Either anchored, not with an <A> Tag, not even with the stylistic correct and even potentially functional but with an object resting on the sea floor or mooring as in using lines to secure a vessel to a stationary object above the surface.

Dropping Anchor

Before dropping an anchor make sure it is tight to the vessel¹! It is good custom to do this even before taking sail, you never know when you need the only emergency brake.

Dropping your anchor is not allowed everywhere. Signs on the shore show areas where underwater cables are and these should not be used to secure your vessel. Nautical maps tend to show where not to anchor as well as dedicated areas to do so. Also the underwater flora and fauna can have some, be it silent objections. Oister beds tend to crack under the weight of an anchor. One should select an area out of the fairway and away from any artificial structure.

Why Anchoring or Mooring?

The reason for trying to stay in place is most often not to collide with the shore. The shore is surprisingly hazardous for any vessel, lined with rocks the shore often tends to resemble a canopener for the hull. Even when mooring at a quay you will need your own fenders. Besides were you planning to keep on sailing for the rest of your life?

If you lose your propulsion or control, dropping anchor may be a rescue from worse.

Anchoring

The ancient anchor was a rock, preferrably with a hole in it so it could be firmly attached to the anchor line.

A heavy object, still not too heavy to carry in your vessel is not by itself a very good anchor. Under water even a very heavy object will be lifted relative easy. The force pulling down may be significant, the idea of an anchor is that you stay in a certain area and not move unlimited sideways. Anchoring is not about trying to stick to the sea floor, it is about not going sideways too much. Changing the angle of force applied to the anchor by giving more line, and pulling more from the side instead of up, is the best policy. The rule is to give some five to ten times the depth in length of line. By giving a sideway force on a heavy sharp edged object it will be tilting to a side and dig itself in instead of sliding over the lake bottom, river bottom or sea floor. The resulting area where you have anchored will be a circle with a diameter of about the length of line you gave. A good practice is to use an anchor buoy, not only so other vessels will know where your anchor line goes, it is also an easy way to lift the anchor. The anchor buoy line or tripping line should be attached to the crown, this is the bottom or hinge side of the anchor. Pulling on the tripping line you should have no more then the weight of the anchor to lift, where a dug in anchor may require much more effort when lifted by the anchor line.

If the anchor line is too short to even reach the bottom, you should not bother as the shore will not be near either. Best chance is to leeve the anchor weigh, you will slowly drift with the current. There are bag like structures to create the same effect, if you do not have such drogue aboard your normal anchor will be sufficient.

Anchoring procedure

It is good custom to first sail over the place where you would like to stay, upwind or upstream to the place where you would like to position your anchor. Reducing speed to the point where you set the anchor by dropping it. The anchor is considered to be set if your drifting stops due to the anchor.

Lifting the anchor is nearly similar, you sail to the anchor buoy, while taking in the warp. To be up and down is when you are near above the anchor, this means the helm can reduce engine power.

To weigh anchor is when the weight of the anchor is no longer on the bottom of the water, but somewhere in the water or already above water. It is important for the helms man to know when this happens as they have to power up the engines. Also some of the crew may be needed to flush dirt from the anchor and line.

An anchored vessel will be able to swing an entire circle around the anchor. Setting a second anchor abaft the stern will make you stay in a small zone. When the anchored vessel swings on the wind or tide and thus may swing into the fairway you may be able to change the attachment point of the anchor. Fixing the anchor line² behind the bow will stabilise the vessel at an angle to the wind or current.

By dropping two or more anchors you can manage to fix your position. This may not not be wise in tidal zones, your entire vessel may end up below the flood level.

Temporary Anchors

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  A flat cone topped rock with an attachement in the top will work fine. The force to the side excerted at the top makes it tipple over and thus the sharp bottom edge digs into the floor.
  

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  These flukes can be on four or more sides around the shank; the Dregg anchor. This anchor uses a lot of space aboard, and the most often low weight and small flukes makes it not very efficient for large vessels. It looks good hanging on the cathead a little crane dedicated to store the anchor.
  

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  Flukes on two opposing sides and a stock to encourage a fluke to dig into the floor; the kedge, fisherman or stock anchor. There is a high similarity with the smiley. The stock in the smiley is pointing away and toward you.
  

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  Two flukes hinged to the shank on one side; the Danford, Hall or Dufour anchors. Behind the hinge, at the crown is a wide blade and or a stock. This is a very efficient easy to store anchor.
  

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  The single fluke anchor can be plough like as the Bruce anchor.
  

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  The round mushroom anchor, this is shaped like an upside down mushroom head. This anchor has limited fixating properties but will nearly never fail. Also it may need to be cleaned after use.
  

Permanent Anchors

Dedicated mooring areas may use wagon wheels, old huge chains or large slabs of concrete to create permanent anchors. Buoys or a pontoon make the connection to these anchors possible. Only use these areas if you are invited and know for sure your vessel will not be considered a fancy buoy by a huge crago vessel hooking up a buoy.

