What about the anchor holds the ship in place?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Multiple Choice

What about the anchor holds the ship in place?

Holding power comes from the anchor’s flukes digging into the bottom and the weight of the chain keeping the anchor pressed down and oriented to bite. When you lower the anchor and pay out chain, the scope increases, giving the flukes a better angle to penetrate the seabed. As you back the vessel, tension on the line helps the flukes embed more firmly, creating a grip that resists the pull and prevents drifting. Hull-water friction simply resists motion but isn’t enough to secure the vessel, and magnetic attraction isn’t a factor in normal anchoring.

Holding power comes from the anchor’s flukes digging into the bottom and the weight of the chain keeping the anchor pressed down and oriented to bite. When you lower the anchor and pay out chain, the scope increases, giving the flukes a better angle to penetrate the seabed. As you back the vessel, tension on the line helps the flukes embed more firmly, creating a grip that resists the pull and prevents drifting. Hull-water friction simply resists motion but isn’t enough to secure the vessel, and magnetic attraction isn’t a factor in normal anchoring.

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