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What's the best way to mark anchor chain?


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Chain is hard and a spray can of paint is easiest.

 

A good RED to know when to stop the anchor tearing into the hull is useful.

 

For warps, I use a "PAINT" pen => better than felt.

(Sailors Corner about $6 in RED, BLUE, YELLOW, BLACK, WHITE and silver. I have the ones in CAPITALS and good for marking buckets, lifebuoys, harnesses, genoa car positions etc as well.)

 

I also weave in a coloured cable tie. I used to cut the excess plastic tails off but now I leave the tails on, tactile feature.

One colour every 5m, put 100mm apart with the 5th mark in contrasting colour. Instantly gives a 1:5 scope in the warp so in 3m depth, let out till 3rd marker in the water.

($1,2,3 Dollar shops or Mitre 10, 400 in different colours in a tube for a few dollars. Cheap to replace!)

 

Recently I used some COW MEDIUM sized yellow ear tags, same as Westhaven Marina used for dingy identification, and attach to each end of the warp. I write length & size on each tag e.g.47m x 14mm Nylon. They stand out well.

I also mark the different chains with length & size. Makes life easier with safety inspections e.g. 6m x 8mm Cat5 vs 10.4m x 8mm Cat 4 for the chain as opposed to the heavier crusing chain 20m x 10mm.

(Leader Bros, Constellation Drive, North Harbour)

 

I have also tried the smaller sheep ear tags into the warp and they fit easily wrote 5, 10, 15m etc. So far so good. I have not tried them in chain, but on an ordinary drum capstan, they should be OK. I don't know about chain drums as they could easily be chewed up.

 

Leader Bros web page says they can "print" numbers sequentially for farmers, but I don't know about incrementally in "5's" for yachties.

 

So hopefully the warps are fairly idiot proof for inexperienced crews in knowing how much is "OUT".

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If you are handling the by hand the cable ties when cut off short with a few mm sticking out can slice your hands, I recommend cutting them flush or leaving them uncut. :thumbup:

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Below Par's idea sounds pretty cool, and even cheaper than your felt tip KM ! What are your thoughts /experiences ? :D

 

Ha, I beat BP to that if you read well ;)

Can work bloody well but equally can cause the odd issue in winches, hence the make sure no lose ends hanging out comment. Many use that and get away with it drama free BUT it's far from unheard of for them to drop out and cause total confusion as people get so tied up (literally and fugitively) in their anchor rode they can't work without a mark.

 

And a felt pen is still cheaper, if only just. not crash hot on chain though.

 

Ear tags = no if going thru a gypsy, just rip them clean off or you have the wrong chain/gypsy match if it doesn't. On a capstan, yeah why knot have a crack.

 

Paint is about the easiest way really. If I was ever in the lucky position to have a boat large enough my anchor Wench had to be replaced with a anchor winch I think I'd probably do the following.

 

Get a marking system that could work from both ends. Doesn't mean marking 1 then 2 from each end just one that is understandable to work from either end. This is to allow for end-for-ending the chain at some stage*. Then ech prime well the spots I wanted the mark on. Then use a spray can of paint, probably just something like Dazzle over that ech primer. Then as it wears I'd respray as required. It wouldn't be that hard to do that during annual anti-foul or even flacking out on newspaper on the deck.

 

Or I could save that time but at the cost of a chain counter.

 

* - we constantly get anchor rodes in here marked up to varying degrees of good, that need re splicing or some work. 8 out of ten times by the time it leaves the marks are well out of the 10mt mark is now the 8mt mark. When mentioned to Mr or Mrs Punter the comment 'Oh that doesn't matter I don't really use them anyway' is very very commonly heard.

 

And I totally agree with Rigger, the little left over ends of cable ties will nail wet or soft hands way too well. Bastard things they are. Also it's reasonably common for say 1 of the 3 marking the 30mts to fall/chop/wear off and then when you think Mum's dropped out 30mts, she has actually got confused and dropped 20 or 40 or you are called, with tone, to the bow to 'sort out this bloody shambles!'.

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Glad my felt pen is self-levelling :)

 

Chatting to my 2IC this evening, Mr Spot, and he reminded me to tell 'all the dickheads with a auto anchor winches knot operated from the bow' to mark the last 1 or 2 mts of the chain well. That way when you are pulling all the gear in you'll know when the anchor is about to bed home and rip the fecking bow roller clean off your deck. Don't laugh, it's becoming more common that you would expect, as is cleats being torn out. Think bolts people, knot screws.

 

Or you could use the well marked last metre or so to know when to slow the feck down, bed the anchor softer and actually try to be nice to the gear you have spent thousands of dollar on.

 

I knew I didn't pay him just for the pleasure of his pretty eyes :thumbup:

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Wow, I started by asking about anchor chain , and learned how to de fuse those bloody cable ties that hide in the dark waiting for me - thanks guys.

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Let it down by hand. You get a couple of good measures on the way out as the anchor touches bottom and then when the last of the chain touches bottom. Then count the rest out hand by hand. Ideal to know how long your chain is of course.

 

Re: cleats, we had our starboard pushpit flattened in a collision a couple of weeks ago. The corner stanchion was torn free of the deck. On closer inspection, the two bolts failed under tension without damaging the deck.

 

Got the team together one evening, massaged the thing roughly into uprightness, bolted the stanchion back in, ready to go sailing again.

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Wow this is getting serious now.. :wink: i had never thought about getting caught up in the winch, so i left all the rope ends long - like a good 5cm. The logic being its easier to see. Ignorance is bliss i suppose, and untill it breaks it doesnt need fixing. :thumbup:

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Wow, I started by asking about anchor chain , and learned how to de fuse those bloody cable ties that hide in the dark waiting for me - thanks guys.

 

Next will be how to grope the hot foredeck gear and get away with by telling them you over balanced and just grabbed the closest hand hold out of instinct :)

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For warps, I use a "PAINT" pen => better than felt.

 

I have done a little rock/alpine climbing in the past and would be dubious about applying any chemicals not specifically designed for the purpose (eg paint or marker pen) to warps as I'd be concerned about the potential for them to damage/weaken the line. We climbers are an anal bunch when it comes to our ropes, oddly enough. :eh:

 

There is one product that i know of specifically designed for climbing ropes (so should be safe as houses) but have never actually used it. Unfortunately only in black and probably not the cheapest option. Should be obtainable through outdoors shops selling climbing gear.

 

See bottom of page at

http://www.bealplanet.com/portail-2006/ ... ce&lang=us

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Good point Nev, don't put harsh nasty on your ropes.

 

We do have a purpose made rope coat paint sort of stuff though. Water based so no rope damage at all yet doesn't come off once dry. Knot the cheapest but then you only need sweet feck all.

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BTW rock climbing types make great crew, their ropework/knots are superb, and they think a wet dark smelly sailboat is the height of luxury.

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I know of a 12 metre Naiad that got a winch powered anchor imbedded in the suddenly flaccid bag. :shock:

Only a few thousand for new outer and one inner. :thumbdown:

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