CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOVEMENT OF A SINKER DURING DEPLOYMENT

Studies were made to determine the horizontal offset incurred by typical Coast Guard sinkers (which are used to moor floating aids to navigation) as they fall from the surface to the bottom of the sea. A series of experiments was conducted in which sinkers were dropped in water and their offsets at the bottom recorded. Included were sinker drops in highly controlled conditions, some of which were recorded on film; and drops from a barge in more typical field conditions. The effects of the following parameters were considered: sinker size (up to 8500 lbs.), depth of water (up to 102 ft.), height of sinker above water at time of release (up to 6 ft.), current (up to 4 knots), location of center of gravity with respect to the centroid of the sinker, initial tilt of the sinker, and the presence or absence of chain attached. It is found that offsets generally increase with sinker size and water depth, to a maximum of about 12 feet in still water. The height above water, initial tilt, and presence or absence of chain have small or negligible effects. Some sinkers are found to exhibit a bias in offsets in one direction. The trajectory of the sinker as it falls, and the effect of current on offsets, are discussed from a theoretical point of view and experimental data are presented. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  Coast Guard

  Office of Research and Development
  Washington, DC  United States 

  United States Coast Guard

  2100 Second Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20593
• Authors:
  • Colburn, WEJ
  • Cutler, JWJ
  • Marcolini, R A
  • Walker, R T
• Publication Date: 1977-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 155 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Anchors (Mooring devices); Buoys; Center of gravity; Deployment; Depth; Descent; Drift; Flight paths; Ocean currents; Shipwrecks; Weight
• Uncontrolled Terms: Experimental data
• Old TRIS Terms: Descent trajectories; Tilt; Underwater trajectories
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00313162
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: CGR/DC-28/77, USCG-D-2-80
• Files: NTIS
• Created Date: May 7 2002 12:00AM