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23-05-2018, 05:36
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Boston
Boat: Boston Whaler, Conquest 315, 31ft
Posts: 212
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How do I mark anchor chain?
I have your typical lightly corroded anchor chain and it has no markings so it is impossible to tell how much chain has been payed out.
How can I mark the chain so I know every 10 feet or whatever?
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23-05-2018, 05:45
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#2
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,559
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsc7
I have your typical lightly corroded anchor chain and it has no markings so it is impossible to tell how much chain has been payed out.
How can I mark the chain so I know every 10 feet or whatever?
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Get a large cardboard box, lay open side up, and make notches every 4-6 inches to drape the chain. Mark a pattern you can remember with paint--everyone has their own favorite. Every 25 feet is better.
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23-05-2018, 05:47
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 46
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsc7
I have your typical lightly corroded anchor chain and it has no markings so it is impossible to tell how much chain has been payed out.
How can I mark the chain so I know every 10 feet or whatever?
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Many colored zip ties every 25ft. Do something like red = 25, orange = 50, yellow = 75, green = 100; repeating until the end of the rode. No painting, no mess. Small zip ties have no problem going through my windless.
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23-05-2018, 05:55
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Diego, California - Read about our circumnavigation at www.rutea.com
Boat: Contest 48
Posts: 1,056
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
We ‘weave’ a 3’ length of 1/4” polypropylene rope through the chain every 50’. It goes through our windlass without any problems and the length of the marking helps make it easier to spot in low light or if the chain is running fast. You could use different colors to identify how much chain you have put out or are retrieving but we don’t. I find that, regardless of the depth, I’m putting out either 100’ or 150’ but I rarely put out, say, 175.
Fair winds and calm seas.
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23-05-2018, 06:00
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Toronto
Boat: CS36Merlin, "La Belle Aurore"
Posts: 7,557
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
I've found paint is the best way. Zip ties get brittle and break off. I paint at 15ft, 50ft, 100 and 150. I have 200 ft of chain and usually anchor in under 10 feet of water. The 15ft mark tells me I'm close to breaking out the anchor.
Painting or marking every 10 feet is confusing. I usually put out about a hundred feet. More if strong squalls are expected. Those calculating scope as 7 times or whatever are wasting their time.
__________________
Rick I
Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.
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23-05-2018, 07:22
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#6
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Working in St Augustine
Boat: Woods Vardo 34 Cat
Posts: 3,865
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
3mm dyneema
__________________
@mojomarine1
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23-05-2018, 07:35
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Alaska for work , the Passoa is stranded in NZ
Boat: Garcia Passoa 50, ex Dix 38 pilothouse
Posts: 367
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Spray paint; at least once a season
I go red , white, blue yellow, or something like that.
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23-05-2018, 07:56
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: On the boat!
Boat: SY Wake: 53' Amel Super Maramu
Posts: 885
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Colored zip ties all the way, every 10 meters. From the windlass controls in the cockpit I can see the zips as they bristle and flop going over the gypsy, so can count chain from sitting down if I'm alone or it's raining or it's sunny but the girls are still under the covers
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23-05-2018, 07:58
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#9
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
If you ever intend to regalvanize the chain (maybe a possibility soon since you say it's lightly corroded already) do NOT paint it. Paint will block the galvanizing and has to be totally and completely removed before the process. I got a great deal on some lightly corroded chain and spent 5-6 hours with a sandblaster and still didn't get all the paint off.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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23-05-2018, 08:29
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Boston area
Boat: Little Harbor 46 (1988)
Posts: 326
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Another vote for zip ties. We mark every 25' red, white, blue, green, repeat. We put 5 ties on 5 consecutive links at each interval. Leave the tails flying free so you can see them go by from the cockpit (like Sojourner). Put the "nuts" of the ties protected inside the link. We did this 5 years ago and haven't lost one yet although we keep replacements at hand in the chain locker.
Whenever I see someone spending a lot of time painting marks on their chain, soon to be invisible, I offer this advice. In fact I think I might just make up some handy kits of colored zip ties to give to other boaters just for fun. Incredibly cheap, easy and reliable. How often can you say that about a boat job?
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23-05-2018, 08:47
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US
Posts: 219
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
The colored plastic inserts have worked well for us. The only problem is distinguishing yellow from white.
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23-05-2018, 08:47
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#12
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 192
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
I use black zip ties. One for every 25 feet.
1 ziptie=25 feet
2 ziptie=50 feet
3 ziptie+75 feet
etc.
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23-05-2018, 08:54
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Boston area
Boat: Little Harbor 46 (1988)
Posts: 326
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
I forgot one other detail. We put 4 or 5 yellow zip ties at the 10' mark just as a warning when raising the anchor that it is just about home. This is the only place we use yellow.
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23-05-2018, 09:16
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southport, NC
Boat: Pearson 367 cutter, 36'
Posts: 654
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sojourner
Colored zip ties all the way, every 10 meters. From the windlass controls in the cockpit I can see the zips as they bristle and flop going over the gypsy, so can count chain from sitting down if I'm alone or it's raining or it's sunny but the girls are still under the covers
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+1 for colored zip ties. The simple solution.
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23-05-2018, 09:22
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: fl- various marinas
Boat: morgan O/I 33' sloop
Posts: 1,447
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Re: How do I mark anchor chain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jls095
Many colored zip ties every 25ft. Do something like red = 25, orange = 50, yellow = 75, green = 100; repeating until the end of the rode. No painting, no mess. Small zip ties have no problem going through my windless.
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It's what I do as well but I use 1 @ 25', 2@50', 3@75' 4 @100',1 @125', etc.
That ay if mud covered or bleached out still easy to read.
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