It is not a rope on the boat, it is a line, and when it is attached to the
anchor, it becomes a rode.
Bill

No, not true Bill.

It's not a line if its a rope.

A rope can become a line when it is put to use.

From Lenfesty: (a widely acknowledged arbiter of nautical verbiage)

line (n) The word applied to rope in many of its functional applications aboard
ship...

(Lefesty continues with an observation that rope is not always called "line".)

......there are many exceptions, such as boltrope, footrope, and bell rope, or
halyard, sheet, and cable.

Regarding the overuse of the term "line", Lenfesty declares:

Some of the most specious and arbitrary writing has arisen over the use of the
word "rope" on seagoing vessels. Some writers flatly declare that when cordage
comes aboard a vessel if is line unless it is specifically named, as with
boltrope; but this bit of mystique was unheard of a hundred years or so ago.

***

Nobody would ever say, "When you attach an achor to a halyard..........." so
why is it corect, indeed claimed to be the only correct option, to say "when
you attach an anchor to a line." When you attach an achor to a bow line, stern
line, breast line, or spring line.....you look pretty silly in my book. :-)

The reason we don't have an anchor "line" is that we call that use of rope a
"rode".

I think this "line" fixation might have originated with you guys who use your
boats for rod and reel fishing. You call everything you can spool onto a reel a
fishing "line". It would be pretty ridiculous to refer to fishing rope, twine,
or cordage. :-)