Exercise 7. Listen and fill in the missing words.

You may ________________________ to the anchorage.

Yes, Sir that’s correct Maas West ________________________ number 4.

I will go inside the anchorage ______________________

We also need to ____________________________ anchor there.

We have to anchor __________________________________

We have also ____________________________ the oil.

Let go the __________________________________

2 on _______________________________

These tankers anchored between 8 and 12 _____________________________ off the coast.

Some leaving, some _____________________________.

In a few minutes, I’m going to shift my anchor to the west about 7 ______________________ .

Anchoring text 1.

The anchor is a large and heavy instrument that is used to hold vessels in one position and prevent them from drifting. Anchors are used by ships when anchoring at an anchorage to wait for an available berth or available cargo, when anchoring in a roadstead for bunkering¹ or lightering² operations, when maneuvering without a tug or a bow thruster in confined waters and when a ship has to be stopped in emergency situations like an engine or rudder failure.

Anchorages are places where ships can safely lie at anchor. A good anchorage provides good holding ground, shelter from winds and a depth of 20 to 30 meters. Additional points of interest when choosing an anchor position are the presence of shipping traffic lanes³, submarine cables, pipelines and other obstructions on and in the seabed, the available swinging room with regard to the other ships at the anchorage and the presence of conspicuous objects to take bearings from.

An anchor is heaved up and lowered by means of a windlass (bower anchor(s)) or an anchor winch (stern anchor(s)). Except of the windlass, the anchor gear consists of the anchor cable, the cable stoppers, the cable lashings and the bitter end link of the cable, that can be disconnected to release the anchor and the anchor cable in case of emergency. The anchor cable linked to the bower anchor is usually a chain, consisting of studded links and divided into lengths that are called shackles, as these are connected by shackles. Each shackle measures 1-5 fathoms and is marked. The anchor chain leads from the anchor through the hawse pipe, over the chain stopper, over the gypsy wheel, through the spurling pipe into the chain locker.

There are three teams involved in bringing the ship to anchor, a team on the bridge, responsible for the safe navigation and ship handling, a team in the engine room, responsible for running the engine in maneuvering mode and generating enough power to operate the windlass and any thruster units to be used and a team on the forecastle, responsible for checking, preparing and operating the windlass, for removing and applying any lashings and stoppers, for casting the anchor and retrieving it, as well as checking the condition of the anchor and the anchor cable and reporting on that. The bridge team commands how many shackles have to be paid out and coordinates communication. Usually, the forward team communicates with the bridge using VHF handsets.

When all preparations have been made and the ship has reached the intended anchor position, the ship's headway is run off with the ship's head into the wind or stemming the current. The ship is usually given a little sternway and after that the order is given to let go the anchor. On the forecastle the band brake is released and enough cable is paid out for the anchor to bite. The remaining shackles are paid out gradually or walked out by windlass, in order to prevent the cable from running out too fast.

When the required amount of shackles is in the water, the band brake is secured. Hereupon, the forecastle team will report how the chain is leading and growing and whether there are any signs of dragging. After the commanding officer on the forecastle has assured that the anchor is holding, the anchor ball can be hoisted and anchor bearings and soundings can be taken.

Once the ship has been anchored, anchor watches are to be maintained. During an anchor watch the Officer of the Watch (OOW) should:

(a) determine and plot the ship's position on the appropriate chart as soon as practicable and, at sufficiently frequent intervals, check, by taking bearings to fixed navigational marks or readily identifiable shore objects, whether the anchor is holding;

(b) ensure that an efficient lookout⁴ is maintained;

(c) ensure that an inspection of the vessel is made periodically;

(d) observe weather, tidal and sea conditions;

(e) notify the Master and undertake all necessary measures if the vessel drags;

(f) ensure that the state of readiness of the main engines and other machinery is in accordance with the Master's instructions;

(g) notify the Master if visibility deteriorates and comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea;

(h) ensure that the vessel exhibits the appropriate lights and shapes⁵ and that appropriate sound signals are made at all times:

(i) keep a constant listening watch⁶ on appropriate VHP radio channels.

When the OOW has received a notice to prepare the ship for getting underway, he contacts the master, the engineer on duty and the boatswain. While the engine is being prepared and the forecastle team is mustering on deck, the bridge team prepares for leaving the anchorage area and boarding a pilot in case the ship is inward bound. Once the ship is ready for maneuvering and the forecastle team stand­by for heaving up anchor, the master gives the order to heave up anchor. Then, the gypsy wheel is engaged, the band brake is released and the water spray installation is activated to clean the anchor chain. While the responsible officer on the forecastle is checking how the chain is leading, the boatswain is operating the windlass. Usually, it is reported to the bridge how many shackles are left in the water and how the chain is leading. It is also important to report the observations of the anchor being aweigh, the anchor being fouled and the anchor being home and secured. When preparing for sea, the chain stopper and the chain lashings are applied and both the hawse pipe and the spurling pipe are closed.

Notes:

1. Bunkering – the act or process of supplying a ship with fuel.
2. Lightering is the process of transferring cargo between vessels of different sizes, usually between a barge and a bulker or oil tanker. Lightering is undertaken to reduce a vessel’s draft in order to enter port facilities which cannot accept very large ocean going vessels.
3. Traffic lane – полоса движения.
4. Lookout or look-out – 1) a person on a ship, who is in charge of the observation of the sea for the hazards, other ships, land etc. Lookouts should be familiar with the various types of distress signals they may encounter at sea.

2) the process of the observation of the sea for the hazards, other ships, land etc.

1. Shape - фигура.
2. Listening watch – a watch established for the reception of the traffic of interest to the unit maintaining the watch

Exercise 8. Answer the following questions

1. When do ships require anchoring?

2. What is an anchorage?

3. What are the signs of a good anchorage?

4. What areas are not suitable for an anchorage?

5. What elements does an anchor gear consist of?

6. What is an anchor chain divided into?

7. How does the anchor chain lead?

8. How many teams are involved in bringing the ship to anchor? What are their duties?

9. When is the ship’s headway run off?

10. What should the ship’s position relating to the wind and current be?

11. What is done in order to prevent the cable from running too fast?

12. What is the procedure of letting the anchor go?

13. How is the ship’s position checked when the ship is lying at anchor?

14. What for is it checked at sufficiently frequent intervals?

15. When must the Master be notified?

16. What lights and shapes are exhibited when the ship is lying at anchor?

17. What is the procedure of heaving up the anchor?

Exercise 9. Put the following commands and communication phrases in correct order.