Page "Anchor" Paragraph 47

This is an anchor which relies solely on being a heavy weight.

It is usually just a large block of concrete or stone at the end of the chain.

Its holding power is defined by its weight underwater ( i. e. taking its buoyancy into account ) regardless of the type of seabed, although suction can increase this if it becomes buried.

Consequently deadweight anchors are used where mushroom anchors are unsuitable, for example in rock, gravel or coarse sand.

An advantage of a deadweight anchor over a mushroom is that if it does become dragged, then it continues to provide its original holding force.

The disadvantage of using deadweight anchors in conditions where a mushroom anchor could be used is that it needs to be around ten times the weight of the equivalent mushroom anchor.