Unusual anchoring method.

[Rabbie]

I found this photo of the old Eagle and was puzzled by the twisted and chafing anchor chain(s). Presumably she had to do a 360 to get them like that. Can anyone confirm that it was common or why both bow anchors may have been deployed?. Doesn't look very Navy-like.

 

[Oldhand]

Looks more like a mooring bridle, after all the port anchor is shown stowed. Still, those were the days we still had proper warships...

 

[Lakesailor]

Port?

 

[Oldhand]

My PC must be back to front! Thanks.

 

[albineer]

It is/was a standard technique when using two anchors called mooring so that you did not cross your anchor chains and end up with a foul hawse. I learnt about it at school - yes I know that was ages ago. Two anchors gives better holding and a smaller swinging circle.
The link gives more details
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Cable

 

[bilbobaggins]

It's utterly commonplace on vessels lying to two anchors, and is a consequence of swinging with the tide. It is called a 'fouled hawse'.

Ships of the line from time immemorial had this problem, and the related problems of sorting it all out when they had to put to sea suddenly and unexpectedly - as when stormy weather turned up, or enemy warships come over the horizon.....

I understand that French and Spanish ships were quite lazy about keeping a 'clear hawse' during the Napoleonic era, and RN ships were quite good at sending a boat in on a moonless night on a 'recce', then bringing the man-o-war in at dawn - catching them napping...

Here's a scan from one of my favourite books, 'Seamanship in the Age of Sail' by John Harland.....

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif


Oh, I like that idea.

 

[albineer]

My point is that she hasn't got a foul hawse - I believe they've done it properly and she's moored using a swivel.

 

[bilbobaggins]

Hmm.

'You may very well be right. I couldn't possibly comment.'

...but she is rather tide-rode.

/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Niander]

Look at the flag shes not into the wind...[out of interest]

 

[Gordonmc]

Thanks for the pic... it brings back memories.
The first time I saw Eagle she was steaming up the Johore straits to the Singapore naval base. I was in a T-bolt open dinghy out of Seletar Yacht Club.
The only time I was on board was after she was towed into Cairnryan to be broken up.

 

[JayBee]

A swivel!?
This is obviously unintentional and the result of the ship swinging in the same direction through 540 or 720 degrees whilst moored to two anchors. They probably used a tug, made fast aft, to reverse the process and take the turns out of the anchor cables. The only other way of undoing the knitting would be to break one of the cables at a joining link and hang it off on a wire passed round the other cable in reverse order. Either way, a couple of hour's work, at least.