The sea-mans dictionary, or, An exposition and demonstration of all the parts and things belonging to a shippe together with an explanation of all the termes and phrases used in the practique of navigation / composed by Henry Manwaring ...

Anchor.

The forme and generall use of an Anchor is commonly knowne: but the severall parts, proportions, distinctions and appella∣tions, understood by very few, but practised and experienced Sea-men: The Anchor doth consist of these severall parts: The Ring, the Eye, the Head, the Nutt, the Beame or Arme, the Shanck, the Flooke, to which be∣longs a stocke by which it is made to take hold.

The proportion which it holds in it selfe is, The shancke is thrice as long as one of the flookes, and halfe the beame. The proportion in re∣spect of Shipping is, To a Ship of 500 tun, we allow 2000 weight for a sheate Anchor, The higgest Ship in Englands Anchor, is but 3500;

The distinctions are made by their use, according to the proportion they beare in the Ship in which they are imployed; for that, which in one Ship would be called but a Kedger, or Kedge Anchor, in a lesser, would be a sheate Anchor.

The sorts of Anchors, which by occasion of their severall uses receive different names and appellations, are first a Kedge, which is the smallest, which by reason of their lightnesse, is first to stoppe the Ship in kedging downe a River. The next a Streame Anchor, which we use in deep waters to stop a tide withall in faire weather. The other they call by the name of the first, second or third Anchor, (all these being such as the ship may ride by in any reasonable weather, Sea-gate or tyde. These are something bigget one then an other: And usually when they sayle in any straights or are neere a Port, they carry two of these at the Bowe. In which respect, they are also called by the name of the first, second or third Bowes.) The other which is the biggest, and that which the Sea-men call their last-hope, and is never used but in great extremity, is called the Sheate Anchor, this is the true Anchora Spei, for this is their last re∣fuge. The Anchor is a Peeke, that is, when heaving up the Anchor, the Cabell is right perpendicular betwixt the Hawes and the Anchor. The Anchor is a Cock-bell, which is, when the Anchor hangs right up and downe by the Ships side: and this appointed by the Masters, when they are ready to bring the Ship to an: Anchor. Let fall the Anchor, that is, let in goe downe into the Sea. The Anchor is fowle, that is, when the Cabell by the turning of the Ship is got about the flooke, which will not only cut the Cabell a-sunder, but make the Anchor not in hold: And therefore when ever we come to an Anchor, where there is tyde, we lay∣out two Anchors, so as that, upon the turning of the tyde, the Ship wind up eleere of either Anchor, cleere the Anchor, that is, get the Cabell off the flooke; or generally, when they let fall the Anchor, they use this terme, to see that the Buoy-Rope, nor in other ropes do hang about it, fetch or bring home the Anchor, that is, to weigh it in the Boate, and bring it a-boord the Ship. The Anchor comes home, that is, when the Ship drives away with the tyde or sea; This may happen, either because the Anchor is too small for the burthen of the ship, or for that the ground may be soft and one, In such places, we use to shoe the An∣chor, that is, to put boords to the stooke in the forme of the stooke, and make it much broader then before: In Porto Fareen by Tunis, I saw

the experience of Tallowing an Anchor, where the ground being so soft, we shod our Anchors and yet they all came home, and the Ships drave a-ground, only, one ship, which had an Anchor tallowed, too fast, the reason I could never truly know, but suppose that it might be, because that the tallow sunck deeper into oze, and finds some harder ground at the bottome, then the other. Boate the Anchor, that is put it into the Boate.