Anchorage manouver

1. NS302
Mooring and Anchoring
Procedures

2. Mooring
• Challenging evolution in which it is vital as
a conning officer or deck safety officer to
know the deck equipment, deck fittings, and
proper use of mooring lines

3. Learning Objectives
• Describe the different type of deck equipment
• Recite standard linehandling commands used in
anchoring evolutions
• Describe the safety precautions associated with
mooring and anchoring procedures
• Outline the steps in preparing to anchor, including
the events leading to anchoring, readying the
anchor and letting go the anchor

4. Learning Objectives
• Describe procedures for “weighing anchor”
• List two methods for mooring to buoy

5. Deck and Pier Fittings
• consist of the following
Cleats Bitts
Bollards
Chocks Towing Pads

6. Deck and Pier Fittings
Cleat - Consists of a double-
ended pair of horns, used
for securing a line or wire.
Bitts - Pair of heavy vertical
cylinders implanted on ship’s
deck, used for making
fast lines led through chocks.
Bollard - Strong cylindrical
upright on a pier, about which
a mooring line is placed.

7. CLEAT

8. Deck and Pier Fittings
Cleat - Consists of a double-
ended pair of horns, used
for securing a line or wire.
Bitts - Pairs of heavy vertical
cylinders inplanted on ship’s
deck, used for making
fast lines led through chocks.
Bollard - Strong cylindrical
upright on a pier, about which
a mooring line is placed.

9. BITTS

10. Deck and Pier Fittings
Cleat - Consists of a double-
ended pair of horns, used
for securing a line or wire.
Bitts - Pairs of heavy vertical
cylinders inplanted on ship’s
deck, used for making
fast lines led through chocks.
Bollard - Strong cylindrical
upright on a pier, about which
eye of mooring line is placed.

11. BOLLARD

12. 3 Types of Chocks
Chock - Heavy fitting with smooth surfaces
through which mooring lines are led.
Open Closed
Roller
Rollers help
reduce friction.

13. Deck and Pier Fittings
Padeye – metal plate with an “eye”
attached to the deck to distribute a load
over a large area in which block is
attached
Towing pad - large pad eye of extra
strength used in towing operations

14. Deck and Pier Fittings
• Mooring lines are typically run through bits
on deck then through chocks to bollards on
pier

15. Other Mooring Equipment
Capstan - Separate vertical machinery units or
part of the anchor windlass around which
lines are passed, commonly used in
mooring and anchoring evolutions.
Capstan
Wildcat

16. Anchor Windlass
Capstan
Wildcat
Each works as an independent unit

17. Other Mooring Equipment
Rat guards
- Shields secured around mooring
lines to prevent rats from coming aboard
ships.
- Circular metal disk in halves lashed
together by lines
- Concave side faces pier

18. Other Mooring Equipment
Chafing gear - Canvas or other material placed
around mooring lines to prevent wear.
Fenders – shock-absorbing device used to
cushion the shock of contact between two
ships or a ship and a pier

19. Three types of fenders
• pneumatic - most frequently used, inflatable
rubber barrel lowered from ship to point just
clear of water abeam
• cylindrical - available for immediate use on
forecastle/fantail
• ball - manila ready for placement at any
other point of contact between side of ship
and pier

20. Other Mooring Equipment
Camel - A large float or raft used to separate
ship from pier face in order to prevent
contact between pier and ship’s side
*allow crew to paint sides of ship.

21. Other Mooring Equipment
Dip the eye - When two mooring lines are placed
over the same bollard, the second one is led
up through the eye of the first before being
put over the bollard. This allows either to
be cast off independently.

