How do I mark anchor chain?

[TrentePieds]

All chain in a Conquest 315??? Seems odd. And unnecessary. Nevertheless: On chain, paint - frequently renewed. On nylon rode, if such there be, sewn whippings using whipping twine.

On my rode I have three marks calculated for five feet under me at low water and allowing for a rise of 16 feet: 1) The "lunch mark", 2) the "turn-in-for-the-night mark" and 3) the "damn-it's-gonna-blow mark". They don't mean much, as I fathom (measure out in my arms) the scope I want, and flake it on the deck immediately before coming to my spot. The spot is selected to give the five feet under me at low tide. That way I don't ever not know how much is out. If I need to veer out more rode while already anchored, I "fathom and flake" again prior to veering.

TP

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

All chain in a Conquest 315??? Seems odd. And unnecessary. Nevertheless: On chain, paint - frequently renewed. On nylon rode, if such there be, sewn whippings using whipping twine.

On my rode I have three marks calculated for five feet under me at low water and allowing for a rise of 16 feet: 1) The "lunch mark", 2) the "turn-in-for-the-night mark" and 3) the "damn-it's-gonna-blow mark". They don't mean much, as I fathom (measure out in my arms) the scope I want, and flake it on the deck immediately before coming to my spot. The spot is selected to give the five feet under me at low tide. That way I don't ever not know how much is out. If I need to veer out more rode while already anchored, I "fathom and flake" again prior to veering.

TP

A time honoured and sensible method......

A.

[TrentePieds]

Thanx, Ann. And one that befits a "hopeless romantic" ;-0)!

Cheers

TP

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by fxykty

We inherited these but they fall out quite easily after a while. They also lose their colour just as our marker lines do. So you still need a way other than colour to mark your rode length....
.

We have yellow markers made by Osculati.
7 years of anchoring - lost one (was found later on deck and re-installed).
That is one out of 15 markers on the chain in 7 years (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15).

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by meirriba

We have yellow markers made by Osculati.

7 years of anchoring - lost one (was found later on deck and re-installed).

That is one out of 15 markers on the chain in 7 years (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15).

I should have written YMMV. Great that they’re working out for you.

Are 1 or 2 or even 3 easily visible when the chain is running out? We had 5-7 at each mark to ensure they were easily visible in all conditions. The long string is very easy to see.

[KeelMe]

Get a windlass with a chain counter. No brittle zip ties, no paint, no redoing it next year. Saves brain power for more important endeavors...like deciding what's for dinner.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by KeelMe

Get a windlass with a chain counter. No brittle zip ties, no paint, no redoing it next year. Saves brain power for more important endeavors...like deciding what's for dinner.

Have a maxwell counter sitting unused in a box in the wheelhouse.
Installation involves unbolting windlass, drilling chain wheel, epoxying magnets, running wiring, switches, cutting additional holes in panelling etc.
Not sure how effective chain wheel is when freespooling chain either especially as counter is no where near windlass.

Far more complicated than poly rope woven through chain
No chance of poly rope failing due to electrical issues and or water ingress.

[SailingSally]

Different colors of silk ties. Softer and easier on hands and equipment than zipties. Silk is very tough and durable. Hasn't worn or faded in 2 years of salt water use.

[jr_spyder]

Great idea. Been wondering what to do with a closet full of silk ties I don't wear anymore. I could mark the chain through the decades...

Kidding aside, good idea, and not plastic.

[Russ333]

Found the coloured inserts (Red/Yellow/Green) more durable than plastic ties, particularly around rocky-reefy bottoms.

5m - 5 Red
10m - 10 Red + Red Canvas Strips with "1" written in white paint texter.
15m - 5 Yellow
20m - 10 Yellow + Yellow Canvas Strips with "2" written in black marker.
25m - 5 Green
30m - 10 Green + Green Canvas Strips with "3" written in white paint texter.
35m - 5 Red
40m - 10 Red + Red Canvas Strips with "4" written in white paint texter.
etc...

