How it works
The parts of an anchor on one drawing of the traditional stocked kind, hanging from a short length of chain. Names only: nothing here is advice on anchoring a boat.
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From the top
The chain ends in a shackle, a U-shaped link closed by a pin. The shackle holds the ring, and the ring passes through the top of the shank. The stock is the crossbar just under the ring.
Down to the flukes
The shank is the long bar down the middle. It ends at the crown, where the two arms join it. Each arm curves up to a fluke, a broad plate, and the sharp point beyond the fluke is the bill. On the sea floor the stock tips the anchor over so that one fluke digs in.
- On a real anchor the stock stands at right angles to the arms. The drawing turns it flat so its whole length shows.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of an anchor called?
On a traditional stocked anchor: the ring at the top, the stock (the crossbar), the shank (the long bar), the crown at the bottom, two arms, and a fluke on each arm that ends in a point called the bill.
What is the fluke of an anchor?
The broad triangular plate at the end of each arm. It is the part that digs into the sea floor. An older name for it is the palm.
What does the stock of an anchor do?
It stands at right angles to the arms. An anchor lands with its arms lying flat. A pull on the chain then rolls it onto the stock, and that points one fluke down to dig in.
What is the crown of an anchor?
The place where the two arms join the shank, at the opposite end from the ring. An anchor let go in deep water strikes the bottom crown first.
Do all anchors have a stock?
No. Most large ships carry stockless anchors. Their flukes pivot on the shank, so both dig in together, and with no stock in the way the anchor is easier to handle and stow.