Anchorage (shipping)

Dear little one,

When big ships need to stay in place in the water, they use something called an "anchorage". Think of it as a really big metal hook that is attached to a chain. The hook is thrown into the water and sinks down to the bottom of the sea. The chain then drags along the sea floor and keeps the ship from moving around too much.

This is like how you might use a big heavy rock to hold down a tent during a windy day. It stops the tent from flying away or getting knocked over.

The anchorage is really important for ships because they need to stay in one place, especially if they need to wait to go into a port or if they are waiting for something else to happen.

So, the bottom line is that anchorage is a way to keep big ships still and in place in the water, just like how you might use a rock to keep a tent still on the ground.