Large commercial anchors

[Neeves]

In anchor debates large commercial anchors (are there small commercial anchors?) - whatever - anchors that are used by large commercial vessels are often mentioned with a comment on how useless they look and how small they are in relation to the vessel that carries them.

We have an empty container ship off Sydney, a bit south, that has lost power in big seas and strong winds. It has deployed both of its anchors - which are currently holding. It may make interesting reading.

Cargo ship stranded without power off Sydney's south now 'stable'

Tug boats to tow cargo ship out to deeper water as 21 crew members stranded on board

Ship PORTLAND BAY (Bulk Carrier) Registered in Hong Kong - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 9276200, MMSI 477746600, Call Sign VRHR2

There is a tug in attendance and second tug en route. The tug in attendance may have a line to the cargo ship - supporting the two deployed anchors - details are slim

Jonathan

 

[Concerto]

It does seem like size is not everything, but weight is probably more likely to be in play than the anchors we used. Even thinking about that the weight of anchor and chain/warp is only a very small percentage of the boat's weight. The same must apply to large ships.

 

[Neeves]

She seems to be using AC14 anchors which I understand are as good as you get for commercial vessels - size, or weight of both anchors and chain will be dictated by the relevant Classification Society - who all use the same spreadsheets.

PORTLAND BAY photo by FleetMon shipspotter MaxCastaneda

Jonathan

 

[Sandy]

Only a matter of time before that chap on YouTube gets round to testing them.

 

[Concerto]

When I was in Scalloway Museum today I saw an old cast iron winch for hauling boats out of the water. Reading the text I realised that this may be a similar pull to an anchor, so I photographed it for you.

 

[Dellquay13]

She seems to be using AC14 anchors which I understand are as good as you get for commercial vessels - size, or weight of both anchors and chain will be dictated by the relevant Classification Society - who all use the same spreadsheets.

PORTLAND BAY photo by FleetMon shipspotter MaxCastaneda

Jonathan

I see loads of big oil and LNG tankers at Milford Haven, and often muse how their anchors are pretty much just VERY Big Danforths...

 

[Neeves]

The conditions went downhill, 11m swells

Efforts to move cargo ship stranded off Sydney suspended after tow lines snap in wild weather

Jonathan

 

[Frank Holden]

The only thing this ship hasn't been in the media so far is a tanker.
Is a bog standard bulkie.

Anchors? I doubt my Rocna would hold in those conditions.

 

[Neeves]

If you read the detail within Classification Society websites they clearly state that anchoring is a practice to be used when waiting for a berth for discharge of cargo. When the weather is less than clement large commercial vessels are expected to retrieve their anchor and 'steam' up and down until the weather abates sufficient to allow them to re-anchor.

We, on the other hand, expect our anchors to hold us in less than clement weather - though we would be foolish not to try to find some shelter, or even move from the path of bad weather. There are some who think bragging rights will impress - given that bad weather is now fairly accurately forecast - we favour moving out of the path of bad weather and or find the best shelter available. Bragging rights don't impress when you need to be lifted from your yacht by helicopter

But referring to the use of large commercial anchors - an implication might be drawn that large commercial anchors and the gear needed to deploy and retrieve may not actually be designed for the conditions to which The Portland Bay is subject. If, as was stated, the 2 anchors were holding then I would expect them to be deeply buried and difficult to retrieve.

I think this is the sort of anchor being used by The Portland Bay



These anchors are characterised by the long pointed fluke and the weight invested in the crown is to help the anchor to dig in.


These are the anchors on the Russian cruiser Aurora (of Bolshevik Revolution fame) which clearly show the development of anchors from the humble Fisherman. Basically some bright spark hinged the crown of the Fisherman to make these anchors and in addition to the hinge they also have that same ballast at the crown that we see in the AC 14.





This design, above, is at least 120 years old now. You still see this design, minus the stock, on ancient inter island cargo ships in the Pacific. The picture below is of an anchor stockyard in Holland, there are AC 14s behind the left hand pile of chain and anchors not dissimilar to the anchor above (but minus the stock) on the right hand side - with some white painted AC 14s




Its easy to suggest where the inspiration might have come from with Danforth - hindsight is a marvellous attribute. Its interesting that it took 30-40 years for the Danforth to be released - and it has spawned many similar designs.

