Best paint for rode markings?

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by mainemandean

What is the best type of spray paint to use to make length markings on an anchor rode?

We have 100 feet of galvanized chain and 150 ft. of nylon plait. I want to mark at 50' intervals, so one or two marks will be on the chain, and two or three will be on the line.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what will stay put? I'd prefer to use the same paint on the chain and the rope; but I'd do them differently if the same paint won't stick well to both.

I will be using just one color, either black or red. if one color is more permanent than another, please let me know.

Any input would be most appreciated.

I use yellow caution tape, through the chain link and the rope, one is 50 two is 100 etc...

[skipgundlach]

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/imtra...blue--17192915 ?

[Capt Jeff]

Although the use of zip ties are an easy way to to the job, is anyone considering the plastic waste that is ultimately ending up in the ocean? Chain plugs or paint is a better way.

[MicHughV]

like others above.....I used paint....and sailmakers twine.....the paint was some leftover polyurethane...white

I didn't start painting until the 50' mark, as that would always be out....

So, the first mark, a single stripe of paint at the 50' mark..white...

Next mark at 50 +6'.....trying to stay traditional.....two stripes, etc.....continues on ...56...62....68...74....80....till I came to the nylon rode...used twine to mark the first mark.....same system....once all the chain was out....I knew that was 80'.....so kept adding twine at 6' intervals ( sailmaker twine)....wrap 10-12 times and finish it....go to Youtube to see how to finish a wrap so nothing sticks out....quite simple..

I'm a chain/nylon rode guy.....have been for 35 years...works for me...80' chain, and then nylon....I had about 150' of nylon rode behind each chain...I rarely had to use it all...

not even sure why I painted the chain, as it would always be out regardless...but it was handy when pulling it back up....

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

like others above.....I used paint....and sailmakers twine.....the paint was some leftover polyurethane...white

I didn't start painting until the 50' mark, as that would always be out....

So, the first mark, a single stripe of paint at the 50' mark..white...

Next mark at 50 +6'.....trying to stay traditional.....two stripes, etc.....continues on ...56...62....68...74....80....till I came to the nylon rode...used twine to mark the first mark.....same system....once all the chain was out....I knew that was 80'.....so kept adding twine at 6' intervals ( sailmaker twine)....wrap 10-12 times and finish it....go to Youtube to see how to finish a wrap so nothing sticks out....quite simple..

I'm a chain/nylon rode guy.....have been for 35 years...works for me...80' chain, and then nylon....I had about 150' of nylon rode behind each chain...I rarely had to use it all...

not even sure why I painted the chain, as it would always be out regardless...but it was handy when pulling it back up....

I've got a similar setup (90 feet of chain and 300 of nylon currently), but I do find the marks on the chain portion handy when stopping for a few hours in shallow water where I may only put out 4:1 on chain with a snubber. And while the 25 foot mark may never be used for deployment, it's a nice "anchor should be reaching the surface very soon" indicator on retrieval.

[Wrstein]

For the chain portion, has anyone tried electrical heat-shrink tubing? Comes in heavy duty versions and lots of different colors. I was planning on Green/Yellow/Red, first one stripe, then two, and so forth. The idea was to cut it to a length the fully covers the mid-section of one link, but doesn’t impede much if any portion of the neighboring links. I’m thinking the windlass might not chew it up too badly?

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Wrstein

For the chain portion, has anyone tried electrical heat-shrink tubing? Comes in heavy duty versions and lots of different colors. I was planning on Green/Yellow/Red, first one stripe, then two, and so forth. The idea was to cut it to a length the fully covers the mid-section of one link, but doesn’t impede much if any portion of the neighboring links. I’m thinking the windlass might not chew it up too badly?

Like the zips, if it goes around the outside of the chain, it will wear, eventually...

Getting it around your mark, unless you know something about heat shrink that I don't, would be a major PITA as well, as it would require passing over the entirety of whatever the shorter open end of the chain would be to get it there...

[MicHughV]

rslifkin,

true...in shallow water, like the B'mas, just used the chain only, I would just let all the chain out....as I typically anchored in 10' of water or thereabouts.....but the chain would wear on the rubber anchor roller....so let out about 4-6' of nylon rode, so the nylon rode would ride on the rubber roller.....but come to find out, the nylon rode would also abrade the rubber anchor roller, so I slit a piece of plastic tubing to fit over the rode...had to tie it on, as it would slide off..had to keep a daily eye on it though...but it worked...

[walbee]

Yellow polypropylene 6’ +- weaved into chain works for us. Visible after dusk and lasts pretty well too.

[thinwater]

Red latex. I've seen discarded rodes in the skip that had not been painted in many years, and the red marks were still obvious. I've used latex for many years. Get some red paint in your clothes and see how easy it washes out... not.


There is zero need to feel it in the dark; that was in the days before LED headlamps.

[more]

For hot zinc steel ,you need WASH PRIMER , is a two-component reactive primer, bonding layer and anti-corrosion coating .A wash primer is a synthetic primer that usually contains zinc chromate or phosphoric acid. It is used as a first coat on metal surfaces and has anticorrosion properties, making it a prerequisite or pretreatment before any coating application.

[CarinaPDX]

Another vote for the plastic inserts. They work well.

I started out using spray paint but when it came time to re-galvanize the chain it cost me: I had to pay to have the paint removed with a sand blaster first. Galvanizing won't go on over paint. Forget paint...

Greg

[Geoff S.]

In case anyone's looking for the plastic inserts, Hamilton Marine has a sale going at the moment: https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/prod...en--51680.html


I have a question for anyone who may have used these, and been "in my boat": I have 7/16" Acco G4 HT chain...but Imtra doesn't make a 7/16...will I be able to force a 1/2" insert into my 7/16" chain? 1/16 fudge factor doesn't seem like a lot, but I can't tell how hard the plastic is...


Cheers,
Geoff

[CATJAVA]

Used to paint chain with dayglo orange, but had to touchup every 2 years since I’m a full time cruiser in the tropics. I have 100m of stainless 3/8” chain. Went to small 4” long plastic ties 15 yrs ago spaced every 10mts. Sure, u may lose them on the gypsy or coral, but I use THREE TIES per mark. Each mark has it’s own color,e.g. blue for 10m, red for 20m, yellow for 30, white for 40m, etc. if you lose a tie u just put on another one to match when ur pulling chain in or out. I anchor all the time since I don’t use marinas except for typhoons (if there’s one close by, but that’s rare in Indo or Filipinas). It works for me! Evan on JAVA
p.s Anchoring at night, use a frickin’ headlamp to see ur marks!!

[jamhass]

Ditto zip ties. Work fine with a Lighthouse windless. Easy to see, especially the neon/dayglo colors. Easy to replace.

Plus, paint on the chain must be removed if you ever want/need to regalvanize, and its expensive to sandblast (unless you can drive on a beach or live near a desert.)