Anchorage

A place where vessels anchor or may anchor.

An anchorage may be officially designated and charted or simply a location selected by a mariner. It may serve leisure craft, ships awaiting a berth, quarantine or other operational needs, and it is not necessarily sheltered or provided with good holding ground.

Selection requires assessment of depth and tidal range, seabed, swinging room, shelter, traffic, underwater cables or pipelines, prohibited areas, local regulations and the forecast. The vessel’s position and anchor security must then be monitored for dragging and changes in conditions.