Typical Anchor Handling Operation - Step 4

In the following a typical anchor handling operation will be described step by sted. The procedure described is just one out of many more or less different ways of retreiving an oil rig mooring anchor from the seabed. The oil rig's equipment and / or construction may dictate a different procedure, as may the anchor handling vessel, but the procedure described here is the one I have participated in the most.

Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9

With the tugger wire connected to the messenger of the chaser wire, the crew start heaving in on the tugger wire. At the same time the oil rig crane pays out wire until the entire weight of the chaser ring and wire is carried by the tugger winch. Heaving in the tugger winch is continued until the eye of the chaser wire is past the shark jaws, at which point the jaws are closed. The tugger wire carrying the chaser wire is then payed out until the eye of the chaser wire is resting in the shark jaw. The tugger wire and the messenger wire can now be removed from the eye.