Ship Anchoring Equipment
The anchoring system is intended for safely mooring a vessel lying offshore in reasonable weather conditions. The system must be capable of keeping the vessel in position as per the holding power of anchor determined through the calculation of equipment number. It is of paramount importance that the system is specified, designed, installed, operated and maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, Class requirements and the owner’s needs.
The holding power of the anchor determined from its Equipment Number will not be sufficient to maintain the position of the ship in severe environmental conditions. The original requirement for anchoring equipment, as laid down by the Classification Societies, were intended to provide equipment capable of holding the ship at anchor in sheltered and semi-sheltered waters in winds of up to gale force but did not consider the effects of the waves.
The anchoring equipment is located on the forecastle, the most exposed place onboard. This requires an equipment design that is rugged but also ensures safe and relatively easy operation. Due to its exposed location, adherence to the equipment’s specified maintenance routines is important to ensure its ongoing operational capability. The majority of failures with the anchoring system can be traced back to the insufficient understanding of its capability and/or a lack of maintenance.
An anchoring system consists of the following:
Anchor, Anchor chain, Hawse Pipe, Anchor lashing, chain stopper, Windlass, Drive unit, spurling pipe, chain locker etc.
General Arrangement asf:
