Question: Does the water level change when ship drops the anchor?

(Posted by: MadMan on 2010-02-22 12:31:28)

I thought a bit and understood everything.The water level reduces and i'll explain why. If the weight of the ship is X and the weught of the anchor is Y, than the boat with an anchor on it weights X+Y.When you drop the anchor into the water it's weight reduces (because of ejection power of the water) and if anchors weight was Y now it is Y- Z.So now the common weight of the ship with anchor is X+Y- Z(less that in was before)

Posted by: tom on 2010-02-23, 05:20:11

Yes the ship's draft does change from the loss of the anchor's weight and chain, but the change is impercepable compared to the full weight of the ship and it's cargo and fuel.

Posted by: Anon on 2010-02-22, 12:37:41

Unlikely, because the weight of the anchor was already in the boat, producing the same amount of weight as when it is dropped in the water. However, if the anchor and chain is too short, and pulls the boat further into the water, then you'd expect a rise.

Posted by: Fred on 2010-02-22, 14:01:53

Once the anchor rests on the bottom, the boat should rise a bit. The boat is no longer bearing the weight. I don't think the water level as a whole changes because the anchor is still displacing water even when on the bottom.

Posted by: mark t on 2010-02-22, 18:01:28

When it drops anchor the ship displaces less water equal to the weight of the anchor and chain. But the anchor would displace the same amount of water equal to the change in the ships weight so there should be no change.