The anchor can prevent a ship from crashing onto rocks. For Christians, the analogy is that Christ, like the anchor, can save spiritual lives. The anchor typically symbolizes hope and is often served as a symbol for Christ and his anchoring influence upon the lives of Christians. In seaside areas, the anchor also served as a symbol for seamanship and usually marked the grave of a dedicated seaman.
It can mean hope, steadfastness, salvation, stability, and/or tranquillity. In sea-faring nations, the anchor is a symbol of good luck, of safety, and of security, and thus of trust and confidence.
In the early Christian era, the anchor was used as a form of the CROSS, because of the physical resemblance between the two forms.