ANCHORING

03.5.2012
 Determining a Suitable Anchorage
 Anchoring Terminology
 Plotting a Precision Anchoring
 Swing Circle
 Post-anchoring Considerations
 Before coming to the Anchorage area, we
have to consider to the following;
 Careful scrutiny of the chart of the area where
the vessel is proposing to anchor, and
 Consideration of the depth of water, and
 The holding ground with the view to
determining the amount of cable to use
 The amount of cable to use will be determined by the
following factors;
 Depth of water
 Type of holding ground, good or bad.
 Length of time the vessel intends to stay at anchor.
 Sea room available for circle of swing.
 Expected weather conditions.
 Strength of tide, if any.
 Draught and amount of hull exposed to the wind.
 Type of anchor and its holding power.
 These factors will vary with each case and previous
experience; however,
 as a general rule, four times the depth of water may
be taken as a working minimum.
 This would change, say,
if the holding ground was bad,
the weather deteriorating, and
you were expected to remain at anchor for a long
period of time.
 Approach Track - Final leg that the ship must
follow to arrive at the center of the anchorage

 Head Bearing - The bearing to a prominent

navigational aid which is on the same bearing
as the approach track.

 Swing Circle - A circle drawn from the actual

anchor location with a radius equal to the
length of anchor chain veered plus the total
length of the ship.
 10 8 4
20 Kentmore marina
10
Mast 6
12 8
4
2
10
20 20 16 14 G1 G C 3 Piles
Dredged 10 ft 1996
Swing circle 16 R2 R N 4

14 4
16
R12 10
20 Fl R 2.5s 2
14 Hobbs Lt Fl 2s 70ft 15M
Hobbs Pepe Pt
20 Rks t 4 Fl 6s 54ft 7M
20 6 t
14 Red 2
16 t t 10
8 4 6
16 14 12 t Pepe 8
14 16 Uncov. Reef 12
14 1m 14
16
R14
16
20 Anchorage 16Plot Fl R 5s
16
 Know your ship
 Plan ahead, think ahead
 Anchor in steps
 - Approach
 - Placement
 - Laying out
 Planning
 Planning:
 Depth of water
 Type of bottom (mud, clay, dense sand)
 Direction and strenght of wind, current and
weather (weather and sea conditions)
 Location of lee shore or other hazards
 Maneuvering room for approach
 Number and location of ships already at
anchor
 Conditions affecting visibility and weather
 Swinging room after anchoring
 Ship's heading on approaching should be faced into the Wind
and Current which can provide good advantage to control good
ship's pose (heading) when Anchor just Folding and also for
Minimizing of Swinging rate to windward or current-ward
 Calculate the how much scope of cable (shut) to be lay down to
ground
 Approach slowly to the anchorage area
 Pass through the anchorage, and then give astern commend
slowly
 When the ship stopped and sligtly commence to move astern
then “Let go the anchor ”
 If done correctly, anchor is within 50 meters of the center of the
anchorage position.
 Take the fix position from GPS and insert in chart.
 Plot the swing circles around the anchor’s actual position.
 Select the navaids (lighthouse, buoy, cape, island or any other fix
object) to use to fix the ship’s position while at anchor.
 It is better to take fix position with one bearing + one distance from
navaids.
 Calculation of how much scope of cable to be lay down to ground:

25x depth of water (mtr)

 Mininum scope of cable/shut (mtr) =

 1 cable (shut) = 15 fathoms = 27.5 meters.
 Swing circle radius (r) = (Cable laid down x 27.5 mtr ) + LOA

r
 Veer out sufficient anchor chain (scope)
 How much chain to use?
 Five to seven times the water depth
 Three to five (if there may not be sufficent
swinging room-Practical ship handling)
 Three to five (short stay), Five to seven (long stay)
 Cover the chart with acetate over the swing and drag
circles
 Select the navaids to use to fix the ship’s position
while at anchor
 Set the “Anchor watch”
It depends on:
Depth of water,
Nature of the bottom
Weather (sea condition)
Wind and current
Draught of the ship
Time (expected) to remain at anchor