[Posted on November 27th, 2013 by Bill Stewart]
When you anchor anything – a boat, an oil rig, or anything else, you need anchor analysis. Using software, you can enter in a variety of variables and learn what is going to happen. As waves and winds are factored in, you will learn whether the anchor you have is sufficient or if you need to explore another option.
There are a lot of things that can go wrong when you anchor a boat. This is why more people in various industries are taking advantage of Orcaflex. This is a software program that can assist with anchor analysis so you can learn more about the environment and help you to choose the right anchor.
If you’ve ever gone in search of anchors in the past, you know there are many options. There are different sizes, weights, materials, and even claws. How you choose an anchor is dependent on the environment you will be in when you need to anchor. If you are in calm waters, you won’t need as big of an anchor as you would where there is a lot of wind.
One way to benefit from anchor analysis is to be able to calculate worst-case scenarios. The anchor you buy may work at one wind speed but once the wind increases, it may cause more waves. This may be sufficient enough to pick the anchor up from the ground, which means your boat or other vessel is no longer anchored.
Another way to benefit is to figure out what you need for the environment you will be working in. You shouldn’t have to buy multiple anchors to try and figure out how to keep your vessel in place. This can be a costly game of trial and error. The better solution is to make calculations and purchase the anchor you need the first time around.
Yet another way to benefit from anchor analysis is to learn what issues you could encounter. This will make it easier to train your employees on what should be done in the event you get into deeper water or the weather takes a turn for the worse. When your employees are trained in these situations, you can ensure that things go as planned.
There are too many accidents on the water because no one bothers to analyze their needs. They make a quick judgment call and hope for the best. You cannot risk lives and risk damaging equipment all because you couldn’t be bothered with some analysis.
There are firms and software programs available to help with anchor analysis. This means you have no excuse not to obtain the analytical reports you need prior to going out into the open water. Your anchor needs to work, regardless of the conditions that you could potentially face. You just need the reports to tell you the details.