The Stockless Anchor Explained

The Wasteneys Smith Stockless Anchor was patented in 1871 by its inventor, William Wasteneys Smith and went on to change forever this crucial aspect of maritime safety.
It was a simple but clever design which presented many advantages over traditional anchors.
It consisted of 3 parts… The main shank, to which the chain was fitted, and 2 flukes to secure it to the sea bed. The crown, which would contact the seabed first, was part of the shank, but on later improved designs, the crown and flukes were made as a single piece.
Previous anchors were fitted with a stock, a rod set at a right angle to the flukes, which would help the flukes connect with the seabed when lowered.
This feature however, caused the anchor to be an awkward shape, requiring davits to deploy them to prevent damage to the hull. The ship also needed an anchor-bed platform for storing the anchor when not in use.
The stockless anchor’s convenient flat shape allows it to be drawn up and stored in the hull with ease, saving time and labour, and leaving the useful forecastle area clear of bulky equipment.
Due to the simple geometrical design of the stockless anchor, it free-falls through water much faster than more bulky types. When it connects with the seabed, the ship goes astern, forcing the flukes to dig in.
The anchor holds the chain in place as it is reeled out. It’s actually the weight of the chain lying on the sea bed that holds the vessel gently in place rather than the anchor itself - this allows movement in the chain to eliminate sudden stresses in caused by changing surface conditions.
The success of this simple design has prevailed to this day, making it one of the most commonly used anchors - from small dingies up to giant tankers.
#history #maritime #maritimehistory #maritimeeducation #anchor #historyfacts #historygk

[@131alexa]

Nice clear animations 👍

[@wikuscombrinck512]

Really interesting