22. Other Mooring Equipment
• Heaving lines - lightweight lines thrown across
ship or pier to act as messenger for mooring line
• Bolo lines - nylon line with padded lead weight
attached at end thrown from ship to ship or ship to
pier
– reach two times the distance
– not affected by environmental conditions
– hazardous to people on pier
• Line-throwing gun – seldom used as last resort

23. Deck Related Equipment
Lifelines - Lines erected around the edges
of decks, referred to as follows:
Top - Lifeline
Middle - Housing line
Bottom - Foot rope
Snaking - Netting rigged between foot rope
and deck for safety of personnel

24. Deck Related Equipment
Leadline - Marked line used to determine
water depth in fathoms.
Boatswain’s chair - Used for sending one
person over-the-side
*helmets and life preserver required
*hand-tended safety line tended from deck above
Jacob’s ladder - Rope ladder w/wood rungs
rigged over the side for temporary use

25. Deck Related Equipment
Pilot’s ladder - Flexible portable ladder, usually
constructed of metal, sturdier than a
Jacob’s ladder.
Sea ladder - Rigid, portable ladder that may
be mounted and secured to the side of the
ship.
Accommodation ladder - Rigid, inclined ladder
rigged to the side of the ship to allow
boarding of a moored or anchored ship.

26. Mooring Lines
Mooring lines are the lines used to secure the
ship to a wharf, pier or another ship.
Definition of lines:
Breast lines - Run at right angles from the ship,
control distance of ship from pier
Aft spring lines - Tend aft from ship, control
forward movement.
Forward spring lines - Tend forward from the
ship, control aft movement

27. Mooring Lines
Numbering of lines:
#1 - Bow line #6 - Stern line
#2 - Aft bow spring line
#3 - Forward bow spring line
#4 - Aft quarter spring line
#5 - Forward quarter spring line
1 3 4 5
6
2

28. Mooring Line Terminology
• Hawser - heavy line over 5 inches in
circumference used for towing/mooring
• Small stuff - fiber line less than 1 3/4 inches in
circumference
• Marline - two-strand, tarred hemp small stuff
• Destroyers and smaller ships typically use 5-inch
or smaller mooring lines
• Larger ships may use 8-inch or 10-inch mooring
lines

29. Mooring Line Terminology
• Bight - a loop of line or chain
• Bitter end - free end of a length of line,
wire, chain, or cable
• Eye - closed loop in the end of line

30. Mooring Line Terminology
• Mooring lines vary with size and
characteristic of ship
• Two requirements;
– Light as possible for ease of handling
– Strong enough to take considerable strain
during a mooring evolution, heavy weather,
etc…

31. Linehandling for Mooring Evolution
• Well in advance to linehandling evolution mooring
lines faked down fore and aft on deck each near
chock through which it will pass
• end of eye is passed through chock and loop laid
back over lifeline
• Fenders are made ready to go
• pass heaving lines to pierside linehandlers upon
order from conning officer
• pierside linehandlers will place eye of each
mooring line over bollards

32. Linehandling for Mooring Evolution
• Lines handled with linehandlers or capstans
at the direction of the conn. Safety Officers
will monitor line strain with tattletale cords
– light strain - tattletale is not under tension
– moderate strain - tattletale is under moderate
tension
– heavy strain - tattletale is taught and line is at
maximum working load

33. Linehandling for Mooring Evolution
• mooring lines should be secured to bitts with
round turns (figure eight commonly used)
• when ship’s position is secured, all lines will be
doubled up by sending a bight of each line to the
pier with heaving lines (dipping the eye)
• mooring lines will be birdnested after doubling
• all lines will be frapped
• rat guards will be placed on all mooring lines

34. Linehandling for getting underway
from pier
• Remove rat guards and frapping prior to sea
and anchor detail
• single up all lines with pierside linehandlers
when ordered by conn
• take in all lines when ordered and stow for
sea

35. Mooring Lines
• DO NOT MIX MOORING LINE
Never mix lines of different constructions
or material . Each type of rope exhibits
different elongation characteristics and
mixing will result in an unequal load
sharing

36. Mooring Lines
Nylon replaced manila line:
Advantages: lasts longer
easier to maintain and handle
more resistant to weather,
grease, oil
2.5 times stronger
stretches more
Disadvantages: lethal hazard if breaks
expensive

37. Mooring Line Detail
• Deck Safety Officer
• Line Captains
• Phone Talker
• Corpsman
• Gunnersmate
• Anchor windlass detail (EN and EM)

38. Standard Commands
to Line Handlers
• Orders relayed from conning officer to
forecastle phone talker
• orders must be obeyed promptly
• Lines referred to as numbers because
numbers are shorter and more precise than
names

