202323 Fractured crown shackle spotted

The crew were heaving anchor on a tanker in ballast. As the starboard anchor came into sight above the water the officer noticed something was not right.

He stopped the operation and informed the bridge team. Upon closer viewing it could seen the anchor crown shackle was fractured. The port anchor was released and arrangements were made to have the starboard anchor disconnected and a new crown shackle installed. The investigation could not establish a cause for the fracture. The crown shackle had been installed only five years earlier and was duly certified by a recognised classification society.

Lessons learned

• Proper certification for ship’s equipment is a first layer of safety. In this case, in contrast to MARS report 202322, the certification was authentic. But wear and tear will obviously decrease initial specifications and any hidden defects, if present, can become critical.
• Anchor gear is subject to brutal forces and good practice would include a close inspection of the chain and anchor on each recovery.