What knot was used to secure the anchor to the cable in the 18th century period

[Senior ole salt]

I'm working on my Providence model and would like to know.

 

Thanks 

 

S.O.S

[Jim Lad]

Back in the 18th century the heavy anchors were secured by an 'anchor clinch' as illustrated below.

 

John

 

[Blue Ensign]

For small vessel anchors and lighter anchors a Fishermans Bend was also used.

[AntonyUK]

Hi.

From my own expearances the only knot I have seen used for the anchor is a knot called the Anchor bend.

Same as the fishermans knot but it goes twice around the ring then finishes with a half turn. And the tail is always lashed.

 

Regards Antony.

Edited January 12, 2016 by AntonyUK

[Senior ole salt]

Thanks folks. I had a feeling the anchor or fisherman's bend would do the job. The bend illustrated above probably has some advantages but it is easy to see that the end would have to be sized or else come loose.

 

BTW I have always wondered why a fouled anchor is so popular as nautical emblem by knowing mariners. A disaster waiting to happen for any ship so fouled.

 

S.O.S.

[Tompslattery]

Would the anchor bend be used in a french cutter built approx in earlier 1800's?

[John Garnish]

In Jean Boudriot's book "The Seventy-Four Gun Ship", he draws a distinction between the bends used on the main anchor cables for a large ship, and those on 'cablets' - lighter cables used for stream anchors.  He says "These small cables are differentiated only by their size, and indeed the cablet of a ship-of-the-line may serve as the cable of a sloop-of war".  

 

He shows the following anchor bend for a cablet

 

 

For the larger cables, he shows a simpler "clinch", more suited to the greater diameter and stiffness of the cable.

[jud]

Notice the loops are seized  or thrown around so the loop will not close, or like in the last illustration when the bitter end is loose, the loops do no bind themselves. Cutting those cables would have been a chore and a waste of cable.

jud

Edited February 7, 2017 by jud

[Srodbro]

Biddlecombe's "Art of Rigging" shows (Plate VI, Fig. 10) an anchor on the bottom with the cable run thru the anchor ring, but extending further down to and around the flukes, secured with a clove hitch, but also continuing back to the surface and attached to a buoy. 

Not clear if an anchor bend occurs at the ring; I would assume it does otherwise it's just a clove hitch holding things together. 

Question is:  When would this arrangement be used?  When bottom is known to be snaggy?  When the need to possibly slip the cable due to anticipated storm? Having the cable terminate at a buoy would allow a boat to retrieve the end, and then weigh the anchor from the fluke end if snagged. 

Obviously, the decision to use this arrangement would have to be made before the anchor is dropped.