🔍 Key Concepts

• Safe anchoring speed for large, fully loaded vessels such as a 120,000 DWT bulk carrier • Relationship between ship’s headway, anchor holding power, and risk of gear damage when letting go the anchor • Typical maximum safe speed (in knots and ft/sec) recommended just before letting go the anchor on very large ships

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens to the anchor, chain, and windlass if a very large loaded ship has too much headway when the anchor is let go. • Which of these speeds would still allow the ship to be brought up gradually by the anchor without shock-loading the cable or dragging the anchor excessively? • Compare these speeds to walking speed in ft/sec to get an intuitive sense: would you want your 120,000 DWT ship moving faster than a slow walking pace when you drop the anchor?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be sure you know that 1 knot ≈ 1.69 feet per second when comparing the choices. • Ask yourself which option best matches standard pilotage/anchoring guidance for very large loaded ships (VLCCs and large bulk carriers). • Verify which speed is low enough to minimize risk of anchor cable damage or loss of the anchor, yet still practical for maintaining control of the ship’s headway.