readying Anchors before letting go

[DaveBaxt]

According to Brian Laverys book  'The arming and fitting of English ships of war' The cat block would be difficult to remove whilst holding the weight of the anchor, so a stopper is also fitted to the anchor ring. This will take the weight of the anchor whilst the hook can be lowered and then removed. This stopper is basically a loop to a cleat on the side of the cat head which threads through the anchor ring  and when one end is released the anchor would safely fall away or hang on the anchor main rope. I am unable to find much in the way of a drawing so I wonder what this would look like. Brian lavery also states that this has a stopper knot on one end but I am unable to imagine what this would look like and how this is attached to the cleat. I am also wonder if this would be shown on a model whilst the anchor is stowed/secured to the timber heads or would the stopper be stowed away until such time as the anchors would be needed. Hope this makes sense. Dave

[Keith Black]

 Dave, see the below, page 26 post #768.  MSW's search engine is invaluable.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Keith Black

[BANYAN]

Hi Spyglass; which ship is this?

 

cheers 

 

Pat

[DaveBaxt]

Thank you Spyglass. These are exactly what I want, although possibly a different time period, I now have a better idea of what I am looking for. Thanks too for the photos . Best regards Dave

[Dr PR]

The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor (1808) (Darcy Lever, Algrove Publishing Limited,Ottowa, Canada, 2000) has good drawings and detailed instructions for catting and fishing the anchors on page 69. Pages 67 and 68 describe anchors, anchor buoys, and the associated lines.

[BANYAN]

Thanks, interesting vessel - it's a pity we are slowly losing all of these maritime assets.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[wefalck]

The question is also of what period we are talking. CUTTY SARK for instance has a release gear fitted, which allows to safely let go the chain without using a sledgehammer. This kind of release gear, where the chain is hooked up to a rotating bar with thumbs sticking up, was used until stockless anchors came into use that pull up into the hawse-pipe. The bar has a lever at one end that is rotated by hand to lower the 'thumbs', thus relasing the chains.