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Anchor
A stockless anchor, such as the one belonging to the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) shown here, uses a pivoting shaft that allows the flukes to dig into the sea floor easily while reducing the risk of fouling. Aircraft carrier anchors can weigh more than 30 tons.
U.S. Navy (Olympia McCoy)

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Anchors Aweigh

By Philip K. Allan, author, Sea of Wolves
June 2021
Naval History Magazine
Armaments & Innovations
View Issue
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As soon as humans took to the water, they needed a means of holding their boats in position. The pull of the tide, the flow of a river, or the push of the wind all threatened to carry them toward danger. The very first anchors likely were developed by early fishermen looking to keep their boats above a promising location. These probably consisted of a simple weight, perhaps a large stone or a basket of rocks, attached to a line, and this template influenced the earliest known anchors. 

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Philip K. Allan, author, Sea of Wolves

Philip K. Allan is the author of the award-winning Alexander Clay series of nautical fiction set in the Royal Navy of the late 18th century. He studied the 18th-century navy at the University of London and is a member of the Society for Nautical Research.

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