Anchor chain marking and weaving line vs. paint

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

But after may different solutions, these are what we have come to:
https://amzn.to/3MSdXyN

Like he said.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Pegu Club

Fwiw, a windlass pays out X feet per second, that info is included in most windlass install instructions, which come with the windlass, or contact the manufacturer for that information. Just count out the seconds as the chain / rode drops and one then knows within a few feet how much has payed out, there is no need to mark the chain or rode.


Fair winds,

Agreed but for the open the clutch and let her fly crowd. This is not workable

I suppose we all find a method that works for us we find that markings every 25 meters is sufficient for us

[flightlead404]

Rustoleum on properly prepared (cleaned, etched with vinegar) chain for me lasts 2 6 month seasons anchoring 75% of the time and 2 summers anchoring a negligible amount.

I put two short white markings at the point at which the anchor is just clear of the keel when then mark is on the roller, or is 5' below when at the surface.

Other than that Rub Your Booty Well. Red, Yellow, Blue, White marking every 25' of chain for 200'. I don't put yellow and white next to each other to make distinguishing them easy in low light conditions.

[Pegu Club]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Agreed but for the open the clutch and let her fly crowd. This is not workable

I suppose we all find a method that works for us we find that markings every 25 meters is sufficient for us

Yes, true enough, we humans like what we like , counting the seconds has worked very well for us in our cruising experience, from CT to the Bahamas and back over the past several years. I would think that the open the clutch and dump method would be more practical in very deep anchorages? Then one would not have a pile of chain potentially sitting on top of one’s anchor in “shallower” anchorages.

If we are in a total of say twenty feet to include freeboard, “depending on the conditions” we would initially pay out twenty seconds of chain (forty feet) and drift back allowing time for the chain to pull back and the anchor to bite in, followed by couple of long and then short drops, allowing the chain to pull back each time, to get to our preferred scope, then backing down with the engine as needed. This method has proven to be effective in having the anchor set on the first attempt.

Having watched many boaters in a variety of anchorages it can be entertaining boat TV as we call it, watching folk anchor. As my wife likes to say, sometimes you watch the show, and sometimes you are the show…

[chris mac]

We use polypro line, 3 colors. Typically we cut some free of fishing nets that have washed up on shore. That way, in the unlikely event it does come free, we aren't adding more pollution to the ocean.(yeah, self justification)
Similar to Jedi we have a mark at 50' as that's the minimum attachment point for our 20' bridle. Then one at 75', and 100'. If we need more than that, it's for really bad weather and we put out all 200'
We have not lost any poly pro yet.
We did use a high strength tape from our label maker. It worked really well, very visible and could lean in and read it if necessary but it didn't last long. So we didn't continue

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Pegu Club

Yes, true enough, we humans like what we like , counting the seconds has worked very well for us in our cruising experience, from CT to the Bahamas and back over the past several years. I would think that the open the clutch and dump method would be more practical in very deep anchorages? Then one would not have a pile of chain potentially sitting on top of one’s anchor in “shallower” anchorages.

If we are in a total of say twenty feet to include freeboard, “depending on the conditions” we would initially pay out twenty seconds of chain (forty feet) and drift back allowing time for the chain to pull back and the anchor to bite in, followed by couple of long and then short drops, allowing the chain to pull back each time, to get to our preferred scope, then backing down with the engine as needed. This method has proven to be effective in having the anchor set on the first attempt.

Having watched many boaters in a variety of anchorages it can be entertaining boat TV as we call it, watching folk anchor. As my wife likes to say, sometimes you watch the show, and sometimes you are the show…

Only bareboat charterers dump their chain in a heap on top of the anchor. When you use the clutch, the chain is fed out at exactly the same rate as that the boat moves away from the anchor. A system that is sheer impossible with the “push down-botton” method

[MicHughV]

I've seen a lot of charterers in action....
As you say, they pull into an anchorage, drop the anchor, plus a small amount of chain directly over it, then I watch the fire drill while I'm sipping a cocktail....

