Which circle's radius is distance from the anchor to the pelorus or antennas plus the length of the anchor chain released?

• A. letting-go circle
• B. swing circle
• C. drag circle
• D. kink

Answer: (C)

The important idea is picturing the area around an anchor as a circle that bounds how far the ship can reach. The radius isn’t just how much anchor chain you’ve let out; you must add the distance from the anchor to a fixed point on the vessel you’re using as a reference, such as the pelorus or antennas. That total, chain released plus that offset, defines the drag circle. It represents the farthest reach of the ship’s reference point if the anchor begins to drag while more chain plays out. The other circles describe different anchoring scenarios, but this specific radius combines the chain length with the ship’s geometry to mark the potential drag boundary.