Typical Anchor Handling Operation - Step 7

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

The ship has now pulled the chaser ring all the way out to the anchor. Exactly when the ring is at the anchor can be seen on board the supply vessel, since it will stop in it's slow forward motion and tension on the work wire will increase. The vessel will now increase throttle power thereby pulling the anchor free from the seabed. This may take minutes or even hours if the anchor is embedded well. When the anchor breaks free, tension in the wire will drop and the vessel will start moving forward again. Then the throttle is eased to just a little bit and heaving in the work wire is initiated, lifting the anchor up towards the surface.