/invention from the early 1800s. It stops the chain link from getting caught inside another link, thus fouling the chain.

[@MyBelch]

Brittles and their penchant for supposedly inventing everything ... spare us.

[@janvisser2223]

@@Argonikron Nothing.

[@bigchrisrogers]

That inner piece is the stud. Sometimes it is a separate forging that is inserted into the link whilst the link is hot, which then shrinks as it cools to grip the stud tightly. Sometime it is also then welded in for extra security. Some chain lengths have the stud forged into the parent material of the link. The chains made in Boston naval yard were usually like this, as were the chains made from Suel Taylors or Griffin Woodhouse in England, possibly other chain makers as well produced integral stud chain.

[@raydunakin]

Thanks, I was wondering what those were for.

[@DieFlabbergast]

@@MyBelch No, no: you're thinking of the Chinese! Seriously, though, almost every new invention in the early 19th century came from either Britain, France, or Germany. If you haven't read about the Industrial Revolution, which happened in the 17th/18th centuries, mainly in Britain, and which created the world we live in, then read some history books. The United States joined the game in mid-century and the Japanese in the late 19th century. All countries have had their periods of technological/cultural fertility at some point in time.

[@EnriqueOchoaMaldonado-uc8kl]

Que interesante documental, me gustó como le dan mantenimiento a las anclas, todos esos trabajos son muy interesantes..!! Excelente vídeo..!! Saludos

[@usaturnuranus]

Hydraulics. It's really amazing the kind of things that such a basically simple system will allow in the most demanding of conditions.

[@dundonrl]

Never been around the 60K lb anchors (and 350 lb links) of a Nimitz class carrier, the biggest I've seen used was the 40K lb anchor and 155 lb links on the USS Essex LHD-2, they are still HUGE though!

[@robinblackmoor8732]

My brother was in the U.S. Navy on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). His duty station was the anchor room.

[@javierrinconfernandez3566]

Ñp

[@erickkurz3696]

we went out with her for primary sea trials

[@LUVUTV]

very impressive. I love watching them do it all

[@MauricioRicardez]

Impressive. All your videos are beautiful.Thank you for your great work.

[@regenwurm5584]

I don't have any aircraft carrier, why do I watch this?😂😂

[@TwoFingeredMamma]

You are about to be conscripted to fight Russia in the upcoming WW3. These videos are to subliminaly train you in your roles when you are eventually forced to enlist at gun point. Different training videos are send to differing people depending on their skill sets and are strategically placed in their recommended to view box with other videos that the algorithm knows you are not interested in ensuring that you will watch the subliminal training.

[@Shipspotting_Vietnam]

Great engineering when they can create big things!

[@railroad9000]

The minesweeper I was stationed on had (2) 500 pound bronze Danforth style anchors.

[@darktoadone5068]

I was a line handler once when I was just a nobody E-2 on the Midway, for some reason they didn't have enough people in Deck that day and the old man put out the word all departments send out people, so obviously E-3 and below gets the job. It wasn't to hard but once the rope hit the water, good lord that thing was heavy!

[@danielhowell1640]

Did they ever send you on a wild goose chase for a can of military bearing grease or a can of steam for the turbines?

[@WrightViewLLC]

'84-'86 here.

[@hughsmith7281]

Thank you.

[@lesmith939]

Fascinating. Thank you.....

[@repsfo]

Mega watts not miliwatts

[@grimmvargo]

what music was used during the floating turbine portion of the video?

[@ghostgarden8032]

I was stationed on the U.S.S . Orian AS18, submarine tender, we were coming back from a cruise from a port in Spain, they medmored the ship, tied the bow on to bouy's , and tied the stern, to the pier, when they were dropping the starboard anchor chain, they lost brackes on the winch system, and the anchor chain went in the ocean, it made a whole lot of niose when it dropped

[@NBZW]

Would slip over and watch the anchor chain for Forestall being forged at Charlestown navy yard in 1955, only a few were put on flatcars at a time due too weight and size.