The canvas strip at either end of the coloured markers is a concession to the less experienced aboard. A single digit written with paint marker (eg, 1 at 10m, 2 at 20m, etc...) helps them to keep track, particularly when there's a lot going on, and they are struggling to keep track of everything. Sailmaker happy to give canvas offcuts away for free Mostly only the canvas strips at 10m, (very occasionally at 20m) get worn and eventually ripped off. So have made up spares ready to go.

Changing tack, had a bad experience with a poor quality anchor chain re-galvanising job in Turkey. Spent hours with a hammer removing galvanised dags, but still the cruddy chain ended up shortening the life of the anchor roller and gypsy. Definitely worth paying for quality job, or do as a 25+ cruising years friend of mine. After 3 yrs, reverse chain, after 6 yrs buy new.

[Herrick]

We use Rick rack from a sewing, fabric store. It comes in a multitude of colors, lasts forever, and is easily visible. Just wash the mud of with the chain as you pull up the anchor. It works in all gypsies too.

Tod

[mestrezat]

I gave up painting my chain years ago and have never used zip ties as many of the other boats that I’ve sailed with told me about them breaking. I use 1/2 inch nylon webbing cut to length and stitch it onto the chain every thirty feet making sure to leave about an inch of extra webbing flying proud from the chain so it acts like a flag. One at thirty feet. Two at sixty feet. Three at ninth feet and so on till I get to the halfway point on the chain. Then I reverse the number getting less as I go towards the end of the chain. I alway use white nylon so on the web “flags”past the middle of the chain, I put on a black stripe right down the middle of the “flag”. Just to make it even easier, I weave bright orange poly into the links of the chain. A couple of feet per marking. If I should miss the flags(rarely), I can see the poly thought the orange fades after a while. We just finished our circumnavigation(took 7 years) and I think I may have had to replace four of the nylon “flags” over the hundreds of anchoring we’ve done.
Paint wears off and zip ties get brittle and pollute the ocean when they break off. The nylon webbing lasts for years and is easy to see. As I get towards the end of the chain, I stitch on five pieces of nylon so it’s obvious that I’m getting to the end though with 325 feet if chain, it’s rare that I ever use that much.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I should have written YMMV. Great that they’re working out for you.

Are 1 or 2 or even 3 easily visible when the chain is running out? We had 5-7 at each mark to ensure they were easily visible in all conditions. The long string is very easy to see.

Yes, even the single first marker is visible. Possibly because we normally do no drop the chain running free but by the windlass that has reasonable speed.
Anyway I find the various colour schemes overly complicated and difficult to remember.
Just last week on a boat next to us in Nauossa, Paros (Greece) I have seen a paper table in plastic cover pasted in the cockpit with the colour scheme spelled out for the benefit of the crew...

[Russ333]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Yes, even the single first marker is visible. Possibly because we normally do no drop the chain running free but by the windlass that has reasonable speed.
Anyway I find the various colour schemes overly complicated and difficult to remember.
Just last week on a boat next to us in Nauossa, Paros (Greece) I have seen a paper table in plastic cover pasted in the cockpit with the colour scheme spelled out for the benefit of the crew...

Neglected to mention, an anchor chain marking key is laminated on the underside of the anchor race cover, which is normally open during anchor evolutions. And is located on the foredeck, where a person would normally stand during anchor deployment and retrieval.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Russ333

Neglected to mention, an anchor chain marking key is laminated on the underside of the anchor race cover, which is normally open during anchor evolutions. And is located on the foredeck, where a person would normally stand during anchor deployment and retrieval.

Absolutely, if you rely on colour you’re going to need a key. But what a PITA - ‘how much is out?’ ‘Green green yellow yellow red just went past’ ‘what’s the card say that is?’ ‘what card?’ ...

KISS is your friend. Figure out a system where you don’t need to use a key to decipher your markers.