Before the invention of anchor chain ships used hemp rope, which often broke and put ... In 1808 Samuel Brown, a Naval Leutenant, fitted out a Navy vessel, the 'Penelope' with chain anchor cables ...

This length is enough to anchor a ship in 40 fathoms ... it provided over 500 ships for the Royal Navy and each of those ships needed a lot of rope. An 18th century first rate ship of the line ...