You are preparing to anchor in 15 fathoms of water. How many shot of anchor chain should you use?

• A. 6 shot
• B. 4 shot
• C. 8 shot
• D. 2 shot

Answer: (A)

Understanding how many shots of anchor chain to pay out comes down to the swing room you want, expressed as the scope—the ratio of chain length to water depth. A shot is 15 fathoms of chain, which is 90 feet. The water depth here is 15 fathoms (90 feet). Sailors typically aim for about 5:1 to 7:1 scope. With 15 fathoms of depth, five shots give a 5:1 scope, six shots give a 6:1 scope, and eight shots give an 8:1 scope. Two shots would be only a 2:1 scope. So six shots places you in the common, safe range for holding power and swing room in 15 fathoms of water.