AiKop | "Cats" on the big ship

One, two, three...prepare to sing

Let's learn to meow together

Meow meow meow meow

Act like a spoiled child in front of you, oh meow meow meow meow

Today I'm going to introduce you to a cat

This “cat” is not that cat.

What is a "cat"?

The "cat" is an important device that all ships and even sampans must have. It not only has the effect of anchoring, but also is an important guarantee for survival. Facing the frequent storms and huge waves on the water, it is a bit difficult to expect Monkey King to return the Dinghai Shenzhen, but with the "cat", there is iron to stabilize the ship.

▲
Are you ready, guys? We're going to toss the cat!

▲
What?

I have often heard of cars breaking down, and cats being thrown off boats.

Will animal protection organizations come looking for me?

Anchors are tools used to stop ships. The heavy anchor grabs the mud at the bottom of the water and drags the floating ship to stop it from moving, just like a "brake" on the ship. This "four-claw iron anchor" is unique to ancient China. When it sinks to the bottom of the water, there are always two anchor claws grabbing the ground at the same time, just like two hands grabbing something at the same time. In this way, the ship can easily stop and is not easy to float.

▲
I see

The four-claw iron anchor really looks a bit like a cat's paw

I catch, I catch, I catch, I catch

(The claws are a bit long, it's time for the owner to trim them)

Now

Let's find out

The growth history of this powerful "cat"

▲

In the earliest times, our ancestors stopped ships by throwing stones into the water. This kind of stone used to stop ships is called a stone anchor, which is the appearance of an anchor before it is formed.

With the advancement of production technology, people in ancient times used tools to make wooden anchors out of wood. Its shape was like the Chinese character "山". However, some wood could not sink. What should they do? The ancients inserted a stone bar at the anchor head to increase its weight. This kind of wooden anchor is suitable for use in the bottom of the water with mud.

▲

It turns out that cats are not the only ones that have different breeds

There are many types of anchors. How many of them do you remember?

▲
The Exploitation of the Works of Nature

Records various technologies of ancient China before the middle of the Ming Dynasty

The anchor recorded in the book weighs a thousand pounds

It is the largest object that ancient blacksmiths could make.

If you want to feel it up close

This unique and powerful "cat"

Come to the China Maritime Museum.