Anchor Suppliers

A ship anchor has to hold the vessel in any weather and on any seabed the voyage will cross. It also has to carry class-society approval. Wrong weight, wrong type, or missing certificates keep the ship in port.

Marine anchor suppliers provide the right casting, the class paperwork, and delivery to the correct quay.

Anchor Types That Marine Anchor Suppliers Provide

Common class-approved types include:

• Hall anchor: the classic stockless anchor used on most merchant ships
• AC-14 high-holding-power (HHP) anchor: lighter than Hall for the same grip, common on bulkers and tankers
• Pool TW / Pool N: another HHP pattern, popular on tankers and container ships
• Spek, Union and Baldt stockless anchors: legacy patterns still specified on older hulls
• Danforth and fluke-style anchors: used on workboats, tugs, and small offshore craft
• Mooring anchors: drag-embedment (DEA) and suction patterns for FPSOs and floating production units
• Stern and kedge anchors: smaller units for stern-anchor fit and emergency use

What Anchor Distributors Keep in Their Yard

The anchor is only half the shipment. A proper yard also carries the fittings and services the ship needs on the same delivery: 

• Anchor shackles and swivels sized to each anchor
• End links, joining shackles, and common-link adapters
• Pins, trunnion bushes, and shank reinforcement plates
• Re-painting and re-certification service for used anchors
• Proof-load test rigs for recertification after repair
• Heavy-lift transport to the berth or shipyard

How to Choose an Anchor Supplier

Picking the right firm is mostly about paperwork, stock depth, and logistics. A reliable anchor supplier provides type-approval certificates from the buyer's class society: ABS, DNV, LR, BV, ClassNK, KR or RINA. Every casting should also come with a proof-load test certificate 3.1 or 3.2. The weight range should run from small kedge anchors up to 36 000 kg bower anchors, so one partner can serve a mixed fleet.

Delivery should reach the loading berth by low-loader or barge, with lifting slings rated for the anchor weight. Without these, the anchor lands on the quay without the paperwork to go on board.

FAQs 

How do I choose the right anchor weight for my ship?

Class societies use the Equipment Number (EN). It is worked out from the ship's displacement, freeboard, and windage. Send the ship's class certificate to the supplier; they return an EN-compliant quote.

Do anchor providers supply certified second-hand anchors?

Yes. Used anchors that pass proof-load testing and hold a fresh class certificate are accepted as replacements or spare-pool stock. Expect 40 to 60 percent of the new-casting price, plus transport and recertification fees.

Can a single supplier cover a mixed fleet with different class societies?

Most directory firms hold approvals from two or three class societies and can obtain the rest on demand. 

What lead time applies to a new bower anchor?

Standard Hall and AC-14 patterns up to 15 000 kg ship from stock in 2 to 4 weeks. Larger castings for VLCCs, ore carriers, and offshore units are made to order and run 10 to 14 weeks from foundry to quay.

How is a replacement anchor brought on board in port?

The supplier arranges transport to the loading berth and provides certified slings. The ship's deck crane or a quayside crane lifts the anchor into the hawse pipe. The bosun then connects it to the chain with an approved joining shackle. Most anchor swaps finish inside one port call.

Find Anchor Suppliers Near Your Port