Anchor handling

The efficient working of the anchor windlass is essential to the safety of the
ship. An anchor windlass can expect to fulfil the following:
1 The windlass cablelifter brakes must be able to control the running anchor
and cable when the cablelifter is disconneded from the gearing when
'letting go'. Average cable speeds vary between 5 and 7 m/s during this
oPeration .
2 The windlass must be able to heave a certain weight of cable at a specified
speed. This full load duty of the windlass varies and may be as high as
70 tonne; figures between 20 and 40 tonne are not unusual. Commonly the
load is between 4 and 6 times the weight of one anchor. The speed of haul
is at least 9 m/min and up to 15 m/min.
3 The braking effort obtained at the cable lifter must be at least equal to 40%
of the breaking strength of the cable:

Most anchor handling equipment incorporates warpends for mooring

purposes and light line speeds of up to 0.75 to 1.0 mls are required. The
conventional types of equipment in use are as follows.

Mooring windlasses
This equipment is self contained and normally one electric or hydrauliC motor
drives two cablelifters and two warpends. The latter may not be declutchable
and so will rotate when the cablelifters are engaged. There is some variation
on the detailed design of cablelifters and in their drives. Figure 13.4 shows a
typical arrangement. Due to the low speed of rotation required of the cablelifter whilst heaving anchor (3-5rev/min) a high gear redudion is
needed when the windlass is driven by a high-speed electric or hydraulic
motor. This is generally obtained by using a high ratio worm gear followed
by a single step of spur gears between the warpend shaft and cablelifters,
typically as shown in Figure 13.5. Alternatively, multi-steps of spur gear are
used.
Anchor capstans
With this type of equipment the driving machinery is situated below the deck
And the cablelifters are mounted horizontally, being driven by vertical shafts as
shown in Figure 13.6. In this example a capstan barrel is shown mounted above
the cablelifter (not shown) although with larger equipment (above 76mm dia.
cable) it is usual to have only the cablelifter, the capstan barrel being mounted on a separate shaft.
Control of windlasses
As windlasses are required for intermittent duty only, gearing is designed with
an adequate margin on strength rather than on wear.
Slipping clutches (Figure 13.7) may be fitted between the drive motors and
the gearing to avoid the transmission of inertia in the event of shock hiding on
the cable when, for example, the anchor is being housed.
Windlasses are normally controlled from a local position, the operator
manually applying the cablelifter brake as required to control the speed of the
running cable. and whilst heaving anchor the operator is positioned at the
windlass or at the shipside so that he can see the anchor for housing purposes .
It is quite feasible, however, to control all the functions of the windlass from a
remote position. The spring applied cablelifter brakes are hydraulically
released, and to aid the operator the running cable speed and the length paid
out are"indicated at the remote position during letting go. The cablelifter can
also be engaged from the remote position so that the anchor can be veered out
to the waterline before Ielling go or heaved in as required.
The windlass is in the most vulnerable position so far as exposure to the
elements is concerned and maintenance demands should be an absolute
minimum. Normally primary gearing is enclosed and splash lubricated.
maintenance being limited to pressure grease points for gunmetal sleeve bearing. However, due to large size of the final of the bevel or spur
reduction gears. and the clutching arrangements required. these gears are often
of the open type and are lubricated with open gear compounds.

Mooring equipment
Full load duties of warping capstans and mooring winches vary between
20 tonnes at 0.3 to 0.6 m/s and twice full load speed is normally provided for
soo vering slack lines.
Ihe size of wire rope used on mooring winch barrels is governed by the
weight of wire manageable by the crew; this is currently accepted as 140 mm
cirumference maximum. The basic problems associated with the use of wire
ropes is that they are difficult to handle. do not float and when used in
multi-layers. due to inadequate spooling, the top. tensioned layer cuts down into the underlying layers causing damage. To counteract this problem ill
divided barrel can be used such that the wire may be stored on one portion and a single layer of wire transferred to the second portion when tensioned. Low
density, high breaking strength synthetic ropes (polypropylene, nylon or
terylene) offer certain advantages over wire, its main disadvantage being a
tendency to fuse if scrubbed against itself or the barrel.

Winches
Mooring winches provide the facility for tensioning the wire up to the stalling
capacity of the winch, usually 1.5 times full load thereafter the load is held by
the motor brake, or by the barrel brake when the power is shut off. The winch
can’t payout wire unless the brake is overhauled or recover wire unless
manully operated. thus wires may become slack.
Automatic mooring winches provide the manual control previously
described but in addition incorporate control features such that, in the
automatic setting, the winch may be overhauled and wire is paid off the barrel
at a pre-determined maximum tension; also wire is recovered at a lower tension
should it tend to become slack. Thus there is a certain range of tension. associated with each step of automatic control. when the wire is stationary. It is
not practical to reduce this range to the minimum possible as this results and
hunting of the controls.
It should be noted that the principal reason for incorporating automatic
controls with the features described is to limit the render value of the winch and
avoid broken wires; also to prevent mooring wires becoming slack. Load
sensing devices are used with automatic mooring winches. e.g. spring-loaded
gearrwheels and torsion bars are widely used with steam and electric winches;
fluid pressure sensing. either steam or hydraulic oil pressure. is also used where
appropriate.
Mooring winches are usually controlled at the local position. i.e. the winch.
for vessels of unusually large beam or where docking operations are a frequent
occurrence e.g. in ships regularly traversing the St. Lawrence Seaway, remote
and shipside controllers are of great advantage. As mooring techniques vary
widely, the position and type of control must be engineered to suit the
application. It is considered, especially on vessels where mooring lines may be
long and ship position criticaL that the greatest asset to the operator is
knowledge of the wire tensions existing during the mooring operation coupled
with an indication of the amount of wire paid off the barrel. It is quite feasible to
record these at a central position and mooring lines would then only have to be
adjusted periodically as indicated by the recording instruments.
The majority of automatic mooring winches are spur geared to improve the
backward efficiency of the gear train for rendering. the gearing and bearings
being totally enclosed and lubricated from the oil sump. On larger mooring
winches were a barrel brake is fitted, it is now common practice to design the
brake to withstand the breaking strength of the mooring wire. Worm geared
automatic mooring winches are uncommon as the multi-start feature required
to improve gear efficiency reduces the main advantage of the worm gear i.e. the
high gear ratio .

ANCHOR HANDLING TONG

The AHT is an universal piece of equipment, making handling of a rigs anchor faster, safer, more efficient. Its
designed as a locking & securing device , & designed to with stand the non controllable high forces often occurring during
anchor handling. these force are caused by wind, waves, currents in addition to gravity force of wire, chain, anchor etc.
AHT should not in normal use be exposed to towing forces from main engine i.e. propeller thrust. When the
A.H.tong is used to the locking pendant wire with talurit loop & thimble, it must not be exposed to the towing force of the main
engines. If in contradiction to this, towing force is applied, there is a great risk of damaging the talurit rope and the thimble of
the pendant wire.
When the towing force is applied, the towing wire from the towing winch has to be attached to the pendant wire
or chain. For different sizes of the wire or rope appropriate set of the jaws to be fitted.
Maintenance
TONG UNIT
After each anchor handling, flush the tong with fresh water to remove clay, mud, debris in the wire. Lubricate all
grease nipples, lubricating points with grease.