Markings on anchor chain.

[coopec]

I will be putting the anchor chain into the anchor locker for the first time. Before doing so I want to paint certain links so I know how much I've played out etc. I've seen several systems but they seem to vary.

I think I like RED, YELLOW, BLUE, WHITE, ORANGE, Is there a more universal system for color markings?

On an 80 M chain how should the chain be marked? (How many links and how far apart) What paint?
Should the end of the chain be attached to the yacht with rope to stop the whole lot going overboard?

Thanks in advance

 

[Yngmar]

Only yellow for us, and it works very well: Maggi Aqua 7 high-tensile (Grade 70) anchor chain

And yes, the end should be attached with a lashing that when all the chain is out presents a single piece of stretched rope that is easy to cut through in an emergency.

 

[LittleSister]

I think you will struggle to identify the various colours in poor light. I'd stick to, say, red and white.

I'm interested to see the various marking systems people suggest.

The end of the chain should certainly be attached (to the 'bitts' at the 'bitter end'). Some use rope, but I prefer to use thinner cord threaded through multiple times, so it's easier to cut through to dump the chain in an emergency.

 

[ditchcrawler]

I use cable ties of red, white, blue and yellow. You can buy them off e bay and they are easy to see. You can even buy luminous ones. I leave a tail of about an inch showing and they go through my windlass no trouble. Have as many colours as you like. I have mine at 10m,15m,20m and 25m and then my join to rope is at 30m.

 

[Graham376]

I just use multiple cable ties with the tails left on at 10m intervals. Run through the gypsy OK.

 

[LittleSister]

I think the means of marking will depend on whether you have a winch, and if so whether you are operating it from the bow or the cockpit/wheelhouse.

Cable ties are vicious if you are hauling the cable by hand, as I did until recently. Now I have an electric winch that's operated from the wheelhouse, and I doubt that I would see cable ties well enough from there in poor light (but I've bought a cheap remote switch I've yet to install).

When hauling by hand I used to have those little coloured rubber inserts you could buy to fit into the chain links, but the were hard to see in the dark or from a distance.

My current (winch lifted) chain has some faded paint markings, but I've forgotten (if i ever knew) the length marking system. So I intend to repaint the chain, and was pondering something like the following:
5m Short White
10m Long White
15m Short White
20m 2 x Long White
25m Short White
30 3 x Long White
etc.
I have about 35m of chain, and then a length of warp, which I intend to mark with dark coloured whippings.
I reckon there's little point in marking metres - you can just estimate well enough any intervening length within the 5 metre markings.

I also intend to put different marks:
a) When the anchor is just about to come over the bow roller;
b) When the anchor is breaking the water surface;
c) Just before running out of chain (before the warp starts); and
d) Just before running out of warp.

 

[duncan99210]

We paint the chain at 5m intervals, red at 5, 15, 25 and white at 10, 20, 30 (and so on). We use Greek metal enamel: the paint on the first 30m wears away quite quickly, the rest less so. The white painted marks are also tagged with a number of coloured cable ties, red at 10, 40 and 70m, yellow at 20, 50 & 80m, green at 30 & 60m. We leave the cable ties intact: the gypsy doesn’t notice them and if you do need to handle the chain the uncut ends are kinder than the sharp edges you get from the cut ends. The ties last a season.

 

[LittleSister]

Whatever system you use, write it down somewhere handy! (How do I know that? )

 

[coopec]

I think the means of marking will depend on whether you have a winch, and if so whether you are operating it from the bow or the cockpit/wheelhouse.

Cable ties are vicious if you are hauling the cable by hand, as I did until recently. Now I have an electric winch that's operated from the wheelhouse, and I doubt that I would see cable ties well enough from there in poor light (but I've bought a cheap remote switch I've yet to install).

When hauling by hand I used to have those little coloured rubber inserts you could buy to fit into the chain links, but the were hard to see in the dark or from a distance.

I have winch controls at the center-cockpit helm and also a deck switchi

 

[Plum]

I will be putting the anchor chain into the anchor locker for the first time. Before doing so I want to paint certain links so I know how much I've played out etc. I've seen several systems but they seem to vary.

I think I like RED, YELLOW, BLUE, WHITE, ORANGE, Is there a more universal system for color markings?

On an 80 M chain how should the chain be marked? (How many links and how far apart) What paint?
Should the end of the chain be attached to the yacht with rope to stop the whole lot going overboard?