39. Standard Commands
to Line Handlers
“Stand by your lines”
“Send lines over”
“Take a strain”
“Slack line”
“Take line X to capstan/power”
“Heave around”
“Avast heaving”

40. Standard Commands
to Line Handlers
“Hold X”
“Check X”
“Surge lines”
“Single up all lines”
“Double up all lines”
“Take in all lines”
“Cast off all lines”

41. Line Handling Safety Precautions
• never stand in bight of line
• do not try and check line that is running out
rapidly by stepping on it
• standing part is faked down to prevent
fouling in case of rapid movement
• do not stand in direct line of pull of nylon
line or when applying heavy loads (“snap
back” zone)
• Be in proper battle dress at all times while
handling lines

42. Anchoring
• ship held into position by anchor on sea
bottom
• understanding for deck machinery and
equipment available for evolution

43. Ground Tackle
Collective term applied to all equipment
used in anchoring. Includes:
Anchor chain Connecting fittings
Anchor windlass
other gear used to
secure/house anchors

44. Anchoring Terminology
• Hawsepipe – heavy casting in bow through which
anchor chain runs out and where anchor is secured
when not in use
• chain pipe – pipe in which chain runs from
windlass down to chain locker
• chain locker - place where anchor chain stowed
• anchor buoy - small float attached to anchor to
mark position
– port/red, stbd/green
– Line adjusted to 2-3 fathoms greater than
depth of water

45. Anchoring Terminology
• flukes - dig anchor portion in sea bottom
• shank - vertical portion connecting flukes
and the top ring
• crown - base of anchor
• stock - prevents rolling of anchor on
bottom

46. Anchoring Terminology
• Anchors
– Three types
– Usually made of cast steel with forged steel
fittings
– Weight from 30-60,000 lbs
– Edges of flukes are smooth to prevent damage
to ship’s hull

47. Anchors
Stockless
Navy
standard
LWT type
Lightweight
type
Mushroom
Permanent
Anchorages

48. Stockless
– most common
– standard bow anchor for most combatant ships
– ease of stowage and handling, lightweight
– raises directly into hawsepipe
– flukes pivot on shank and swing up to 45 degrees on
either side to permit anchor to dig into sea bottom
– Disadvantage - tendency to disengage flukes by
gradually turning over

49. Mushroom
• used to anchor buoys, small boats, and
special barges

50. Lightweight type
• two types:
– Northhill - small boat anchor
– Danforth - small boats, stern anchors for landing craft
• high holding power is comparable to stockless
anchor of two times its weight
• sharpness of flukes enables it to dig in faster and
easier
• reduced weight requires lighter, less costly gear to
handle
• Disadvantage - difficulty breaking free from bottom
at times

51. Anchor Chain
• made of die-lock or high strength welded steel
stud links
– studded - solid piece welded in center to eliminate
danger of chain kinking and pounding of links on
adjacent links
• size of link designated by its diameter ranging
from 3/4 to 4 3/4 inches
• chain comes in 15 fathom (90 feet) lengths called
shots connected to each other by special
detachable links
– constructed so they can be disassembled, allowing for
shots to be removed/replaced
• Destroyer – minimum length of 105 fathoms
• Larger ship – 200+ fathoms in length

52. Chain Measurement
 1 shot = 15 fathoms
 1 fathom = 6 feet
*chain measured in shots
connected with detachable links

53. Special chain fittings = Detachable link
*C-shaped and connects two shots together
*different colors allow for quick determination of how muc
chain is paying out

54.  Detachable links and adjacent links are color coded to allow
for quick determination of how much chain is payed out
 Detachable links: Red, White, Blue, Red . . .
 Adjacent links: # white links on either side = # of shot
 Last link of adjacent links on each side will have # of wire
turns indicating the # of the shot
Anchor Chain Markings

55. Anchor Chain Markings
Shot # Color of # of White Turns
Detachable Adjacent of
Link Links Wire
1 (15 fathoms)
2 (30 fathoms)
3 (45 fathoms)
4 (60 fathoms)
5 (75 fathoms)
6 (90 fathoms)
red 1 1
white 2 2
blue 3 3
red 4 4
white 5 5
blue 6 6

