Anchoring and Mooring Operations Flashcards
7 cards from real AB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Anchoring and Mooring Operations flashcards as text
When anchoring on a rocky or foul bottom, what precaution should be taken with the anchor?
Answer: Rig a 'trip line' attached to the crown of the anchor for retrieval
A trip line is attached to the crown of the anchor so it can be pulled in the opposite direction to free it if the flukes become fouled on an obstruction.
What is 'swinging room' and why is it important when choosing an anchorage?
Answer: The radius the vessel will sweep as it moves around its anchor due to wind and current changes
Swinging room is the circular area a vessel sweeps as wind or current causes it to rotate around its anchor; you must ensure no obstructions or other vessels are within this radius.
Which type of anchor is most commonly found on modern merchant vessels due to its high holding power and ability to stow in the hawsepipe?
Answer: Stockless (Patent) anchor
The stockless (patent) anchor is standard on merchant ships because its flukes pivot to fold flat, allowing it to stow in the hawsepipe without manual removal.
The 'wildcat' (also called a 'gypsy') on a windlass is:
Answer: A sprocketed drum designed to engage and drive the anchor chain
The wildcat or gypsy is the sprocketed drum on the windlass specifically shaped to engage the links of the anchor chain and drive it in or out.
When letting go (dropping) an anchor in an emergency, what is the FIRST action an AB should take?
Answer: Remove the anchor lashing and securing pin
Before releasing any windlass brakes or stoppers, all lashings and securing pins holding the anchor in the hawsepipe must be removed first to prevent damage.
When mooring to a bollard on a dock, the correct method to make fast multiple lines is to use a:
Answer: Bight (eye) of each line placed over the bollard in turn
Passing the eye of each mooring line over the bollard in succession allows any single line to be removed without disturbing the others, following the rule 'last on, first off.'
What term describes the condition when a vessel's anchor chain becomes twisted around itself or another anchor?
Answer: Fouled anchor
A fouled anchor describes a situation where the anchor chain is twisted, wrapped around the anchor, or caught on an obstruction, preventing normal retrieval.