Thanks in advance

I use 30cm lengths of coloured cotton ribbon fastened with a cow hitch. Should I lose one will not feel guilty at putting another piece of plastic into the sea.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[cmedsailor]

I am also using cable ties and they run fine through the windlass.

 

[coopec]

I am also using cable ties and they run fine through the windlass.

Well I've got stacks of different color ties so I'll sit down and work out the colors.

(AND yes I will write it down! ?)

Thanks everyone....

 

[RichardS]

We use a mark every 5m, 1 at 5m, 2 at 10m etc.

If we are anchoring in 3m, we pay out to 3 marks. Anchoring in 6m, we pay out to 6 marks.

There's nothing to remember.

Richard

 

[GHA]

For many many years short pieces of cord with knots has worked very well. 1 knot 5m, 5 knots 25m, 30m 2 pieces string so 40m 2 pieces, 1 with 2 knots etc. Works just fine in the dark solo, fell the knots with your fingers.

 

[Clancy Moped]

I used the traffic light order ever 5 meters with cable ties, instructions on the inside of the locker lid. I inherited a remote with a digital chain counter......kin useless in bright sunlight

 

[Catalina36]

I use cable ties of red, white, blue and yellow. You can buy them off e bay and they are easy to see. You can even buy luminous ones. I leave a tail of about an inch showing and they go through my windlass no trouble. Have as many colours as you like. I have mine at 10m,15m,20m and 25m and then my join to rope is at 30m.

I used to use those until I found that if you have to haul by hand they cut your hands to ribbons. Now I use paint. Originally I went daft and marked every two metres but apart from losing count, who needs to deploy anchor cable in units of 2 metres? Now I use yellow paint for 5m intervals and red for 10m, so it alternates red/yellow/red. Don't paint one link, it's easy to miss as it pays out especially in the dark. Get a couple of spray cans and some newspaper, lay the chain out on the paper and spray half a dozen links all round at each mark. Easy to replace when it wears.

 

[[3889]]

Not normally a fan of beskope gimmicks but I do like Osculati markers. I use the closest fit to the rainbow spectrum every 5 metres then repeat with two markers then repeat with two with an intervening empty link.

W R Y G B WW RR YY GG BB W-W R-R Y-Y G-G B-B

Good for 80 metres and adjacent marks are easily distinguishable.

Insert them after soaking in hot water to ensure they properly embed in the link.

 

[vyv_cox]

I will be putting the anchor chain into the anchor locker for the first time. Before doing so I want to paint certain links so I know how much I've played out etc. I've seen several systems but they seem to vary.

I think I like RED, YELLOW, BLUE, WHITE, ORANGE, Is there a more universal system for color markings?

On an 80 M chain how should the chain be marked? (How many links and how far apart) What paint?
Should the end of the chain be attached to the yacht with rope to stop the whole lot going overboard?

Thanks in advance

There are almost as many colour systems as there are yachts! We use red for 10 metres, yellow for five. Red tie-wraps according to the length, i.e. 40 metres = 4 ties.

One caution on the bitter end attachment. If you are ever unfortunate enough to run the whole lot out accidentally you will not be able to recover it easily if the rope extends out past the windlass. So keep it short, inside the locker.

 

[Catalina36]

There are almost as many colour systems as there are yachts! We use red for 10 metres, yellow for five. Red tie-wraps according to the length, i.e. 40 metres = 4 ties.

One caution on the bitter end attachment. If you are ever unfortunate enough to run the whole lot out accidentally you will not be able to recover it easily if the rope extends out past the windlass. So keep it short, inside the locker.

With a Maxwell windlass there's a rope drum as well as a chain gypsy, which is handy for having a mixed rode.

 

[lynallbel]

Not normally a fan of beskope gimmicks but I do like Osculati markers. I use the closest fit to the rainbow spectrum every 5 metres then repeat with two markers then repeat with two with an intervening empty link.

W R Y G B WW RR YY GG BB W-W R-R Y-Y G-G B-B

Good for 80 metres and adjacent marks are easily distinguishable.

Insert them after soaking in hot water to ensure they properly embed in the link.

I thought they were a good idea, so bought some and installed them, used anchor at the weekend, and out of the half dozen I installed I only saw one go past my eyes, which to be fair are not the best!