A ship's anchor is a heavy device of iron or steel attached to the ship by a line, a cable or a chain and used to immobilize the ship to the seabed.
Anchors are primarily used to immobilize the ship by attaching it to the seabed. Normally, a ship carries two bow anchors, port and starboard. Some types of ship also carry a stern anchor.
When the anchor is dropped, it uses two or more flukes, or hooks to dig into the seabed. This immobilizes the ship, preventing it from drifting with the current and wind. Among the many different anchor types are the Hall, AC-14, Spek, Byers and Danforth. While their forms differ, the basic parts are: ring, shank, crown, arms, flukes, palms and bills.
It is important to choose an anchor whose form and weight are suitable for the ship's displacement and for the types of seabed commonly encountered.
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