56. Scope of Chain
15 fathoms – 1 shot
30 fathoms – 2 shots
45 fathoms – 3 shots
60 fathoms – 4 shots

57. Scope of Chain
Next to Last Shot – all yellow
Last Shot – all red

58. Scope of Chain
 3rd shot: W/W/W/B/W/W/W
 Second to last shot: entirely yellow
 Last shot: entirely red
*Warning of approach of bitter end of chain

59. Chain Stopper
• used to hold anchor taut in the hawsepipe
and hold anchor when its chain is
disconnected
• consists of turnbuckle inserted in short
section of chain with pelican hook attached
to one end and shackle to other
• Two stoppers per chain
– housing stopper - stopper nearest hawespipe,
bent to anchor chain when anchor is ready for
sea
– riding stopper - stoppers aft of housing stopper

60. Shackle
Chain Stopper
Detachable Link
Turnbuckle
Pelican
Hook

61. Anchor Windlass

62. Anchor Windlass
• machinery used to hoist the anchors
– types
• horizontal - all machinery and controls located above deck
• vertical - machinery and controls located both above and below
decks
– Most combatants
– components
• capstan - line handling drum above a wildcat on a vertical
windlass used for handling lines when mooring
• wildcat - drum located below capstan containing grooves that
engage chain links
• locking handwheel - used to engage/disengage wildcat to/from
capstan
• friction brake - mechanical brake that holds wildcat
• Machine controls – allow for 5 positions (fast fwd, slow fwd,
stop, slow reverse, fast reverse)

63. Housing
Stopper
Riding
Stopper
Wildcat
Brake
Dead man switch
Capstan
Horizontal Capstan

64. Anchoring: Personnel involved and
their Duties
1. Navigator - during pre-anchorage brief will
determine:
a. Identify anchorage and approach track,
landmarks
b. letting go circle/head and drop bearings
c. Depth of water at anchorage
d. Range of tide, current, wind direction and
speed
e. Type of bottom
f. Proposed track

65. 2. First Lieutenant - conduct inspection
of deck equipment
– 1st LT or Deck Safety Officer in charge
– Assisted by ship’s BOSUN and senior BMs
– Brief forecastle evolution
• Designated BMs and SN at positions
• Engineman (EN) and electrician (EM) present in
anchor windlass to take care of mechanical or
electronic failures
• phone talker on 1JV w/ bridge to relay orders
3. Anchor detail -

66. 4. OOD - ensure anchor detail, navigation
detail, and helm safety officer on station
- keep CO informed
- control approach to anchorage by assisting
Conning officer
5. Piloting Teams will be set on Bridge and in
CIC

67. Anchorage Plot
N
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1200
1500
TR004HB004
Stack
TR
Tank
As ship nears anchorage,
gradually reduce speed
Ex: 1500 yds – 10 kts
1000 yds – 5 kts
500-300 yds – stop
Ship moving slowly when
anchor dropped

68. Techniques of Anchoring
• “Anchor is ready for letting go” - report
from anchor detail to bridge
– Engage wildcat and take strain on chain
– riding stoppers removed
– anchor walked out of hawsepipe using wildcat
to ensure no hang-ups
– remove all but 2-3 turns of mousing on locking
pin of pelican hook of housing stopper
– wildcat disconnected and brake set
– chain locker checked for loose gear

69. Techniques of Anchoring
• “Standby the anchor” - report from bridge to
anchor detail
- brake partially released
– two seaman, one with sledge hammer, take station at
housing stopper
• As ship passes through letting go circle, command
“Let go the anchor”is ordered from the bridge to
anchor detail
– one seaman will pull pin from housing stopper’s pelican
hook and remove mousing
– second seaman will knock bail off pelican hook with
sledge hammer and clear
– brake released causing chain to run out
– Colors are shifted from mast to flagstaff and jackstaff

70. Techniques of Anchoring
– anchor buoy thrown ovbd/colors shifted
• Attached to anchor’s fluke
• As buoy floats, it’s said to be “watching”
– Once anchor hits bottom, noticeable slack in
speed of chain

