Anchor chain marking and weaving line vs. paint

[pnw2022]

Hi All,

Pardon in advance if the question is a bit naive.
I have 300' of chain that I need to mark lengths on while it is easy to do so.
My original go-to solution was cheap paint like rustoleum type stuff.

Meanwhile, I have noticed elsewhere that people have enjoyed success with simply weaving in polypropylene line for markers. All runs through the windlass gypsy okay, all that.

So, for those of you that have used the 'weave a segment of line' solution for marking...

#1. What size weave line did you use and associated chain size? I have 5/16" G4, tons of 1/2" yellow line that needs to go out of useful service anyway. In theory it would fit but seems a bit thick on the weave-line side?

#2. Did you weave it through every link or every other link?

Once again, sorry for dumb questions and thanks for the help!

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by pnw2022

Hi All,

Pardon in advance if the question is a bit naive.
I have 300' of chain that I need to mark lengths on while it is easy to do so.
My original go-to solution was cheap paint like rustoleum type stuff.

Meanwhile, I have noticed elsewhere that people have enjoyed success with simply weaving in polypropylene line for markers. All runs through the windlass gypsy okay, all that.

So, for those of you that have used the 'weave a segment of line' solution for marking...

#1. What size weave line did you use and associated chain size? I have 5/16" G4, tons of 1/2" yellow line that needs to go out of useful service anyway. In theory it would fit but seems a bit thick on the weave-line side?

#2. Did you weave it through every link or every other link?

Once again, sorry for dumb questions and thanks for the help!

Polypropylene will eventually come off adding more plastic to the oceans................

[SailingHarmonie]

We have tried a number of making solutions. Paint certainly works, but be prepared to renew it at ever haulout. This really isn't as big a deal as it sounds, since you SHOULD be end-for-ending your chain anyway.

Cable ties work, and with a bit of a tag they are more visible.

But after may different solutions, these are what we have come to:
https://amzn.to/3MSdXyN

Several companies sell these. The most common brand we have seen in the US and Caribbean is Imtra. After installing these, we have stopped looking for alternatives.

We bought a package of green, of yellow and of red. One green = 25 feet, two green = 50 feet, three green = 75 feet. One green and one yellow = 100 feet... I think you can take it from there...

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

We have tried a number of making solutions. Paint certainly works, but be prepared to renew it at ever haulout. This really isn't as big a deal as it sounds, since you SHOULD be end-for-ending your chain anyway.

Cable ties work, and with a bit of a tag they are more visible.

But after may different solutions, these are what we have come to:
https://amzn.to/3MSdXyN

Several companies sell these. The most common brand we have seen in the US and Caribbean is Imtra. After installing these, we have stopped looking for alternatives.

We bought a package of green, of yellow and of red. One green = 25 feet, two green = 50 feet, three green = 75 feet. One green and one yellow = 100 feet... I think you can take it from there...

we have had zero luck with these. We've tried several times but they fall off after a few runs through the gypsy

good to see they work for someone

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by carstenb

we have had zero luck with these. We've tried several times but they fall off after a few runs through the gypsy



good to see they work for someone

We also had no luck. They eventually get pushed out and lost.

We use coloured cable ties.

[pnw2022]

Hey all - thank you.
Talking with some local neighbors I am just going to go the colored zip-tie method.
At least for now.

A couple of reasons...
#1. Pure lazyness - easy to do, and easy to maintain.
#2. See above, and I can always do something different later.

[Marathon1150]

We used to paint the chain but now use coloured cable ties. They don't last forever and they can also add extra plastic to the ocean. Paint seems to have similar durability if not better, than the ties and this season I will go back to paint.

[s/v Jedi]

The zip ties was the 2nd best option we tried over the past 21 years. The problem is that at some point they fail and most of it falls off and adds to the pollution.

Same for cheap string.

Also, color coding doesn’t work well because it will all end up the same color.

So the first best option is one that has been working for 10 years and still going strong with zero maintenance. First is to limit the amount of markers. I recommend to mark every 60’ or 20m if metric. Put one marker on. Then on 120”/40m put two markers on with 6” spacing etc. etc.

As markers I use 1’/30cm long Spyderline, 1/8” (3.2mm) diameter, from New England Ropes. Tie it to a chain link with the tiniest bowline you manage. This is a miniature double braid with Dyneema core; it will never wear out.

Here’s how to deal with markers every 60’: never anchor with less than 60’ out. If it’s too deep for 60’, put 120’ out. You can fine tune by measuring how much length there is between the windlass and the water surface. Now count the seconds it takes to run the windlass on electric down to bring the mark to the water surface. This is accurate enough to work in between the markers.