On the subject of inspiration these single fluke anchors are not uncommon (in anchor graveyards). They seem to have been deployed using a line from the crown to ensure the anchor arrived at the seabed in the correct orientation. Add a hinge at the crown and you are not far removed from a design we still use today



Copying of anchor designs and slowly pushing efficiency forward has been alive and well for decades.

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

The only thing this ship hasn't been in the media so far is a tanker.
Is a bog standard bulkie.

Anchors? I doubt my Rocna would hold in those conditions.

I think you underestimate the performance of your anchor. I'm not saying you would find it comfortable - but the biggest problem is retrieving the anchor during or after such conditions.

The anchor of this yacht held (an Anchor Right, SARCA, now called a Super SARCA), The Mersey, off New Brighton.



Have more confidence!

Jonathan

 

[Frank Holden]

Phhht.... that is barely a slop.... they were eleven metres offshore the national park.

Those single fluke ones - such as the one you showed a pic of above - were typically used as one of three or four securing a buoy or mooring . A bit more here Anchor; Single fluke | Royal Museums Greenwich

 

[Daydream believer]

In anchor debates large commercial anchors (are there small commercial anchors?) - whatever - anchors that are used by large commercial vessels are often mentioned with a comment on how useless they look and how small they are in relation to the vessel that carries them.

We have an empty container ship off Sydney, a bit south, that has lost power in big seas and strong winds. It has deployed both of its anchors - which are currently holding. It may make interesting reading.

Cargo ship stranded without power off Sydney's south now 'stable'

Tug boats to tow cargo ship out to deeper water as 21 crew members stranded on board

Ship PORTLAND BAY (Bulk Carrier) Registered in Hong Kong - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 9276200, MMSI 477746600, Call Sign VRHR2

There is a tug in attendance and second tug en route. The tug in attendance may have a line to the cargo ship - supporting the two deployed anchors - details are slim

Jonathan

Tell the tug not to pull too hard. Boats in Australian waters have a tendancy for the fronts to fall off.
the front fell off

 

[jamie N]

This bit of video puts our wee preferences on various types into perspective.
I was on a contract once at St. Tropez, where we recovered an MOD CALM buoy with the Normand Pioneer.
It's worthwhile zooming in on the lower right hand photo.
These things don't muck about....... ?

 

[Neeves]

This the latest update I have

Cargo ship stranded off Sydney forced to remain at anchor by ferocious conditions

The various video and pictures through today have shown 2 anchors set and sometimes a line from a tug. I don't know what contribution the tug might make - but the anchors seem to be holding though they do seem to have moved the vessel from complete exposure to the conditions to somewhere a bit quieter. The weather is forecast to abate over the next 24 hours.

I don't envy the tug crew.

Jonathan

 

[Frank Holden]

I just had a quick sqizz at the chart, along that bit of coast where she first brought up it gets pretty deep pretty quick - over 40 metres less than a mile from shore so the chance of her successfully coming to her anchors further off shore were about four fifths of not very much.

 

[Concerto]

Well Neeves I saw this display of anchors today on Westray Island, in the Orkney Islands at the north of the UK and I thought of you.


What a choice.


Even a ships anchor.

 

[Neeves]

Well Neeves I saw this display of anchors today on Westray Island, in the Orkney Islands at the north of the UK and I thought of you.

View attachment 138074
What a choice.

View attachment 138075
Even a ships anchor.

Thank you

It IS encouraging to be remembered nicely.

Is the ships anchors the one in the foreground of the lower, second image on the left, that delightful gray one, with the ring in the top, or the one on the right......?

I still see plenty of ships with anchors like the one on the right .... and occasionally ships with those in the majority.....???

I appreciate the effort you are investing - I'd like to think you are also getting enough rest and sleep. The sailing must be tiring and impressive though your diary is - take some time off - maybe cook a lobster!

Again many thanks.

Jonathan