71. Techniques of Anchoring
• “Set the anchor” - from bridge to anchor detail
– brake is set
– flukes dig into sea bottom
– motion of ship is stopped, indicating anchor is holding
– once anchor is set, brake is released and chain is veered
(run out) to the desired scope (length)
• “Pass the stoppers” - from bridge to anchor detail
– both riding and housing stoppers connected and strain
equalized

72. Techniques of Anchoring
Desired scope of chain
- much of the holding power of an anchor
derives from the amount of chain on the
bottom.
- Rule of thumb: 5-7 times the depth of
water.
- A lesser amount of chain is put out at
first to set the anchor.
- normally anchor in water < 20 fathoms
- > 20 requires walking out anchor

73. Techniques of Anchoring
• Anchor chain reports from anchor detail to
bridge
– amount of chain veered based on color code
read at water’s edge, hawsepipe or on deck
– direction chain tends using clockwise reference
system relative to ship’s head
– amount of strain on chain (light, mod, heavy)
– EX: “Sixty fathoms on deck, chain tends one
o’clock, moderate strain”

74. Anchor Watch
• Forecastle Watch - BM or SN making
anchor reports to bridge watch every 30
minutes to OOD
• Bridge Watch - QM or OS taking visual
fixes every 15 minutes
– may assign OOD depending on conditions
• CIC - OS taking radar fixes every 15
minutes to compare with bridge visual fixes

75. Dragging Anchor
• consecutive fixes falling outside drag circle
• chain alternately getting taut and going
slack
• actions:
– call CO, CDO, and NAV
– veer additional chain
– drop another anchor
– alert engineroom in case of u/w

76. Techniques of Weighing
Anchor
• “Ready to heave in” - report from anchor
detail to bridge
– anchor detail manned and ready
– anchor windlass energized and tested
– wildcat engaged and take light strain on chain
– brake is set and all stoppers but one
disconnected
– Grapnel to retrieve buoy and hose to wash
sediment off chain and anchor standing by

78. Techniques of Weighing
Anchor
• “heave around” - report from bridge to
anchor detail
– All stoppers cast off and start to retrieve anchor

79. Reports from Forecastle Detail
• “Anchor at short stay” = just short of
breaking free of sea bottom
– Chain is nearly vertical but flukes are not
broken out of ground

80. Almost
=
Length of
chain
Depth
of
water
AT SHORT STAY

81. Reports from Forecastle Detail
• “Anchor up and down” - flukes of anchor
have broken free but crown still rests on
bottom

82. UP AND DOWN

83. Reports from Forecastle Detail
• “Anchor aweigh” - anchor is clear of
bottom and ship underway

84. AWEIGH

85. Reports from Forecastle Detail
• “Anchor is in sight, clear/fouled anchor” –
– Anchor is first sighted when bringing it in
– use hose to clean it off
• “Anchor clear of the water” - anchor no
longer submerged
• “Anchor is housed” - shank of anchor is in
hawsepipe and flukes are against ship’s side

86. Reports from Forecastle Detail
“Anchor is secured for sea” - Brake set and stoppers
passed. Strain equalized between the stoppers.

87. Safety Precautions
• Ensure anchor detail personnel on forecastle
are wearing goggles, hard hats, steel toed
shoes, pants tucked into socks
• Anchor is ready to let go, no one step over
chain
• Personnel stand clear of chain pipe when
chain is paying out

88. Mooring to a Buoy
• Advantages:
– safer in storm because buoy secured to bottom
– smaller berths with shorter chain requirements
• Disadvantages:
– requires putting small boat in water
– more prep time and personnel needed

89. Mooring to a Buoy
1. Dip Rope Method - The buoy party
attaches the buoy wire, then passes the
messenger through the eye of the buoy
and attaches it to the dip rope. The dip
rope is connected to the end of the anchor
chain and by pulling on the messenger, the
anchor chain is pulled to the buoy.
2. Trolley Method - A trolley is attached to the
buoy wire and used to ease the anchor
down to the buoy.

90. 61
Buoy Wire
Dip Rope Method

91. 61
Dip Rope
Messenger
Buoy Wire
Dip Rope Method

92. 61
Dip Rope Method
Messenger
Buoy wire
Anchor
chain

93. 61
Trolley
Trolley Method