🔍 Key Concepts

• Scope of anchor chain/rode in relation to water depth • Difference between normal conditions and storm/emergency conditions • Effect of chain length on holding power and angle of pull on the anchor

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: In calm to moderate conditions, do we usually want a very long scope like for storms, or a moderate scope that still keeps the pull on the anchor close to horizontal? • Think about how increasing scope affects the angle of the chain at the seabed—what approximate range of multiples of depth is commonly taught as the standard scope? • Compare the options that give a "routine everyday" scope versus those that sound more like special cases (very short or specifically tied to tide range).

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which options describe a ratio (multiple) of water depth commonly taught in seamanship texts as normal scope for chain rode. • Eliminate any option that sounds too short to keep the pull nearly horizontal at the anchor under normal conditions. • Consider which option sounds more like a heavy-weather/storm scope rather than a normal operating rule of thumb.