A 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) anchor isn't strong enough to stop a moving cargo ship by its weight alone.

The real secret is that an anchor is designed to dig into the seabed—not simply act as a heavy object. As the ship slowly drifts back, the anchor's flukes bury themselves into sand or mud. At the same time, the long, heavy anchor chain forms a curved shape (called a catenary) that keeps the pull nearly horizontal. This allows the flukes to stay buried instead of being pulled upward.

The ship is actually held in place by the combined effect of the buried anchor, the resistance of the seabed, and the anchor chain—not by the anchor's weight alone. That's why even the world's largest ships can remain securely anchored during wind and waves when the anchor is properly set.

Were you surprised that the anchor's shape and the seabed matter far more than its 20,000 kg weight?

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