Marking your rode.

[Ross]

I have often wondered how others mark length on their anchor rodes. I know the length of my chain (30feet) so I have applied one band of service on the nylon at the 30 foot point and 2 bands at the 60 foot point and three at 90. Then I applied 2 bands spaced about 3 inches, the next was 1 band a space and 2 bands, etc. In this way I can know by feel how much line I have out when I anchor.

 

[caguy]

I Fathom that they are marked every 30',

as are mine with color coded plastic flags (1/2"x2" that have the number of feet on them. Frank

 

[r.w.landau]

I use double braid Nylon as the rode and mark

with a magic marker. Every ten feet gets a black mark all the way around the line. Twenty feet has two marks thirty has three. I also mark the 5' increment with the correct number of blacks followed with a red mark.The mark closest to the anchor is the actual length.I have to redo the marks every two years but I just normally change out the anchor rode at that point. (only about 50' with heavy use, see below.)I have 20' to 40' of chain depending on the anchor I am using. ( If I am fishing I actually have a 4# bruce w/ 10' of chain that holds nicely in light air and is about 1/6th the weight of the main anchor.Saves the back!)My hanks of rode are 50' long so if I am using two or three hanks I just do the math.r.w.landau

 

[Roger (Ninette Manitoba)]

According to Chapman Piloting

rode may be marked in a variety of ways including plastic cable markers every 25 feet, although traditionally strips of leather, bits of cotton or flannel cloth, and pieces of marline with knots have the advantage of being able to be 'read' by feel. Chappys also states that another practical method is to paint wide and narrow bands of a red vinyl liquid called Whip-End Dip at significant points. On chain, white links at intervals may also be used.On my own twisted nylon rode, I insert plastic dymo type tape strips with the actual length in feet every six feet, starting a the 12 foot mark from the far end of the anchor. I therefore can also use it as a depth guage when determining scope.

 

[Ross]

I rather like the ability to know the intervals

by touch. Ink doesn't have much in the way of tactile character.

 

[higgs]

Like Ross

I like touch and use wire ties every 20 ft.

 

[ed]

lots of good ideas here, but

using a solid material like a tie wrap can induce chafe and wear, so i cut that out and use the permanant marker too.

 

[Ross]

Ed. A length of marline wrapped around the rode

as a whipping will certainly not add any chafe. Service has been added to line for centuries to ward off chafe.

 

[higgs]

Ed

I never thought of the wear issue- you make an excellent point, but I wonder just how must chafe it could cause?

 

[Stu Jackson]

color coded plastic flags like Frank's

but they're only every 30 feet. 30 feet of chain, then a 60, 90 and 120 mark on the rode.I find no reason to need anymore markings than those, since I can pretty much figure out that half of 30 feet is fifteen feet, etc. Seems to me any more markings are overkill.As to nighttime, feely stuff, I thought about that, but we have a deck light and we also have a miner's lamp. Plus I can feel the marks as they go out. We know the depth we're going to anchor in, and seven times that is what we put out, pretty easy, usually between 90 and 120 feet.

 

[Warren Milberg]

I, too, know the length of my chain leader

and mark the rest of my braided rode by sewing a short piece of whipping line through the rode, and knot it on each side. I sew one at 50 ft, 2 at 75, and 3 at 100 ft. I know I only have 50 ft left in my 150 ft rode. This job takes about 20 min to complete -- and you only need do it once. As others have mentioned, it makes it easy to "feel" how much rode is out and it doesn't wear out like plastic line markers.

 

[Malcolm Young]

Colour coded plastic wire ties and memory aid

I use coloured plastic wire ties arranged in spectrum sequence. I got the idea of using wire ties from this board a couple of years ago. I added in the colour coding sequence.I was taught a good way to remember the colour spectrum in about grade 5 - the memory aid is ROY G BIV which sounds like a name but is a acronym standing for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, I have forgotten a lot more than I care to remember but I have never forgoten that.The way I use it is as follows:Red - 50 feet - I have 40 feet of chain and I always like to put out 7 to 1 particularly in shallow water - with a bow height of close to 4' that will anchor me in 6 feet of water.Orange - 75'Yellow 100'Green 125'Blue 150'Purple 175' (couldn't find Indigo or VioletWhite 200' - I ran out of other coloursBlack 225'The rode is 240' longChafeI don't find any chafe with the plastic wire ties - what are they going to chafe against? The chain is on the bottom perhaps along with some of the nylon line - however if the nylon line is on the bottom, the vessel is exerting virtually no pull - you have to have a rubbing action to chafe. That rubbing action could come from the anchor windlass, however I must admit that I usually don't use my rope/chain windlass until I get to the chain. I kind of like pulling in the rode (except when it is blowing hard). In strong winds when I have used the rope part of the rode on the winch I haven't noticed any chafe.After darkAs has been said - after dark the wire ties can be felt - and I just remember the colour sequence to determine the amount of rode to let out.GlovesOriginally I thought the ties might be hard on the hands releasing or pulling in, however I have not found this although I take some care. Originally, I used leather gloves but now I only use them if it is blowing hard.Another thoughtAs 7 to 1 is a good rule of thumb for anchor rode released vs depth + bow height - it would make sense to space the wire ties 35' apart - thus a tie at 70' would mean optimum for anchoring with your bow chock 10' above the bottom and so on - it is something I will think about in the future.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Ross, we have 50 feet of chain on our boat...

with 250 feet of original 5/8th inch rope. On the rope portion we have a short piece of green plastic tape that I weaved into the three strand every 30 feet. The first tape has the number 30 imprinted, the second has 60, and so on. Over 180 feet the tape color changes to red. TerryP.S. Since most of our anchorages have mud bottoms, some pretty stinky, I always use heavy duty rubber gloves to help protect my hands from abrasion and foul smelling mud when I haul up the anchor.

 

[Ross]

Malcolm the nemonic we learned in the Air Force

for remembering the color code on resisters;bad boys rape our young girls but violet goes willing.0-black1-brown2-red3-orange4-yellow5-green6-blue7-violet8-grey9-white10% silver5%gold;D

 

[Malcolm Young]

Ross

I can't imagine Miss Parker teaching us that one :-0At one time I did know the colour bands for resistors - it is one of the memories that has decayed. The benefit of your mneomonic is that it would cover over 300' of anchor rode. The problem is finding cable ties those colours.

 

[Ross]

Malcolm, If you are really fanatical about it

you can use "Rit Dyes" and white nylon masons twine and color up a whole set. :{

 

[Nice N Easy]

Marking the rode

I know that I am one of those who always does things the simplest way. Or the easiest or cheapest. But I fail to see any reason for marking the anchor rode every ten feet, or every twenty feet for that matter. My normal anchoring depth is 10 to 12 feet. So I have a wire tie at 50 and 100 feet. Normally I just let out 100 feet. For a short lunch stop will use 50'. But at night I like to sleep soundly, and not have to worry about dragging. You can have too little anchor rode, but it is kind of hard to have too much. As long as I have swinging room, I just use 100' of rode, and sleep very well. This practice has served me well, and I have never had a problem dragging.