[MicHughV]

heard on the vhf one day from charter boat calling home base...

"You only gave us two anchors, and we've used them both up yesterday and today, we still have five more days to go, can you bring us five more anchors please"

[CarinaPDX]

Another problem with paint is that it has to be removed, usually by sand-blasting, before the chain can be re-galvanized. I had to do this in England when I re-galvanized the chain there. It seems these days more people just replace the chain instead, in which case paint away!

Greg

[Captain Puget]

I finally just bought a chain counter (uses a magnet on the gypsy and you program the distance per rotation with a digital readout at the helm).

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I like S/V Jedi's approach to marking, i.e., fewer marks. But I would do 50, 100, and 150 feet. I currently have marks with cable ties every 30 feet, and that is too much.

[SaltyMetals]

I go along w Capt Puget. Why struggle with paint or ties which are not going to last? I have a Quick Chain Counter in the cockpit which i set for a FAST DROP of 35 metres (80ft) since i usually anchor in 6-8 m (20-30ft) of depth. I know exactly how many metres of chain have run out from the chain counter and can add/subtract on the cockpit control accordingly. While nobody needs to be up at the bow at the time, just as a precaution i mark the 40 metre (140ft) with the plastic in-fill markers but make it a good length of marking since almost any marking is easy to miss (particularly if dark). I have no need for any other marks. Before anyone else wishes to comment on my post i do make sure that 1) i am already slowly backing down when i do the fast drop and 2) that the bow falls away as the chain is going out, just to be sure no extra chain falls on top of the anchor. Once i have my chosen length of rode deployed and the boat has set to the anchor & wind direction i then slowly back down, increasing the rpm to eventually reach 2,000 rpm for 30 secs while watching a transit to be sure no dragging.

Maybe others have different techniques but this works for me and my boat. (Jeanneau 43ds with 25 Kg (60lb) Spade and 10mm chain)
Andrew

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

I like S/V Jedi's approach to marking, i.e., fewer marks. But I would do 50, 100, and 150 feet. I currently have marks with cable ties every 30 feet, and that is too much.

60 feet markers makes it easier to divide by 3. So for up to 20’ depth (60/3) I start setting the anchor when the first mark passes the windlass. For 50’ marks this works for depth up to ….. I dunno, 50 divided by 3

[R Hutcheson]

We've had good luck with 3' lengths of 3/8" poly from home depot in 7/16" chain, threaded through each length. We have been using it for four years, though admittedly we were on the east coast in marinas for a lot of the two years during Covid. In the islands now and using the anchor a lot more. The fish do seem to pick at it, so every now and then, we pause while hauling chain and tighten up the weave, and one section has worn through in the center, but is still there. So far so good.

[SV__Grace]

I've tried them all- the colored inserts are expensive and pop out way too easily, zip ties are OK, paint never lasts long, the easiest and best option I use is the vinyl strips used for rope rode.

Takes less then a minute to insert the vinyl strip through the chain link and secure with a couple of stitches of whipping twine. Easy peasy.

Over 5 years of full time cruising and living on the hook, I've only had to replace one. They get beat up but are easy to read and go through the windlass without a problem. Below is an info graphic with an actual photo taken today of one of the markers.

Tip: Orient your chain on your gypsy in alignment with the anchor when untwisted in the bow roller and install the markers on the top of a vertical chain link, measuring as you drop onto the dock or in the water. Then, your markers will be on top when deploying or raising anchor.

If your chain gets twisted and jumps the gypsy or you remove it from the gypsy and it gets twisted, orient it correctly when you raise anchor and it's on the bow roller. The vinyl strips can handle a lot of punishment, but having them on a vertical link when your chain is oriented in the bow roller makes them easy to read and monitor that your chain is oriented correctly in the gypsy (important for being oriented to go home in the bow roller without manually turning it).