Length of Chain

[Bluewaters2812]

BTW - if you are going top spray paint a la Stumble, start with a 25 length on chain on the dock and then just flake 25 foot loops of chain. Put some cardboard under the turns and spray paint them all at once.[/QUOTE]

I gather it is not necessary to prime the chain with a metal primer at all and this will still last years?

[Cheechako]

I dont know about years, but lasts a season if you are living aboard cruising. I Used a Red, White and Blue scheme. 30 ft= red, 60feet =white, 90 feet = blue, 120 feet= red... etc. easy to remember for a Yank anyway.... It's easy to loose track with other things going on if you dont have a system....

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I dont know about years, but lasts a season if you are living aboard cruising. I Used a Red, White and Blue scheme. 30 ft= red, 60feet =white, 90 feet = blue, 120 feet= red... etc. easy to remember for a Yank anyway.... It's easy to loose track with other things going on if you dont have a system....

Yeah, I suppose that it may be a question of either the spray-paint each year or those plastic/rubber lugs in the links. I imagine cost-wise nothing in it really so both a fair option.

[JonJo]

We use cheap nylon electrical cable ties of differetn colours. The windlass does eat them but they last around a couple of years. Maybe it depends how hungry your windlass is? We put them on in pairs, pair for 10m, 2 pairs for 20m etc. One pair on one link. The idea of the colour code and putting them on in pairs on each link - if we lose one we still have an obvious mark. We also mark when the anchor is at water level, (as we pull up the last metre or so by hand but its only a 15kg anchor) and when we have deployed virtually all the chain. We use different colours, which is not an issue at night as you can see them as black 'wires' as they go over the bow roller. We replace the cable ties when we end to end the chain. We have a colour code written into the anchor locker lid. All belt and braces.

We carry 50m of chain (but its a cat) and we try to get down to Tasmania annually - so we 'use' it. Unlike most cats we anchor 'out' you cannot get enough chain down if you are in 2m of water as you are usally too near the beach. Cats have one advatage for chain - its commonly stored under the mast - offset by multi owners trying to keep weight down.

On coral - no-one in their right mind would anchor 'in' coral (ignoring the environmental issues) its a surefire way of irretrievably securing your anchor and (forcing you to) losing it. Equally to anchor in coral can mean wrapping the chain round bits of coral, so you lose the chain as well. Consequently do not worry, as long as they are protecting their wallet - they will protect the coral as well. But coral sand has loose coral in it and the dead coral has the same appetite for nylon rope as live coral - hence the use of chain. If your rope toches the seabed, set a human anchor watch. But better - use a snubber (see another thread).