phenomenon will be investigated during small anchor 

 projectile tests in San Francisco Bay mud. Also, 

 perhaps it is simpler to pull the anchor vertically 

 through the soil remolded during penetration than it 

 is to penetrate the stiffer walls of the remolded 

 cavity. In future test operations, the clay anchor 

 flukes will be improved to maximize performance in 

 soft clay by sharpening the top edge of the fluke to 

 aid keying and by sand-painting the fluke surface to 

 increase soil adhesion. 



Test 19(5 Dec 73) 



At the 1,200-foot site, the 2.5 x 5-foot clay fluke, 

 which was fired with a 3.0-pound charge, penetrated 

 the soft clay to a depth of 40 feet. The fluke did not 

 have linkage. This was similar to the technique of 

 Test 6; however, the piston receptacle was enlarged. 

 Load was gradually increased until puUout at 19,000 

 pounds. When the anchor was recovered, there was no 

 sediment in the piston receptacle, which indicates the 

 piston did not separate and, therefore, the fluke did 

 not key. 



TEST OPERATION VI 



These tests were performed about 150 miles off 

 Norfolk, Virginia, from the cable layer USNS Aeolus. 

 An attempt was made to gather seafloor engineering 

 data at the proposed test sites from another vessel; 

 mechanical problems on that ship caused a delay until 

 after the anchor tests. A more suitable choice of 

 flukes could have been made with this data. 



Test 20 (20 Jul 74) 



The anchor was assembled with the 1-1/2 x 3-foot 

 sand fluke, because the seafloor characteristics were 

 unknown. Water depth was 8,000 feet. There was 

 insufficient clearance to take the anchor over the bow 

 sheaves vertically; therefore, it was laid horizontally 

 and passed beneath the gantry until it cleared the 

 sheaves. Then it was placed in an upright position and 

 lowered at 300 ft/min to the seafloor. The anchor did 

 not fire, and it was brought back on deck for an 

 autopsy. A dead spot was found in the magnetic 

 switch assembly. The magnetic switch could get by the 



magnet without closing the switch. The next day was 

 spent improving the switch assembly to ensure that the 

 magnet passed within 1/4 inch of the magnetic 

 switch. This problem has not since reoccurred. 



Test 21 (22 Jul 74) 



The 1-1/2 x 3-foot fluke was used with a 

 3.2-pound charge. This charge weight was somewhat 

 less than optimum. Originally, tests were to be run at 

 6,000 and 12,000 feet; however, circumstances while 

 at sea caused a change to 8,000 and 12,000. As a 

 result, a previously loaded charge optimized for a 

 depth other than 8,000 feet had to be used. The 

 anchor was transferred horizontally over the bow 

 sheaves and set upright for lowering. Firing occurred 

 on bottom contact; load was then applied until pull- 

 out at a net load at the anchor of 12,000 to 14,000 

 pounds. This indicates a very soft seafloor and that a 

 larger fluke would have been more suitable. 



Test 22 (23 Jul 74) 



A 2 X 4-foot fluke was used with a 3.1-pound 

 charge. The anchor fired and was loaded until pullout 

 occurred at a net anchor load of about 8,000 pounds. 

 The gun assembly and the fluke down-haul cable 

 attach directiy to a ground ring above the gun 

 assembly. The gun assembly was brought on deck, 

 but before the down-haul cable could be secured, it 

 separated. The open socket on the cable had opened 

 and allowed the cable to fall to the seafloor. The 

 fluke was not attached to the lower end of the cable. 

 Apparently, the 100-foot down-haul cable was not 

 sufficiently long to accommodate fluke penetration 

 and launch vehicle recoil in this very soft soil. As a 

 result, the fluke damaged the fitting to the ground 

 ring when it reached the end of line travel. Future 

 test installations in these soft seafloors will require a 

 longer down-haul cable. 



Test 23 (23 Jul 74) 



At 12,200 feet, the 1-1/2 x 3-foot was used witii 

 a 3.2-pound charge; the anchor fired upon bottom 

 contact. This test involved first setting the anchor by 

 vertical pull and then loading the anchor laterally 

 after paying out additional line. Ship's power was 



30 



