| An anchor is a heavy object, often made
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| | the shank which would roll the anchor
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| out of metal, that is used to attach a
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| | over so the point would penetrate the
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| ship to the bottom of a body of water at
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| | bottom, was developed and within a single
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| a specific point. There are two primary
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| | century became the standard anchor type.
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| classes of anchors—temporary and
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| | In the East, however, another model of
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| permanent. A permanent anchor is often
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| | anchor had been known for some time which
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| called a mooring, and is rarely moved; it
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| | also used a stock, but with the stock
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| is quite possible the vessel cannot hoist
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| | located at the crown along with the arm.
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| it aboard but must hire a service to move
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| | This successful model is still built
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| or maintain it. A temporary anchor is
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| | today in virtually unchanged form. It
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| usually carried by the vessel, and
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| | also informed such modern designs as the
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| hoisted aboard whenever the vessel is
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| | US Navy's stockless Mark IV and the
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| under way; it is what most non-sailors
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| | fluke-style anchor.
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| mean when they refer to an anchor. A sea
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| | A modern temporary anchor usually
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| anchor is a related device used when the
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| | consists of a central bar called the
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| water depth makes using a mooring or
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| | shank, and an armature with some form of
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| temporary anchor impractical. The hole
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| | flat surface (fluke or palm) to grip the
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| through which an anchor rope passes is
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| | bottom and a point to assist penetration
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| known as a hawsepip.
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| | of the bottom; the position at which the
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| An anchor works by resisting the movement
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| | armature is attached to the shank is
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| force of the vessel which is attached to
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| | called the crown, and the shank is
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| it. There are two primary ways to do this
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| | usually fitted with a ring or shackle to
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| — via sheer mass, and by "hooking" into
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| | attach it to the cable. There are many
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| the seabed. It may seem logical to think
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| | variations and additions to these basic
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| wind and currents are the largest forces
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| | elements—for example, the whole class
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| an anchor must overcome, but actually the
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| | of anchors which include a stock such as
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| vertical movement of waves develop the
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| | the fisherman and fluke anchors.
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| largest loads, and modern anchors are
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| | The range of designs is wide, but there
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| designed to use a combination of
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| | are actually trends in designs for modern
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| technique and shape to resist all these
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| | anchors which allow them to be classed as
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| forces.
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| | hook, plow, and fluke types, depending on
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| The earliest anchors were probably rocks
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| | the method by which they set.
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| and many rock anchors have been found
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| | Hook designs use a relatively small fluke
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| dating from at least the Bronze Age. Many
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| | surface on a heavy, narrow arm to
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| modern moorings still rely on a large
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| | penetrate deeply into problematic bottoms
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| rock as the primary element of their
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| | such as rocky, heavy kelp or eel grass,
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| design. It simply works. However, using
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| | coral, or hard sand. Two of the more
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| pure mass to resist the forces of a storm
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| | common versions of this design are the
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| only works well as a permanent mooring;
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| | fisherman and the grapnel.
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| trying to move a large enough rock to
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| | Plow designs are reminiscent of the
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| another bay is nearly impossible.
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| | antique farm plow, and are designed to
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| A simple anchor using a pair of wood arms
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| | bury themselves in the bottom as force is
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| under a rock mass is a primitive anchor
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| | applied to them, and are considered good
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| which is still in use today. The wood
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| | in most bottom conditions from soft mud
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| arms are pointed to penetrate the bottom,
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| | to rock. North sea designs are actually a
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| and the mass will overcome normal
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| | variation of a plow in how they work;
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| movement forces. Together they comprise
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| | they bury into the bottom using their
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| what may have been the first successful
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| | shape.
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| attempts to hook into the seabed and use
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| | Fluke designs use large fluke surfaces to
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| the strength there to prevent a vessel
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| | develop very large resistance to loads
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| from moving. Almost all future anchor
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| | once they dig into the seabed. Although
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| developments combine these two
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| | they have less ability to penetrate and
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| elements—a penetrating point and a
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| | are designed to reset rather than turn,
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| reasonable mass.
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| | their light weight makes them very
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| In the western world the vast majority of
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| | popular.
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| anchors worked on the concept of the
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| | In the past 20 years or so, many new
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| grappling hook—multiple points on arms
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| | anchor designs have appeared. Driven by
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| such that at least one will be aimed
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| | the popularity of private pleasure boats,
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| toward the bottom. Suddenly the concept
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| | these anchors are usually designed for
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| of the stock, a bar placed perpendicular
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| | small to medium sized vessels, and are
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| to the hooking arm at the other end of
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| | usually not appropriate for large ships.
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