Anchor attachments

The warp or rode is the line, rope and or chain attached to the anchor to hold the vessel. The warp has to be at least several times the depth to craete a sufficient angle with the anchor. One can never have too much length of warp onboard. The warp has to be somewhat elastic to prevent the sharp shocks of waves pulling on the anchor. Another warp device is the chain, even small anchors need a length of chain between the anchor and the warp, this chain will lay on the sea bed and thus directs the force on the anchor near horizontal. Other advantages of the chain are it will not form a loop knot around the anchor and a chain has less wear by a rocky floor. Large commercial vessels may have a only chain for the anchor line. This chain will have several special chackels enabling rotation, there is nothing worse then a knot in your anchor chain. The use of a chain is mostly due to the automated lifting and dropping. A chain can be used in combination with a dedicated pulley, guiding the chain through the windlass.

Mediterranean Anchoring

Due to quay space limitations many harbours prefer this mooring for larger, longer staying vessels. Set anchor from the bow while reversing toward the quay. Make sure your anchor is perpedicular to the docking site, and not to overrun other anchor lines. Also make sure not to forget the anchor buoy so others can avoid your line as well. Move your vessel in reverse to the quay and have two lines ready for mooring.

Beaching

This may sound strange but beaching is a 'normal' procedure in many areas. When you do not need any of the harbour facilities, know the seabed and your vessel can handle it, beaching is a good and cheap alternative for mooring. Do not beach if you are not sure if it may be spring tide! Set anchor from the stern, preferrable two anchors some distance appart. sail to the shore as far as possible or wise, drop the bow anchor and wait for low tide or just prepare for getting a wet suit and jump overboard to drag the anchor to the shore. Depending on the local situation you may choose to point the bow to the storm or current. This may involve another anchoring pattern.

Port

A port is where you see buoys and lights showing 'inland' while there is only a bay like water. In a port you may find quays, docks and other vessel mooring facilities. The marina is where you will find the office of the authorities. If you are arriving at a port make sure you report to the port authorities. There may be a visitors quay where you can dock for a few hours. If you want to stay overnight there may be a fee involved. Fenders and other harbour furniture are not to be used as docking facilities. Just grounding to the dam behind the fenders may be allowed, you still ahve to report to the harbour authorities for clearance.

Mooring

Anchoring is also mooring, though mooring does not have to be anchoring as there are many more places to stop by with a vessel. The process of mooring is to ty down your vessel and prevent it from jamming onto anyhting.

The ideal way to place your vessel alongside the quay is by slowly sailing straight to behind the place for mooring. Then turn the vessel ninety degees and let it drift sideways to the quay, with some practice you will slip land, dead in the water, touching the quay.

First attach the loop of the bow line over the bollard, do the same with the stern line. Place some fenders overboard if required. Adjust the bow line on the cleat to have a reasonable slack, also for the stern line. If passing vessels give serious waves set out a forward spring line from the stern. If required also an after spring line from the bow. Take into account the kind of quay regarding tides, most small vessel qauys will float however. By the time you lower your lines with a winch, use a tugboat to bring the lines to the shore these lines are hawsers. Often over 20 cm thick and a loop you can stand in.

Docking

Somewhere on the quay, not to stay there for very long. A dock seems to be a designated place for mooring your vessel.

Berthing

A mooring place dedicated, adapted and fitting to your vessel. Arriving at your berth in your own home port, harbour, beach or anchor place. Well, you are home you should know how to go mooring your vessel. Hint, use the lines on their most chavved way, chances are this has been done before and the lines show some wear.

Boxing

Not unlike berthing, that is a box is most often not for visitors, only the owner is supposed to go mooring their vessel in the box.

As a box will have floating quay like constructions on three sides two bowlines and two sternlines should be available and show a little wear on the bends. The lines are fixed to the box and are often attached to the quaty with rings. This is suitable as the lines will stay fixed until they need replacement.

Harbour

Not unlike a haven, a place where vessel can take shelter against the elements of the weather. Mainly from the waves, floating ice and wind, Often also providing quay space. As with a port, report to the authoroties to find out the local customs regarding a stay.

Quay

There are two basic differences in quays, some are build on a floating pontoon while others are fixed. Any quay will have bollards in some form for mooring vessels. If there are only rings or lines chances are this is the berth of someone else. If you need to climb a long ladder mounted in the ceiling, finding bollards with hands your size on the shore. You probably overlooked the huge coasters already mooring up and down the quay.

Dock

A dry dock is a basin that can be closed and pumped dry or a barge temporaryly sunk and then pumped afloat again to do maintenance on the underwater parts of a vessel. Most often used for relative short time work like cleaning and painting the hull. Also used for building vessels, where cranes put the parts in place and welders attach the parts.

Warf

Not unlike a dock, though a warf tends to use ramps to lift a vessel out of the water. Lorries running on rails are placed under the hull at structural reinforced places and a giantic winch will drag the vessel up. This is the marine railway. The more extensive underwater repair work can be done on such warf. Also used for building vessels, most often with smaller parts then used in a dock.

Pier

A pier is a structure with a deck on poles stretching out from the shore to the deeper waters beyond the tidal zone. These were often used by passenger ferries. Also some restaurants and a candy shop may be present to give the tourists an excuse to walk the pier. Most likely there is not much infrastructure inland behind the pier as there is no river mouth either.