Best paint for rode markings?

[Perfect Ride]

Another vote for plastic inserts.
Last count 1500 anchor deployments and they still work. We run with windlass and are ~200' chain, 250' rode on primary. Mark the chain at 25' increments, but not the rode.

[cndcruiser]

I've tried paint and zip ties, but what really works for me is polyester ribbon, 12mm to 15mm width available at fabric stores. It's so simple and lasts for a few years. When a ribbon wears, just tie on a new on. I use two 150mm lengths, double knotted on adjacent links every 10m of chain. The ribbon comes in many colours so you can create your own colour code. I have 10mm chain and a Lewmar V4 windlass. The markers are highly visible and are not damaged by the gypsy. I use the same ribbon markers on the nylon rode. Just insert the ribbon through the 3-strand or 8-plait line and tie off. Simple.and effective.

[Lodesman]

Anyone try Plasti-dip? https://plastidip.com/our-products/plasti-dip/

[Safari38LH]

Tried plastic inserts, painting, West Marine printed Markers. None last long in the Bahamas. Found the best solution is polyp picked up on the beaches and intertwined in the chain links - about 8 inches. Different colors for different lengths. I use fathoms. No problem with windless!

[CassidyNZ]

Where I live the plastic inserts work out quite expensive. Each pack contains 8 pieces of one colour, there are 5 colours. Each pack costs $13. So to mark the chain is $75 minimum for me to use these.

So I print mine on my 3D printer. They need a bit of pressure to get them into the links (PLA is not that flexible) but they work as well as the bought ones. Cost to me? About 3 cents per marker or about $15 to mark my chain which is about 80 metres long. I keep a box of about 50 markers on board when we’re going to be away from home for time.

Here’s a tip that works for me. I have a stainless tube handle that I use to manage the windlass. It lives on the foredeck in clips. I have painted rings on the handle in a colour sequence that matches my chain markers. So not only do I not have to remember the sequence, even strangers on the boat know how much chain they’re putting out.

[flyingfin]

Nail polish from the Dollar store - red, green & blue to mark five foot, 25 foot and 100 foot increments. Easy to replenish

[NYSail]

I use rustolium. Yellow at 10 ft red at 50 intervals. 1 stripe 50. 2 stripes 100, 3 150 etc...... last time lasted 4 years.... not perfect but could read.

Greg

[saillr]

Zip Ties are best. To make them last longer do not tighten them up. Leave loose as they will move out of the way of the gypsy.
To make them easier to see - get fluorescent colors and leave the tails on. With a flashlight at night they are very easy to see.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by more

For hot zinc steel ,you need WASH PRIMER , is a two-component reactive primer, bonding layer and anti-corrosion coating .A wash primer is a synthetic primer that usually contains zinc chromate or phosphoric acid. It is used as a first coat on metal surfaces and has anticorrosion properties, making it a prerequisite or pretreatment before any coating application.

We also found this works best .
With Red being the danger stop before the end.

5, marks equally spaced on chain with colors matched to an easily remembered phrase like:
Run Your Balls With Grease

Paint a significant numbrs of links to be easily seen...it is not an exact science!

[Cynara]

Rustoleum on chain and rode. Primary anchor was all chain. A big, about a foot long, every 30 feet. the first one red, next 30 white, next 30 blue. At 120 feet two reds, 150 feet 2 whites, etc. then 3 reds, 3 whites, etc.

[CassidyNZ]

^^^ Surely by the time you have 120ft of chain out it’s easy enough to understand that this is the second time round for the colour sequence? Is it necessary to put double marks on the chain? By the time you get to three sets of marks, you’ve already got a minimum of 80 metres of chain out there!

I just repeat the sequence. The second set takes me to the end of the chain at 80m. I very rarely anchor deep enough to need more than that.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

^^^ Surely by the time you have 120ft of chain out it’s easy enough to understand that this is the second time round for the colour sequence? Is it necessary to put double marks on the chain? By the time you get to three sets of marks, you’ve already got a minimum of 80 metres of chain out there!

I just repeat the sequence. The second set takes me to the end of the chain at 80m. I very rarely anchor deep enough to need more than that.

yep...exactly what we do. if i can't tell the diff between eg 25m & 65m (which marked the same), i shouldn't be here...

cheers,

[s/v Jedi]

You’re all so wrong

I’ve tried all that and it’s hopeless. Best of what I read is the tie wraps but after 20 years I found something better: rope. I use 1/8” double braid, 12” long pieces, tied to a chain link with a tiny bowline. These do not jam, do not go missing.

Then the order:

First is a high visibility yellow marker at 30’ or 10 meters. It means the anchor is almost there when hauling.

Next is a standard colored (whatever color you choose) marker at 60’ (20 meters) this is the minimum amount of chain to deploy, even if there’s only 5’ of water (you must have at least 60’ out for reliability)

Next is two markers at @120’ out. If 60’ isn’t enough then 120’ is, or you can estimate something in between.

Next 3 markers at 180’ and so on. This limits the amount of markers but gives a sweet spot for ease of use.

[ilanortho]

Just a thought: what about the paint that hi-way departments use to mark road surfaces??? Has to put up with weather, lousy surfaces to adhere to and tremendous abrasion resistance to cars, trucks, snowplows and chemicals.

[fourlyons]

Jedi is right, paint, even wire ties simply don't hold up.

I sew flat webbing tails (flags) through a chain link, one for every thirty feet. I had to cut them off, still going strong, after ten years when I finally broke down and regalvanized the chain. That represented five years of full time cruising and anchoring every night. The flags are easier to see in the dark and run through the windlass too.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

You’re all so wrong

I’ve tried all that and it’s hopeless. Best of what I read is the tie wraps but after 20 years I found something better: rope. I use 1/8” double braid, 12” long pieces, tied to a chain link with a tiny bowline. These do not jam, do not go missing.

Then the order:

First is a high visibility yellow marker at 30’ or 10 meters. It means the anchor is almost there when hauling.

Next is a standard colored (whatever color you choose) marker at 60’ (20 meters) this is the minimum amount of chain to deploy, even if there’s only 5’ of water (you must have at least 60’ out for reliability)

Next is two markers at @120’ out. If 60’ isn’t enough then 120’ is, or you can estimate something in between.

Next 3 markers at 180’ and so on. This limits the amount of markers but gives a sweet spot for ease of use.