Chain Marking

[moomba]

To those that use cable ties , remember that they are made of plastic , and small amounts on a large scale does not help our oceans , yes the water will still be there to sail but nothing to sea in the future , would you through your plastic bag overboard , mmm dont think so , and to be honest you should not be placing any plastic be it deliberate or non deliberate into the sea

 

[PaulR]

To those that use cable ties , remember that they are made of plastic , and small amounts on a large scale does not help our oceans , yes the water will still be there to sail but nothing to sea in the future , would you through your plastic bag overboard , mmm dont think so , and to be honest you should not be placing any plastic be it deliberate or non deliberate into the sea

now you have got me worried as my boat is plastic!

 

[moomba]

now you have got me worried as my boat is plastic!

Do you chip bits off it and throw it into the sea , better check for leaks

 

[johnalison]

To those that use cable ties , remember that they are made of plastic , and small amounts on a large scale does not help our oceans , yes the water will still be there to sail but nothing to sea in the future , would you through your plastic bag overboard , mmm dont think so , and to be honest you should not be placing any plastic be it deliberate or non deliberate into the sea

That's a fair point I have used cable ties in the past as well as the chain markers often sold, but preferred paint. Good intentions have to start somewhere.

 

[Kelpie]

I inherited a system where there was a short bit of string with a number of knots in it- one at 10m, 2 at 20m, etc. Very simple, and lasted until I got the chain regalvanised.

 

[MM5AHO]

A downside of using paint to mark it is that if you want to get the anchor re-galvanized most galvanizers will either decline the job or charge a lot for paint removal. It prevents the pre-treatment process in galvanizing from working, so has to be removed mechanically.
I use cable ties, but the previous owner of my boat (with whom I shared ownership for some years) had used leather boot laces. One at 1 fathom, 2 leathers at 2 fathoms etc. I was always amused at our antics on anchoring. "The depth is 5m here under the keel, so let out 7 leathers of chain". The leather boot laces did go round the windlass, (soft when wet), lasted for years, and easily seen. Not sure why I used cable ties when I end for ended the chain 2 years ago.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I use (I think it's called) Small Job gloss paint, bright red. It's a little tin. I paint 5 links every 10 metres and 3 links every 5 metres. I then use coloured cable ties on the 10 metres using the resistor colour code as a basis. Black 10, red 20, orange 30, yellow 40, green 50. I haven't found a brown colour so I omit that for the 20 metre mark.
As I flake out the chain during the winter months it's an easy job to touch up when necessary.
I use a remote control electric windlass and can easily see the markings and colours from the cockpit.
I also use a series of very bright orange and green alternate cable ties to indicate when to stop the windlass when hauling up the anchor.
Mike

I hav'nt tried this, but here's a link to some formulae for achieving a brown colour:
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Brown-from-Primary-Colors

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

A downside of using paint to mark it is that if you want to get the anchor re-galvanized most galvanizers will either decline the job or charge a lot for paint removal. It prevents the pre-treatment process in galvanizing from working, so has to be removed mechanically.
I use cable ties, but the previous owner of my boat (with whom I shared ownership for some years) had used leather boot laces. One at 1 fathom, 2 leathers at 2 fathoms etc. I was always amused at our antics on anchoring. "The depth is 5m here under the keel, so let out 7 leathers of chain". The leather boot laces did go round the windlass, (soft when wet), lasted for years, and easily seen. Not sure why I used cable ties when I end for ended the chain 2 years ago.

Another downside to using paint is that you can't see colours in the dark, whereas cable ties or leather thongs can be seen with normal night vision in minimal light, or felt, in complete darkness.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I used cable ties one for 10 metres 2 for 20 etc, the winch has no problems with them.

I’ve also used them, but they’ve mostly come off, so now back to painting, but that also soon wears off. We do tend to anchor for long periods, maybe a week or more ata time.

 

[TQA]

I anchor out a lot maybe 8 months of the year. As the minimum length of chain I use is 70 ft the first set of 3 cable ties go on there, second set at 140 ft and third at 210 ft.

I used to use paint but even epoxy gets worn off in a week of moving around in sharp coral sand.

I replace them once a year and yes I do lose the odd one. Mea Culpa.

 

[jbweston]

I use blue polyester codline, tied through a link to give a tail. I mark every five meteres. About four inches long for a 10 metre mark and half length for a 5 metre.

Therefore if I see three longs and a short that's 35 metres, or two longs that's 20 metres, etc

The advantage of line over cable ties is that they don't get chewed up by the windlass or cut my hands. They're in their tenth season and none of them have needed replacing yet.

I couldn't be doing with some complicated sequence of colours as my brain couldn't cope with the mental effort of remembering them.

 

[Neeves]

It appear there is no one answer.

I had hoped someone would have found a long, or longer, lasting paint (as pale paint, yellow or white, does stand out in the dark). Of course our nights don't last 20 hour in the winter and we can be assured of stars (the downside of living in a country in perpetual drought).

A suggestion made to me was - weave thin cord through the links, say 300mm lengths (knot the ends so it cannot come out. it will pass through the windlass, it will not wear (or not much), if you choose the cord carefully you can have a multitude of colours - for whatever simple or complex code you want. It will not pollute (or I don't think so)

But I've not tried it.

Having to paint the marks every 2 years is a pain. I like paint - it does stand out, much more so than cable ties.

Interesting there is no 'right' way - there are lot of right ways.

Jonathan

 

[john_morris_uk]

We've been using the plastic inserts for the last 14 years. One for ten metres, two for twenty metres etc. For the first thirteen years they never fell out and then I added some more chain and end for ended the whole lot and one of the forty metre markers has promptly fallen out... Bah humbug.

 

[penberth3]

...I couldn't be doing with some complicated sequence of colours as my brain couldn't cope with the mental effort of remembering them.

Exactly, and how does that work when it's dark?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Exactly, and how does that work when it's dark?

We use a torch. One hand on the pulpit rail, one holding the torch and one foot on the up or down buttons on the deck for the windlass.

 

[Keith 66]

Meters? I marked mine every two fathoms. Green Red yellow blue white two greens two reds Etc.
Easy to remember Go rub your balls with grease.

 

[Skylark]

Cockpit remote windlass control together with calibrated chain counter.

 

[Mister E]

I am trying nail varnish this year just red bands every ten meters.
Also bands on the rope.
Not done much anchoring this year but it is lastingredients well so far.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Meters? I marked mine every two fathoms. Green Red yellow blue white two greens two reds Etc.
Easy to remember Go rub your balls with grease.

I must remember to change my markers when we move onto a fathoms chart. I think one of two remote areas were still published as fathoms charts by UKHO until recently and there are one or two in my folios.

 

[Neeves]

Cockpit remote windlass control together with calibrated chain counter.

Your family must be recent immigrants to Scotland.

Jonathan