Marking anchor rode

Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
Looking for the best way to mark anchor rodes as to feet paid out. Could mark it by water depth; but that requires too much thought for cases of other than 7:1 scope. Could mark it by rode length; but again there’s maths involved (though not much if you have a good marking system).

BTW I have no proper windlass, only a standard (vertical) self-tailing winch on the foredeck; so the ‘option’ of just letting out rode till the next 30-ft marker might mean up to 25 ft more rode to haul in hand-over-hand.

My big question is: how does one make custom markers that don’t wash or fade away too soon? The commercially-available preprinted ones come in only 30-ft increments, or about 4-5 ft of water depth, which is way too wide for my sailing areas. I’d like to have them marked at more like 15-ft increments; and I don’t need any over 210 ft like the kits come.

How’s everyone else solved this matter?

Thanks, all.
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
Our previous boat had 20' of chain that the 3 braid rode was shackled to. I didn't start marking the rode until 100 feet, figuring that I'd never drop the hook in less than 10 of low tide water that would be close to 20 at high tide. That gave me a minimum of 5:1 scope. Then depending on circumstances I'd pay out more. The rode was marked with day glow orange reinforced survey tape. Sharpie and hole punches gave you the rode length in 10 ft increments.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I have used shot pieces of 1" wide webbing woven thru the anchor rode. One color at 25', another at 35'etc.
Have lasted for years, Bob
This is also what I’ve done. I took a red tow strap and cut it into 3” strips and singed the ends with a bic. Opened up the weave on my rode by back winding it and slid the webbing in (through) every 10”.

I tried a sharpie but you can feel the webbing pay out so if you are in a fog or the dark you can keep track with your hands.
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I have marked mine with colored zip ties coded to RYBWG at 25 foot intervals (about the length of my chain) then Colored Tape at 25 foot increments woven through the rope portion of the rode (again RYBWG) Read Your Book With Glasses. I can estimate between the markings close enough for government work. The last 6 feet of chain is painted a bright RED to make sure I don't pay out too much on the anchor windlass.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I have SS chain and windlass, but your marking issue is similar to mine. No real good way to mark the chain rode. But like others mention I have used zip ties to the chain links, which last a while and will pass through the windlass without fouling. Not so easy to see at night, however. But neither is faded, chipped paint, etc. The three-strand nylon part I use the store-bought markers at 30-ft intervals.

That said, if using the same cruising areas you don’t need the rode marked off in regular increments. Like sailme88 above, my first zip-tie mark is at 100 ft of chain out. The next “mark” is the rope-chain splice @ 160 ft of chain out. After that it’s the WM 3-strand colored markers. You can could use ‘em too, just know to divide by 2 or 3. Not much math there. Thus, at the “30 ft marker” you read 10 ft, the “60 ft marker” you read 20 ft, of rode out, etc.
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
The first segment of rode on our boat has 50' of chain and 150' of three strand nylon. Repurposed a length of orange nylon cord found on the road awhile ago by cutting short lengths (six inches) and weaving them into the three strand nylon every thirty feet. By weaving I mean to do one wrap around one of the strands leaving a short pigtail on each end as a visible marker; one at thirty feet, two at sixty feet and so forth. The three strand locks these soft cord pieces in place and have been there for several years. Dislike using zip ties or paint due to the short useful life. Over time zip ties tend to harden and break off and the paint just wears off.

After I drop the anchor and chain, I'll let out two or more 30' lengths of rope depending upon conditions. Once set, I clip on a twenty pound kellet to the rope and let it slide down about half way to help with catenary. These markers slide right through the roller and windlass without interference.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Some company makes plastic bits that go into the chain like the stud in stud link chain. They worked great in 3/8" chain, but not so much on 1/2". We just paint and that works great for us, and when chartering we anchor several times a day. It does wear off on the outside, but remains on the inside of the links, for a season.
Our first mark is at 50' the every 25' until the end of the chain, which is all kinds of colors for the last 50'. I figure if we're there, the chain's moving pretty quickly and need time to stop it before we get to the Dyneema safety line.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I didn't start marking the rode until 100 feet, figuring that I'd never drop the hook in less than 10 of low tide water that would be close to 20 at high tide.
Makes absolute sense. What I do.

