Anchor chain marking - Base 3 numbering

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Marking the anchor chain is a long-standing problem and subject of debate. Over the years the one thing that seems to be agreed is that the plastic inserts stay in place best and are clearly visible, compared with paint (that fades) and cable ties (which can break or catch hands). Another issue is how to mark the chain so you know the length out.

I thought I'd share with you my proposed system for an 85m chain. I propose to use red, green and yellow markers. I propose to mark the chain every 5 metres coded in base 3 where green has the value 1, red is 2 and yellow is zero. We will have three digits making the largest number available 222 base 3 = 26 decimal. We only need 85/5=17 decimal so we have plenty of room for a longer rode if ever required.

The codes can then be looked up or worked out in your head and the first few codes are:-

17 x 5m green-red-red
16 x5m green-red-green
15 x 5m green-red-yellow

and so on, until..

2 x 5m yellow-yellow-red
1 x 5m yellow-yellow-green

I think that it will work for me, given that I will be powering the chain down most of the time having fitted a power-down function on the windlass this season.
 
What use is 5M of chain?

Or 10M for that matter.

Even in non tidal water, you are going to anchor in at least 5M of water, so 15M would be the least you would ever use.

Anchor chain marking is mostly just anal.

I have a coloured bit of string at 20M
another at 40M. same colour because I can count up to 2

60M is the bitter end. After that I have another 60M of chain which I rarely use.
 
Well I've got 50 mtrs of chain on a power windlass and marked with these plastic coloured markers and when I drop the anchor I cannot see them at all! I think they are useless. Better to paint the chain every couple of years.

Barry
 
Sounds very complicated. I just mark with self almalgamating white tape every 10 feet on my chain 1 tape then 2 etc to 4 tapes and then start at one again at 50 feet.

My rodes I mark similarly but every 20 ft. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Where we sail we often anchor in as little 10ft ( or less).
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sounds very complicated. I just mark with self almalgamating white tape every 10 feet on my chain 1 tape then 2 etc to 4 tapes and then start at one again at 50 feet.

My rodes I mark similarly but every 20 ft. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Where we sail we often anchor in as little 10ft ( or less).

[/ QUOTE ]No offense, but you are like my friend (exactly the same age as me ie 50) who insists on his echo sounder being in feet even though the chart and all the tidal data is in metres. Each to their own.

Our anchor chain is marked at 10 metres, 20 metres, 30 metres etc. Its with the little plastic markers, and we see them in 10mm chain without any problem.
 
Why use base 3 when base 2 is far more universally accepted. ie just 2 markers 1 and 0. However you may prefer to use the base 2 counting to mark of 10 metre lengths. olewill
 
No offense, but you are like my friend (exactly the same age as me ie 50) who insists on his echo sounder being in feet even though the chart and all the tidal data is in metres. Each to their own.
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He's just not surrendering to Europe. The Europhiles have managed to do what neither Napoleon or Hitler could.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Marking the anchor chain is a long-standing problem and subject of debate. Over the years the one thing that seems to be agreed is that the plastic inserts stay in place best and are clearly visible, compared with paint (that fades) and cable ties (which can break or catch hands). Another issue is how to mark the chain so you know the length out.

I thought I'd share with you my proposed system for an 85m chain. I propose to use red, green and yellow markers. I propose to mark the chain every 5 metres coded in base 3 where green has the value 1, red is 2 and yellow is zero. We will have three digits making the largest number available 222 base 3 = 26 decimal. We only need 85/5=17 decimal so we have plenty of room for a longer rode if ever required.

The codes can then be looked up or worked out in your head and the first few codes are:-

17 x 5m green-red-red
16 x5m green-red-green
15 x 5m green-red-yellow

and so on, until..

2 x 5m yellow-yellow-red
1 x 5m yellow-yellow-green

I think that it will work for me, given that I will be powering the chain down most of the time having fitted a power-down function on the windlass this season.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blimey - thought I was back at school !

Mine is simple, even a child can see the idea and count the chain out ... has nothing to snag / catch / interfere with windlass etc. OK - it's paint and you said paint wears out ...but ... using previous career as a guide ....

A commercial ship marks the shackle (which is every 15 fathoms / 90ft) red and the number of links either side by the number of shackles out in white. ie at 6 shackles (90 fathoms of rode out ... you have 6 links painted white either side of the red joining shackle).
So taking that idea ... my usual way is to paint the number of links the number of fathoms or metres ... but in this case without the middle red link. So 6 fathoms would have 6 links painted a clear contrasting colour to the chain. Usually I have used spray black paint...... or white - depending on whats laying around the shed.
I did once use cable ties ... but they hurt !! and also now that I have a windlass - not a good idea at all - likewise any fixed attachment ... such as plastic / cloth etc.

Sorry but having used attached bits one time and found snagging / catching / links not sitting properly in the gypsy - I'm for paint !! And with a spray can and piece of card behind it's dead easy..... you can even do it when anchored and tides out (that is if you can dry out like I can !!)
 
Onto a heaving foredeck, covered in spray and seaweed, in the middle of the night in a foreign harbour, put someone who doesn't know base three anchoring marks.... Is the system intuitive ? Is it capable of being correctly interpreted every time ? Will it work in a harbour with some orange lights from the shore ?

Sorry, too liable to misinterpretation for me, but if it works for you, it's a good system.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Skipper! Is this Green-Red-Yellow or Yellow-Red-Green? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Where DID you get that colour sequence from ??????? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Skipper! Is this Green-Red-Yellow or Yellow-Red-Green? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Where DID you get that colour sequence from ??????? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

And fashionable SWMBO will obviously "on the best kept yacht" want certain colour sequence to be "on-deck" to match the deck-furniture ......

Pass another Pinkers ol-bean ...
 
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif It's invaluable when single crewing is what it is! Engage fwd gear, press 'up' button, anchor comes up all by itself and I drive off. niiiiice.....
 
/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Drive orf!!!!! Drive orf!!!!!! How dare you use plain english with a clear meaning on this forum Sir?!? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

In future, please confine your comments to the appropriate correct obscure nautical terminology. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Skipper! Is this Green-Red-Yellow or Yellow-Red-Green? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Where DID you get that colour sequence from ??????? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought I heard it somewhere..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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