[@brucemartini2288]

i want some of that massive chain! set in the top of a short concrete wall- for yard decor

[@Bluelagoonstudios]

There is a faulty explanation about the anchors, the anchor and the weight of the chains gives that stability. The anchor mostly doesn't engrave itself, it's just laying on the sea bottom. Depending on the sea bottom, if the anchor engrave itself, it would be very dangerous to bringing it back up, because it would pull the ship downwards.

[@happychappy492]

exactly

[@janvisser2223]

Depends on the type of anchor

[@davidgraham2673]

The weight of the chain is what provides the holding power. It's not the anchor. The OP has it correct.

[@rakaorion]

13:26 Miliwatts? Should't that be megawatts?

[@glennrishton5679]

LOL I was about to doze off when I heard miliwatts and suddenly awake again. Seems pretty expensive project for less than a watt.

[@spvillano]

Just promoting energy efficiency. I'll see myself out...

[@doriangray2020]

Thanks captain obvious.

[@rakaorion]

@@doriangray2020 No problem citizen, consider yourself schooled.

[@doriangray2020]

@@rakaorion what’s your next epiphany? You’re going to tell us that water is wet?

[@fasteddie7997]

How many fathoms is it between the white links???

[@louishall5048]

How do I turn down the speed of the vocal playback? The

[@Giorgakiss]

What kind of iron are these anchors made of?

[@jeffwisemiller3590]

You might want to change the rating on that 1 wind farm. 950milliwatts isn't very efficient. I think you meant megawatts.

[@Zerpersande]

And you need to reconsider the use of ‘efficient’.

[@LuisAguilar-tp2iz]

God bless america 💪🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@fredread9216]

Very interesting, thanks. I am surprised that ship anchors have not evolved with the rest of modern anchors. The old fashion “navy type” anchor or similar seem to still be the norm. Far superior anchors are now available and in use, but not on large ships?? Just slow and expensive to change?

[@georgevcelar]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[@rogerstlaurent8704]

@@georgevcelar Words to live by or KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid

[@BobBrandon]

Are anchors and chains still made in USA?

[@user-Taffy]

Cool

[@LeoAlmeidaBRASIL]

incrível

[@liameisenberg9711]

Amazing that Scotland approved a project that only produces 50 milliwatts /s 😂

[@raptorsean1464]

They produce nine point five milliwatts each! 😂😂😂 13:15

[@steveschulte8696]

The term used by the script reader mis-pronounced the 50 milliwatts instead of 50 Mega Watts. ( 50m(illi)W vs 50M(ega)watts)

[@marcusbutzin8368]

Smaller is cheaper and flies under tighter regulations for larger plants and pollute less?

[@65gtotrips]

That’s actually all they produce 😂 @13:25

[@afpwebworks]

@@raptorsean1464 Save the owners of the wind turbine a boatload of money. They can get the same energy output from a couple of D cells from the supermarket.

[@ryanjoseph8694]

Still working on that ship in Newport ShipYard.

[@Roybwatchin]

I've always wondered how the anchors can reach the ocean floor and dig in when the water is super deep? Surely there's only a certain amount of chain they can carry, so I have to assume there's no way the anchor will reach the floor in mile deep water?

[@johnb9825]

Right. A ship won't anchor it a mile of water... there is no reason to really.... plus, there are 5280 feet in a mile. An aircraft carrier only has about 1000 - 1500 feet of chain per anchor..

[@irober02]

Anchors anchor anchor chains. Anchor chains anchor ships.

[@glennrishton5679]

Anchow watch, anchor lights.

[@user-be3ir9if6s]

У нас кинжалы любят охотится, за этими шкафами, набитыми топливом и взрывчаткой, такой фейерверк выйдет, Красота.

[@integr8er66]

The chain is NOT made to hold the weight of the vessel, only the wind and current loads.

[@MrPesht]

Imagine being a crab on the bottom of the ocean and that thing drops on your head out of no where

[@iansmartel5473]

It is actually the weight of the chain that holds any ships in place.

[@billhuckabee]

You're saying just put the chain in the water, no need for the anchor.

[@iansmartel5473]

@@billhuckabee The anchor will dig into the seabed, it is the total weight of anchor and chain that holds the vessel, how heavy is one of those links in the chain.

