Candidates most commonly fail this topic by listing anchors they recognise by name without being able to articulate why a Master would choose one over another for a given seabed or operational context. An examiner is not testing catalogue knowledge — they are testing whether you can make and justify a command decision. Generic answers such as "the CQR is good in mud" without explaining the mechanism or the trade-offs will not satisfy at command standard.
The core question the examiner is probing: Can you select the right anchor for the conditions, explain the failure modes, and mitigate them?
Stockless (Admiralty Pattern derivative / Pool-type) The standard commercial and naval anchor. Retracts flush into the hawsepipe, making it practical for large vessels. Good holding in sand and mud once dug in; poor in rock, kelp, or hard clay where the flukes cannot penetrate. Relies on the crown hitting the seabed to trip the flukes. A known failure mode is dragging before it has fully set — critical in restricted anchorages.
CQR (Plough) Hinged plough-blade design. Exceptional in sand, mud, and grass/weed where it self-buries deeply. The hinge allows the anchor to follow changes in load direction without breaking out — a significant advantage on a yacht swinging to tide or wind. Disadvantage: slow to set initially; unreliable on rock or hard sand crust where the plough cannot penetrate.
Bruce / Claw No moving parts; sets quickly and re-sets well if the vessel swings through 360°. Good in sand and mud. Lighter for equivalent holding power compared to CQR. Disadvantage: poor holding in weed or soft mud — the claw tends to skate across the surface. Does not stow as neatly as a plough.
Danforth (Fluke / High-Holding-Power) Exceptionally high holding-to-weight ratio in sand and soft mud — it buries the entire shank. Stows flat. Disadvantage: very poor in rock, gravel, or stiff clay; vulnerable to breaking out if the direction of pull lifts above a low angle; notorious for fouling its own chain over the flukes.
Fisherman (Traditional / Admiralty) The only anchor reliably effective on rock, coral, and kelp because the flukes engage in crevices rather than requiring burial. Holding power-to-weight ratio is low compared to modern designs. Awkward to stow; one fluke always stands proud creating a snagging hazard. A valid choice as a secondary anchor in challenging seabeds where all modern anchors will drag.
Command-level considerations
- Always assess seabed type from the chart before selecting anchor and scope.
- Holding power is meaningless without adequate scope; the general principle is a longer scope reduces the angle of pull, keeping the shank horizontal and the flukes buried — exact ratios depend on conditions and anchor type.
- A second anchor of different type is sound practice where seabed type creates doubt.
- Monitor set after anchoring: engine ready, transits or GPS alarm set, log the time and position.