I have marked mine with colored zip ties coded to RYBWG at 25 foot intervals
Makes little sense given the reply above.

Zip ties.

And after a while, you learn to "spot" the angle your rode makes with the water when you back down on your anchor when you're first setting it.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,881
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Makes absolute sense. What I do.

smokey73 said:
I have marked mine with colored zip ties coded to RYBWG at 25 foot intervals

Makes little sense given the reply above.
It makes sense when the admiral is retrieving the anchor with the electric windlass. I tell here the depth and, based on that, about what color she should see when the anchor clears the bottom so I can start backing down away from being carried into shallow water by the current or wind. Just makes for better communiction between the helm and the admiral manning the anchor at retrieval.
 
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Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
It makes sense when the admiral is retrieving the anchor with the electric windlass
I must be doing something wrong. My Admiral has the helm while I retrieve the anchor, wash the rode and chain and cat the anchor. Must be a hold over from pre-windlass days.
I don’t mark my rode, just go by the angle while setting the anchor.
 
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Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
I'm currently using zip ties on 3-strand nylon, but I like the softer cord that @Terry Cox wrote about. I don't start marking until the minimum that I will possibly anchor out, about 100'. I've marked every 50' with a red-white-blue pattern, always putting on two ties at least as they do fail or get chewed by the windless. I figure I can't forget the pattern, but even then I printed the measurement out and taped it to the inside of the chain locker! Since I've got four foot from water to roller, that's 10 foot minimum depth for 7:1 scope, and maximum anchorage of about 30'.
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Chain or line? Zip ties for the chain and I used red whipping thread on my line. Single bar is 25ft increments, double bar is 100.
 
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PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
We took short lengths of bright colored (NEON PINK!) dinghy line and sewed it into our rode at twenty foot spaces. You have to keep count as it goes out, but even if you lose count you can round up and not worry about being on short scope.
 
Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
Zip ties. Uncut.

First 25 red
Second 25 white
Third 25 blue
100' red white and blue
Then start over again

I found that keeping the zip a little loose on the chain link preserved them longer. It think they can move away from the gypsy easier.

I would like to replace the plastic with something better but haven't come up with anything
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Could someone please explain how marking every 25 feet actually helps?

If you anchor in 20 feet, and have 5 feet from your bow to the water, that's 25 feet, so 100 feet of combined rode deployed is 100 / 25 = 4:1. What do the extra 25 foot markers between the anchor and the first 100 feet do for you?
 
Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
Could someone please explain how marking every 25 feet actually helps?
I think it all depends on the size of your boat and water depth. I have a 22 foot boat drawing 2.6 feet and have anchored on non tidal lakes at 3 feet many times as some of the shoals are long and unchanging. I generally go with 5 or 7 to one as I learned anchoring technique in a much larger ocean going vessel and that is what we did to allow for tidal changes. On large boats with all chain rode. Paint the chain at intervals that work with your anchoring style and preference. Zip ties could be tough on the hands if not using a windlass.

Here is what I use and it works just fine. 5 years and none of the marks have moved, worn out, or loosened. I suspect my rode will rot before these vinal things go away. Picked them up on clearance for a few bucks one year because i did not have time to make my own.


IMG_8571.JPEG
Anchored for overnight stay in 3.5 feet of water on a sand shoal which stretched for 3/4 or a mile or more. Depth was constant until about 10 yards from shore. We were not closer due to bugs from the shore and we could see the bottom the whole way. Stepped off the boarding ladder into waist deep water. My marks start at 30 feet (total length) as I cary 22 feet of chain which depending on the expected weather and storms I may not count in setting the hook.
 
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