marking anchor chains

[phanakapan]

forgive my ignorance, but how does one mark anchor chain? Are those coloured plastic snap in inserts I've seen advertised work well- or is there a cheap and simple way of doing it.

 

[VMALLOWS]

Mark it anyway you feel confortable with (if you feel you need to mark it at all). Could be paint, bits of coloured cloth, leather, whatever. Those things you've seen advertised sound cute, but no idea how they perform (or pop-out) in practice.

Personally, I findf the shackles linking my various lengths of chain quite adequate to judge the scope (always go out to the next one if in doubt).

 

[LORDNELSON]

I mark my anchor chain by painting a link red at 10 metres, two links red at 20 metres etc., Obviously there can be problems if anchoring at night, but I do subscribe to the view that it is a good idea to haul out chain on deck to the length required before anchoring. This way with a torch you can find the paint markers. I do not like bits and pieces attached to the chain, partly because I do not like anything on a chain or cable that may snag/catch a hand or glove when it is running out and partly because I do not want anything snagging on my windless. Hope this helps.

 

[MedMan]

We use short lengths on string with 1 knot at 10m, 2 knots at 20m etc. It works well day or night. We also have plain lengths (no knots) at 15m, 25m etc. The longer lengths (5 knots at 50m) do foul the hawse pipe occasionally but not often enough to make me change the system.

 

[Avocet]

The smallest plastic cable ties work well for me.

I put one on at 2m, two on at 4m and so on. It's very handy to be able to feel the tails of the plastic ties in the dark or when they're covered in mud.

The only thing is, I don't have a windlass so I don't know how they'd go over a gypsy.

 

[rich]

small cable tys, work ok on a windlass.

rich )

 

[EME]

Paint them .. any colour will do.... white is my preference cos I can always see it.. ( or Black).............

No of links stepped in 5 metre inetervals..

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[Mr Cassandra]

Hi Ive alway fancied going over a gypsy one with black hair and earings would do!
cheers bob t.

Bob T
ps female that is

 

[boatone]

Warning..........

.....take what this guy says with a pinch of salt....his username says it all.......hasnt even got a boat..........
Surprised he hasnt offered to set up a spreadsheet for measuring anchor chain scope.v.depth of water etc etc ......
see mobochat for more revelations........./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[EME]

Re: Warning..........

Actually just preparing spreadsheet now, but can not find metres- yards conversion charts:-

Anyone know how many anchor chain links to a metre?.



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[Peter_the_Grate]

Re: Warning..........

If you're using EXCEL there's a built-in function called CONVERT.

Number of links to a metre - depends on the size of the link ...

 

[phanakapan]

steady on there-I'm female with gipsy blood, earings and black hair(well black and grey!). It does seem a good idea to have things you can feel in the dark- oops I'm sinking to your level!

 

[ccscott49]

To be honest, I have an electronic thingy I built myself, with a little waterproof micro swith and a little LCD counter which I bought from maplins runs off 1 AA battery for a year, never switched off, the microswitch counts the turns on the chain drum. But I realise this is not possible when you don't have a windlass.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

HI .I don`t think that sinking is the right word to use on this forum,
cheers bob t

Bob T

 

[phanakapan]

The yacht I'm buying has a manual windlass-- could your gadget work on that? sounds like brilliant idea

 

[ccscott49]

Yes it can work with a manual windlass, you just take the unit outside with you, plug the two wires into the micro switch, which will need some way of being triggered, a pin in the chain gypsy would do that and off you go! You can be as sophisticated as you want, with a detachable microswitch etc. Then you can make it totally waterproof. Pity I'm not around your neck of the woods, I could have a look and then design something. The cost is about £7.

 

[ArthurWood]

My anchor rope is has different coloured bands at 20ft (I'm in the US) intervals and I have a small list at the helm so I can see what colour is what. It was mnfrd this way. However the red 1,2,3 etc paint marks suggested above sound even better. Markers attached to the chain/rope tend to eventually fall off.

 

[hylas]

Re: the RIGHT solution..

I'm very surprised to realise that hardly nobody know the right solution...

Yes you can paint your chain.. but could somebody give me the name of a GOOD paint which could last on the zinc of the chain??

Yes also, they are plastic ties with different bright colors that you can attach to the chain links.. but they will not last for long through the windlass gipsy.. (available on West Marine Catalog)

The very clever solution is a small plastic "diabolo" of different colors manufactured by an Italian manufacturer (I have to look in my files to find the adress..) which has been developped for this purpose and can be inserted inside each link (eight "diabolo" of each color supplied for each mark:..)
As a Liveaboard, I've been using them for more than a Year now and I'm fully satisfied with them..

 

[ccscott49]

Re: the RIGHT solution..

Seen these advertised somewhere, they look a good idea and if you've been anchoring a lot and they're still in then seem an even better idea! Just the job! But unfortunately not for me, as my anchor is in a hawse, with an enclosed anchor winch, which is why i devised the maplins solution, I anchor from the wheelhouse aswell.

 

[EME]

Re: the RIGHT solution..

Mais oui

Le mieux peinture , c'est le 'Tippex' en rouge ou noir ou blanc.

Les petits pieces ? Ils sont entre les dents quand on descend .....l'ancre naturellement.

Well that's what i thought you meant , have a great cruise !!

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