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 movement. The throttle is eased a bit and heaving in the work wire is initiated. This will pull the vessel back until it is almost directly above the anchor. The continued heaving on the work and chaser wire will eventually lift the anchor out of the seabed. At this time, the oil rig will have payed out a bit on the chain, so that the tension on it doesn't overwhelm the equipment and the AHTS vessel.