Anchor counters
- Thread starter ashtead
- Start date
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Only if you are familiar with snooker ball colours. It would be meaningless to me.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
And me and equally useless to my wife and any of our granddaughters.
It needs too many different colours
- what do you do with all the spare paint?? To be useful you need to see the marks at night, when the guest on the bow has forgotten the torch or is colour blind (been there).We mark the first five metres as alternate metres, then we know the anchor is 5m, 4m etc from the bow roller. We mark every 10m, we mark at 5m from the bitter end (in case we lose concentration
. We carry 75m. The marks are broad, primrose, aerosol sprays, nothing sophisticated. Belt and braces we use cable ties as well.We decide on the scope and drop to the nearest 10m over that is required to achieve that scope (unless its very close to the previous mark) - attach bridle at the mark, or very close and then deploy to provide some slack in the chain with the bridle taking the tension - we have not deployed more than 50m yet.
In tight anchorages we would use the radar (broadband) as a range finder (and would use same in crowded anchorages to fix the right spacing between yachts - but this would be unusual).
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vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Ours are tie-wraps, only two colours, red and yellow. Yellow for 5 metres, red for 10. We bought a bottle containing 500 of them from B&Q several years ago. Despite on average losing every one once per season, sometimes twice, we still have most of the 500 for future use.
GHA
Well-Known Member
Short bits of string with knots each 5M then 2 bits for over 30m, works in the dark as well 
BelleSerene
Well-Known Member
Yellow every metre so I can just count the metres out; red every 5m; R&Y together every 10m.
The common point is that it's hardly difficult.
Whilst I find it appealing to be able to weigh the anchor from the helm - or even to count out the chain - I have never yet found a situation where I can't do so easily from the bow, returning calmly to the helm to retake control.
The common point is that it's hardly difficult.
Whilst I find it appealing to be able to weigh the anchor from the helm - or even to count out the chain - I have never yet found a situation where I can't do so easily from the bow, returning calmly to the helm to retake control.
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
Or use the electronics code, which at least is based on the rainbow, which everyone learns in primary (colour) school? (Similar to above, but includes orange.)
Mike.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I'd challenge you to see indigo in the dark
Sticky Fingers
Well-Known Member
Over complicated I think. White or fluorescent paint every 10m, always round up to the nearest 10, and someone to count them (1-5, how hard is that?) or if single handing an electronic counter may make sense.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
I use the same orange/yellow system as Vyv. Difficult to imagine anything simpler or more effective.
BelleSerene
Well-Known Member
I found the same. The rubber-ish chain inserts, whilst a bit more expensive, don't get broken by the windlass.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Osculati-Anchor-Chain-Markers-10mm-Pack-40-Assorted-Colours-/201924735454
Flica
Well-Known Member
Interesting - having a manual horizontal windlass,I've never felt the need for an anchor counter, but have struggled with - painted links (lasts about 1/2 season), coloured cable ties (equally effective) and little coloured interlinks (some of those have lasted 3 seasons).
The probable likely answer is coloured string - if it keeps clean!!
Problems with memory? Write down the marks on the inside of the chain-locker lid - use waterproof pen and get it off with the supplied solvent if you need to change.
PS I anchor about 100 times a season - Greek waters where you can see your anchor o sandy bottoms up to 10m depth.
I use 50m 8mm chain with a textile snubber on a chain hook and 50m of 14mm octoplait. The deepest depths I've anchored are about 25m, usually in 6-10m.
The probable likely answer is coloured string - if it keeps clean!!
Problems with memory? Write down the marks on the inside of the chain-locker lid - use waterproof pen and get it off with the supplied solvent if you need to change.
PS I anchor about 100 times a season - Greek waters where you can see your anchor o sandy bottoms up to 10m depth.
I use 50m 8mm chain with a textile snubber on a chain hook and 50m of 14mm octoplait. The deepest depths I've anchored are about 25m, usually in 6-10m.
Ravi
Well-Known Member
Hmmm.. Those snooker colours look remarkably like traffic light colours!
I was intrigued by the thread title. I thought, "How many anchors does this guy have? And how much will be pay me to count them?"
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
We have tried them in the past. I found the colours very dull and quite difficult to distinguish once the chain had been in any mud. On top of that, quite a few of them fell out. When we changed to tie wraps I left the inserts in but at the end of one season all were gone.