Traditional Anchors
For hundreds of years ships used what is known as an Admiralty or Fisherman anchor. The holding power is relatively poor and the anchor rode can foul on the fluke protruding from the bed. These anchors are relatively large and unwieldy to stow when not in use.
Around the mid 19th century the stockless anchor was developed and is still the main type of anchor used by merchant ships today. This anchor still has quite a low holding power. It’s easy to stow in a hawse pipe.
These types of anchor are rarely used by smaller craft.
Modern Anchors
Modern anchors have been developed over the last 100 years . I have listed the main types and their characteristics. These are the types of anchor used on recreational boats.
