What are the types of rodless mooring anchors?
There are several types of rodless mooring anchors, and most ships use them as their primary anchors. These anchors are mostly suitable for storage inside the anchor chain locker. The commonly used forms of rodless anchors are as follows:
Hall Anchor:
The Hall Anchor is a typical conventional rodless anchor and is usually used as the primary anchor for navigation and anchoring equipment. One disadvantage of the Hall Anchor is that when it is being retrieved, the anchor flukes tend to slide along the hull, causing damage to the ship’s coating. The typical structure is shown in the diagram below:
Speck Anchor:
The Speck Anchor is also a conventional rodless anchor and is commonly used as the primary anchor for navigation and anchoring equipment. Its basic performance is similar to the Hall Anchor. Because the center of its anchor head is slightly lower than the small axis, when the anchor is hoisted, the anchor flukes and the anchor shank are roughly in the same plane, thereby avoiding damage to the ship’s coating. The Speck Anchor is especially suitable for ships with a larger bulbous bow.
AC-14 Anchor and AC-14 Balanced Anchor:
The AC-14 Anchor is usually used as the primary anchor for navigation and anchoring equipment. It has excellent performance, high holding power, and is suitable for various mud and sand bottoms. It has good stability and is easy to stow, making it widely used in large transport ships and naval vessels. The AC-14 Balanced Anchor is an improved version of the AC-14 Anchor and, like the Spek Anchor, has vertical anchor flukes when hoisted.
Pool N-Type Anchor and Pool N-Type Balanced Anchor:
The Pool N-Type Anchor can be used as the primary anchor for navigation and anchoring equipment, as well as for working anchors on engineering vessels. The Pool N-Type Balanced Anchor is also an improved version with vertical anchor flukes when hoisted.
Pool TW-Type Anchor and Pool TW-Type Balanced Anchor:
The Pool TW-Type Anchor can be used as the primary anchor for navigation and anchoring equipment, as well as for anchoring and positioning systems on engineering vessels. Compared to the Pool N-Type Anchor, it has a simpler structure, easier manufacturing, and better performance.
Wide-Fluke Delta Anchor:
This is a high-holding-power anchor primarily used in anchoring and positioning systems on engineering vessels. The construction of the Delta Stockless Anchor is different from the typical rodless anchors. Its flukes are sharper, with smaller gaps between the two tips, making it easier to embed in the soil during dragging operations. The lower part of the anchor flukes is wider, providing stability similar to a bar-type anchor, while also preventing entanglement with the anchor head cable.
Other rodless Anchors:
Commonly used rodless anchors on foreign ships include the BALTIC rodless Anchor, the U.S. Navy rodless Anchor, the Swivel Head rodless Anchor, and the Japanese JIS rodless Anchor. Their performance is similar to that of the Hall Anchor.