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by pnw2022

...
#1. What size weave line did you use and associated chain size? I have 5/16" G4, tons of 1/2" yellow line that needs to go out of useful service anyway. In theory it would fit but seems a bit thick on the weave-line side?

#2. Did you weave it through every link or every other link?

I use 1/4" poly with 5/16 G4 chain woven through every link. When it starts looking ratty I replace it. I've never had a piece go missing.

[sailingharry]

We have 5/16 g4, 300 ft. We have hundreds of anchorings in depths of 8 ft to 50 ft.

Our boat came to us with string woven through the chain at 25 ft intervals. This string is approximately 1/8 in and uses two 1 ft lengths tied together for each (most) marking.

While the colors fade and get stained, they are still clear enough to see.

The color code is red/white/blue, as follows. First color is hundreds, second color is 25's

25' red/red
50' red/white
75' red/blue
100' white (only one foot)
125' white/red
150' white/white
175' white/blue
200' blue
Etc.

They never get lost, occasionally the admiral works the last weave back into place, and it's easy to use. Our snubber is 25 ft, so she hooks it on at the marker before the target total scope.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

We have 5/16 g4, 300 ft. We have hundreds of anchorings in depths of 8 ft to 50 ft.

Our boat came to us with string woven through the chain at 25 ft intervals. This string is approximately 1/8 in and uses two 1 ft lengths tied together for each (most) marking.

While the colors fade and get stained, they are still clear enough to see.

The color code is red/white/blue, as follows. First color is hundreds, second color is 25's

25' red/red
50' red/white
75' red/blue
100' white (only one foot)
125' white/red
150' white/white
175' white/blue
200' blue
Etc.

They never get lost, occasionally the admiral works the last weave back into place, and it's easy to use. Our snubber is 25 ft, so she hooks it on at the marker before the target total scope.

Wow that is a lot of marking. We have paint at 25 meter. One long marking about 6 feet of paint. At 50 meters we have a stripe 2 meters long starting at 45 meters of chain and a 2 meter stripe starting at 50 meters. At 75 meters we once again have a single long stripe

All paint is the same color iridescent yellow We don’t need more markings because with a 7 foot keel and 4 feet from the water to the bow roller we simply don’t anchor in water where there is less than 6 meters or so. With tides swells etc 25 meters of chain is going to be our minimum. If we do need less well we can wing it

We also always deploy an 8 meter long snubber bridle so we don’t sweat being exact with 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 or whatever

[sailingharry]

It may sound like a lot, but we reworked most of them a couple of years ago while doing a chain inspection. Didn't take very long at all.

The number needed is very much dependent on where and how you sail.

We also draw 7, with about 4 ft of freeboard. Here on the Chesapeake, with good bottom and tide less than 2', 25M would be an exception. Our last anchorage, we anchored at low tide in 7.5 ft and put out 50 ft - which meant we put the snubber on at 25 ft and then ran another 25 ft (note, we were still 1/4 mile from shore, and had been in under 10' for the last mile). The anchorage the day before, we had 60' and 3 boats rafted to us -- and was afraid to put out more as the shore was getting close.

But last summer, where shallow anchorages are hard to find and have lots of hard parts sticking up, we tended to frequently anchor in 20 to 30 feet. Even then, scope over 150 ft was unusual. In our deepest anchorage, about 50 ft, we still only put out 150 ft because any more and we would have been aground. But we have put out as much as 250 ft, or close to your 75M mark.

Your minimal markings may work very well in the grounds that you sail in. I would find even Jedi's 50 ft markings frustratingly uninformative (although if I were marking from scratch, I might go to 50 ft increments after the first hundred)

[boatpoker]

We've been waving 18" of 1/4" poly woven through every link for 30yrs. never had an issue and have never lost a piece.

Get the poly braid (braid works better yhan strand) and melt the ends.

[MicHughV]

I have 75' of chain before the nylon rode goes out, so this is a given number.
The following nylon anchor rode I have marked at 10' intervals, after the first 25' is out with a nylon twine whipping.
After that first 25' , the rode gets one whipping (about 3/4" wide) , the next 10' gets two....with an inch or so between and so on, so I know that is 35' ...45', etc out in addition to the 75 chain.
After the 5th whipping (75' ) I start again, using the same sequence but wider whippings.
I find that the nylon whipping stays on without undue issues as I've had my rode marked for years without any problems.

[Pegu Club]

Fwiw, a windlass pays out X feet per second, that info is included in most windlass install instructions, which come with the windlass, or contact the manufacturer for that information. Just count out the seconds as the chain / rode drops and one then knows within a few feet how much has payed out, there is no need to mark the chain or rode.


Fair winds,