ANCHORING TERMS

Clearing Anchors- Anchors and cables are cleared away when the
securing gear on deck is removed.

Anchor a-cockbill- When the anchor is hanging vertically from the hawse
pipe, with the flukes turned into the ships side.

Veer Cable, Walk Back- To pay out cable under power i.e. by using the
windlass motor.

Walking Back the Anchor- To lower the anchor under power.

Brought Up, Come To, Got Her Cable- A vessel is said to be brought up
when her way has stopped and she is riding to her anchor, with her anchor
holding.

Anchor Aweigh- The anchor is said to be aweigh when it is broken out of

the ground and clear of the sea bed.

Anchor Coming Home- When the anchor is drawn towards the ship in the
operation of heaving away, by means of the windlass or the cable
holder/capstan, the anchor is said to be coming home.

Long Stay- The term is used when the cable is leading down to the water
close to the horizontal, with the weight on it. A good length of the cable is
exposed.

Short Stay: The term is used when the anchor is hove in close to the ships
side and not over extended. The cable is not up and down in this position.

Up & Down: The cable is said to be up & down when the angle the cable
makes with the water surface is 90 degrees.
 ANCHORING TERMS
Shorten Cable: To heave in, a portion of the cable so as to reduce the
scope.

Hove In Sight - When an anchor is hove home, it is ‘sighted and clear’ at

the point when the anchor crown shackle breaks the surface of the water.

Growing: The way the cable is leading from the hawse pipe, e.g. A cable is
growing aft when it leads aft.

Snub Cable: To stop the cable running out by applying the brake.

Surge Cable: To allow the cable or hawser to run out under its own weight.

Range Cable: To lay out the cable on deck, a wharf or in a dry dock etc.

Nipped cable: The cable is nipped when an obstruction, such as the stem
or hawse pipe lip, causes it to change direction sharply.

Open Hawse: When both anchors are out and the cables lead broad out
on their own bows.

Clear Hawse: When both the anchors are out and cables are clear of one
another.

Foul Anchor- This is the term used to describe the anchor when has
caught on an underwater obstruction. The flukes of the anchor often get
fouled by an old hawser or cable.

Foul Hawse- This term is used to describe the crossing of the anchor
cables, when both cables are being used at the same time.

Render Cable: To apply the brake lightly so that when weight comes on
the cable it will run out slowly.
 ANCHORING TERMS
Tide Rode- A vessel is said to be tide rode when she is riding at anchor
head to tide.

Wind Rode- A vessel is said to be wind rode when she is riding at anchor
head to wind.

Anchor Dragging- The anchor is said to be dragging when it is not held in

the sea bed.

Yaw- A vessel is said to yaw when at anchor when she moves to port &
starboard of the anchor position under the influence of wind or tide.

Gypsy: The vertical wheel on the windlass through which the cable passes
over.

Hawse Pipes: They are two pipes on either bow which accommodates the
bow anchors.

Shackle of Cable: The length of a shackle of cable is 27.5 mtrs. It is

defined by a length of cable between the joining shackles.