Anchors - Poor Man's Tugboat

[QUOTE=lm1883;134190]
Howe has a good section in his shiphandling book. It is expensive, but is really a must have for every master.
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I’m not finding Howe, to you have link?

MacElrevey is good in places including the discussion on the use of anchors but for some reason the book is very focused on the traditional method of dropping the anchor in eye of the wind at a complete stop and then backing.

If I am tied to a pier with wind and waves on the beam pushing me into the pier, I will frequently run an anchor out to hold me off. The chain leads to the bow and a nylon line tied to the chain leads aft. This isn’t too hard with boat sized gear, but can a ship do this? Will a tug haul an anchor for you or is this just not possible?

[QUOTE=yacht_sailor;134237]If I am tied to a pier with wind and waves on the beam pushing me into the pier, I will frequently run an anchor out to hold me off. The chain leads to the bow and a nylon line tied to the chain leads aft. This isn’t too hard with boat sized gear, but can a ship do this? Will a tug haul an anchor for you or is this just not possible?[/QUOTE]

The one time I’ve put out an offshore anchor at the berth I discussed it with the pilot before arrival. We dropped the anchor in the channel once we were abeam of the berth and then slacked down the chain as the tugs pushed the ship to the pier. Once we were made fast we then pulled the bow off by heaving in the chain and slacking the mooring lines.

If you needed to be held off the pier for some reason and a tug was available likely you would just use the tug to assist w/o using the anchor. I suppose a tug could drag an offshore anchor into the channel but I doubt it’s done much.

I am a pilot up on the lakes , we routinely dredge an anchor going to the berth on 200m ships. Typically not doing more than 2.5kts putting it down and only about two shots. Always engaged. Once you feel it I will drive on it and use it to slow and work my stern. We do use it in one port where you must go from 3 to even 5 kts (cross currents are a B. Need it to maintain COG) to a stop in 3 cables that gets a little sporty but does the job.