[@rogerstlaurent8704]

@@iansmartel5473 a lot around 150 pounds per link times the length of the chain

[@lynnkenney]

I believe it is the chain's slack weight that causes the force on the anchor to be horizontal which causes it to dig in. When the anchor is pulled in the force on the anchor becomes vertical as the required slack in the chain is removed.

[@christianweagle6253]

"I paint anchors, like my faddah did and his faddah before him. I come from a long line of anchor painters."

[@joemarchinski914]

9 milliwatts from an of shore wind turbine huh? good enough to charge 2 cell phones at a time.....well worth the hundreds of millions of dollars to build....

[@erickkurz3696]

first. they dont cut the chain with a torch. there are detachable links at regular intervals second. they are painting it gold for a reason...retention award for the ship

[@moi20003]

All the money is spent in the military, very little to make the lives of the citizens better.

[@d.jerrycook2994]

"milli-watts"???

[@ejohnfel]

Wow, 50 whole milliwatts.

[@markweiss7538]

So we know milliwatts in Scottish turbines, what about on installing an anchor on an aircraft carrier?

[@stealthassasin1day291]

3:42 It look like they missed a few spots during the paint roller application...

[@jordan38r]

on the ground.

[@philgiglio7922]

13:33 believe you mean megawatts and Not milliwatts .

[@antoniograncino3506]

So I assume the people who handle all this mooring gear are required to attend anchor-management classes ?

[@everettnichols9062]

That['s a lot of steel for a few milliwatts of power!!!

[@Slikx666]

Wow, i never knew the an anchor could be hydraulic. I thought it would be the winch that was hydraulic, well they say we lean something new every day. 😐

[@c0ldc0ne]

What's the hypnotic part?

[@threethrushes]

If the U.S. Navy goes anchor-shopping, do you think they ever take advantage of 2-for-1sales?

[@stupid7648]

Painting with a hard hat on don't forget to double mask also and stay succeed apart we want to be safe now

[@donniecatalano]

I kept hearing "anger washing". Even thought that would be a good idea.

[@GungaLaGunga]

4:47 omg my back hurts just watching that

[@retirednavy8720]

I spent nearly 3 years on the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72. Each link of anchor chain weighs around 350 lbs. Everything on a carrier is huge.

[@kansasross]

The navy could reduce the weight of the anchor and chain by making them out of plastic and cost less by ordering them from China. Donald Trump could order it from his Chinese Friend and make Mexico pay for it.

[@danfox1458]

Wrong it's a common belief that it's the anchor that holds a boat or ship but it's not the anchor is there to hold chain, it's the weight of the chain that hold's to boat or ship in place not the anchor

[@billhuckabee]

Then you don't need the anchor by your logic. Just drop a chain in the water. That would save a lot of money...

[@danfox1458]

@@billhuckabee if you read my comment you'd see that i said the anchor is only there to hold the chain in place

[@glennrishton5679]

@@billhuckabee If you look at how the chain rests on the bottom when a ship is at anchor you will note there is no strain on the anchor it is the chain holding the ship in place.

[@drshin9893]

That’s idiotic

[@AndrewGrey22]

I suppose people in deep trouble in the Navy are the 'lucky ones' who get to paint the anchor and chain?

[@tomcatt998]

What happens if you don't have nuff chain to reach the bottom ??

[@tomrogers9467]

They just hang around for a while.

[@waynep343]

And you did not show the Captain of the Queen Mary 2 standing on the bulbus bow while at anchor.

[@HobbyOrganist]

I own one link of a chain like the one on this ship, I bought it off a ship salvage outfit and they brought it over in a container full of salvage they sell from the ship breaking yards in India, UPS delivered it and at 149 pounds it was one pound under UPS's max weight limit per parcel LOL. One link= 149 pounds, imagine the weight of that full chain in the video!

[@JohnDoe-ny1wp]

"I'm a Proud US VET'. What did you do???? 2[50 1st class Anchor Painter.

[@harveysmith100]

Between 30 and 50 tons? Not sure where he is getting his information from.

[@Daledavispratt]

4:25 No, he should have had that pelican hook off in one swing of that hammer. Time to send him back to the mess decks...

[@bulkathos5207]

how do they anchor in in middle of the ocean where the water is way deeper than the anchor chain?

[@macnorman]

Short answer, they don't

[@bulkathos5207]

@@macnorman what if the captain wanna go to bed?

[@georgegoodwin9722]

Then the first mate is in charge

[@ronalddavis]

you dont

[@certaindeed]

seawise giant anchor was 36 tons

[@louielouiepks]

Gold Anchor ! Oldest ship.

[@jdaviqwerty]

Megawatt not milliwatt

[@fa03315044962]

Osm❤❤

[@johndennis3181]

wow, a wind turbine with a 9.5 milliwatt capacity. Amazing lol!

[@patrickfurlong9169]

When I was on the Ogden LPD 5 we had to drop the anchor and the entire chain onto a barge for service. Grueling manual labor for those assigned .

[@richardrios396]

You say they usually weigh between 30 and 50 tons each....then you say the largest one ever weighed 36 tons.....

[@kurtwm2010]

Well, that's between 30 and 50 tons :) He could have said between 1 and 100 tons :)

[@DaveSwart]

5:22 typically?

[@Keith-tz2jy]

I'm glad that I was and never will be apart of the us navy

[@redwatch1100]

I would be total nervous wreck being on the anchor crew thinking it might snap any moment. It's even a bit difficult to watch here.

[@DieFlabbergast]

Imagine being a sea-bottom-dwelling creature peacefully going about your business when suddenly THIS monstrous thing gets dropped on your head!

[@TranTuan68PQ]

Kênh này hay mà không có tiếng việt nam nhỉ

[@lukewarmwater5320]

Just the process is fine it's anything but hypnotic knobulus...

[@David-yy7lb]

What's happens when a ship is in deep water and there's not enough chain to reach the ocean floor

[@danquigg8311]

Ya don't anchor!! DUH!

[@userbosco]

You want to get in shape? Join the Navy.

[@i_smoke_ghosts]

oh fluctis stuff mayn im outtie !

[@sadeghsafarzadeh4728]

🧡🧡🧡🧡

[@enigmaticloremaster1700]

If the wind turbines only put out milliwatts you can charge a mobile phone , that's wonderful. But seems an awful lot of work for a few milliwatts of power.

[@anthonylee6322]

A dangerous job and a important one.

[@UncleMichaelable]

The anchor isn’t what keeps it stationary, the large weight of the chain is what does that.

[@cliveocnacuwenga4615]

IT MUST BE NOTED HOWEVER THAT THE ENERGY USED TO SMELT THE STEEL TO BUILD THE PLATFORMS DID NOT COME FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES: FOSSIL FUELS WERE USED to make the steel. Counterproductive??

[@MyBelch]

Shhhhhh. Facts don't matter.

[@arcboutant]

I enjoyed the vid very much except the bit about ScAtland. All the books and maps I’ve seen and heard others talk about refer to ScOtland. USA speak even mispronounces their own folks name of Dunlap , it should be Dunlop!

[@waynescott-lp5pm]

Imagine being a little fish down in the ocean swimming around minding your own business, BAM that monster drops down on your head!

[@peterford9369]

You sure as hell DO NOT, want one of those to fall on your foot. 😮 Very interesting. I don't know the life expectancy of wind turbines ect, out in the salty environment of the deep oceans. I sure hope the savings are worth the cost of production, installation and maintenance. It has to be extremely expensive.

[@larryfreeman7979]

was going to comment on that. The costs to bild and install must be huge.

[@peterford9369]

@@larryfreeman7979 The construction cost is one thing. Nuke power plants and hydro plants are very expensive to build as well. But the imstall must be enormous out in the ocean like that. And, the salt water, HAS, to be super corrosive on parts. So maintenance has to be up there too. I'm all for alternative power. But if the cost outweighs the production and savings. And there are still production pollutants and environmental problems, how will it help? Seems nothing is without negatives with energy production.

[@johnmoore9862]

It’s Bill Watts, not his sister Mili.

[@0x80O0oOverfl0w]

50 milliwatts smokes! someone slow that turbine down before it bursts into flames. 😂😂😂

[@johnb9825]

(1:30) Modern anchors are equipped with hydraulics and motors? Really?