Question 69 ONC04 - Mate of LT 500-1600 GRT

The Correct Answer is D **Why Option D is Correct:** Anchoring a small to medium size vessel in deep water requires careful control to prevent the anchor and chain from achieving excessive freefall velocity. If the anchor hits the water or the seabed at very high speeds, it can damage the vessel's machinery (windlass, gypsy/wildcat), the chain locker, or the chain itself due to the sudden shock of impact or the rapid payout causing the chain to stack poorly in the locker and potentially foul. Option D states: "Under power, back the anchor out until it is near, but clear, of the bottom before letting it fall." This procedure, often referred to as "walking out the anchor" or "power-assisted lowering," provides maximum control. By using the vessel's engine (backing slowly) to assist the lowering process, the crew can control the rate of chain payout using the windlass motor and brake. This ensures the anchor does not freefall uncontrollably. Lowering it until it is "near, but clear, of the bottom" minimizes the distance the anchor has to fall once the brake is fully released, thereby limiting the maximum speed and reducing the shock load on the vessel when the anchor settles. This is the safest and most controlled method for deep water anchoring. **Why the Other Options are Incorrect:** * **A) Back the anchor slowly out of the hawsepipe a few feet, and then let it fall in the normal fashion.** This is often done to ensure the anchor is clear of the hull before deployment, but simply letting it fall "in the normal fashion" (i.e., freefall) in deep water will result in the uncontrolled high-speed payout that damages equipment and is dangerous. This does not address the core issue of deep water control. * **B) Let the anchor fall off the brake right from the hawsepipe, but keep a slight strain on the brake.** Allowing the anchor to fall directly off the brake in deep water, even with a slight strain, will still likely result in an excessively high rate of descent and rapid chain payout. The amount of friction required to control the speed in very deep water is immense, and relying solely on a "slight strain" risks overheating or damaging the brake mechanism and failing to control the momentum of the falling weight. * **C) Let the anchor fall free from the hawsepipe, but apply the brake at intervals to check the rate of fall.** Allowing freefall and then periodically snatching the brake puts immense shock load on the windlass, chain, and hawsepipe. This is extremely damaging to the equipment and is a dangerous and uncontrolled way to deploy the anchor in deep water.