Sea anchor
Modern commercial sea anchors are usually made of cloth, shaped like a parachute or cone, and rigged so that the wider end leads and the narrower end trails. When deployed, this type of sea anchor floats just under the surface, and the water moving past the sea anchor keeps it filled. Some varieties are cylindrical, with an adjustable opening in the rear that allows the amount of braking to be adjusted when deployed.
Offshore embedded anchors
Anchor piles are typically designed to resist both horizontal and vertical loads. The axial capacity of the pile is generated by friction along the pile-soil interface while the lateral capacity of the pile is generated by lateral soil resistance, whereby the point of rotation is critical to optimising its lateral resistance. As a result, the location of the padeye is placed such that the force from the catenary or taut mooring will result in a moment equilibrium about the point of rotation, mobilising the optimal lateral soil resistance.