Painting anchor rode markings

[Dean Abramson]

What is the best type of spray paint to use to make length markings on an anchor rode?

We have 100 feet of galvanized chain and 150 ft. of nylon plait. I want to mark at 50' intervals, so one or two marks will be on the chain, and two or three will be on the line.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what will stay put? I'd prefer to use the same paint on the chain and the rope; but I'd do them differently if the same paint won't stick well to both.

I will be using just one color, either black or red. if one color is more permanent than another, please let me know.

Any input would be most appreciated.

[mgphl52]

Since I only use 30 feet of chain, I found these to work fine with my 8-plait rode.
https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?n ... id=5565534

[bottomscraper]

I used rattle can Rust-Oleum red and yellow on the chain. I have no idea how paint reacts with Nylon. The spray paints typically have some rather strong thinners.

[Tod Mills]

Realistically, how often do you anchor with less than all of the chain out? The boat has roughly 4'-6" from the anchor roller to the water, so in just 10' of water, that is a rise of 14'-6". With all 100' of chain out, you would have a scope of 100/14.5 = 6.9:1.

7:1 is a common recommended scope, although in mild conditions people frequently try for less in a crowded anchorage.

In designing my rode, I followed the advice of a guy with more experience than myself, for a smallish boat that is somewhat weight sensitive: rather than an all chain rode, enough chain rode that the chain is fully deployed under normal anchoring conditions, then the nylon after it can serve as the snubber so that a separate snubber is not needed. For my boat that worked out to about 90' of chain plus the balance nylon. It would be very rare for me to have such a short scope and shallow anchorage that I would need a separate snubber.

Once I followed that, I realized that there really wasn't much point in marking the chain part of the rode. If I did ever want to mark the chain, Defender sells these little colored plastic things that snap in the inside of a link. I guess it is pretty rare for people to lose them, too. Then there are the tags that mgphl52 mentioned for the nylon part.

[bottomscraper]

Realistically, how often do you anchor with less than all of the chain out?

Since our primary anchor is on all chain, 99% of the time! I do agree that markings at less than 100ft are probably unnecessary. I usually set the anchor at about 4:1 scope and then put out some more after it is set. Marks also come in handy when hauling the chain up. FWIW our chain is marked at 25ft increments.

[John Stone]

We carry all chain. The standard scope for all chain is 3:1. make allowances for tide. We go 5:1 or more if we have room in a big blow. You have an obligation to not have excessive scope out if there are other boats nearby with less. Thoughtful experienced sailors ask what their neighbors have for scope to ensure boats don’t make contact when the tide changes.

We mark our chain by sewing sewing short tabs of nylon webbing right to the links. Passes right through the cat. In six years and mostly anchoring not one has ever come off. We use one tab at 5 fathoms and two at ten and so on and so forth till we get half way down the chain. Then we reverse the number of tabs out to the opposite end but add a black stripe. We can flip the chain end for end and thus we have the same marking marking protocol on either end.

[bottomscraper]

The standard scope for all chain is 3:1

Whose standard?

[John Stone]

The standard scope for all chain is 3:1

Whose standard?

That’s a fair question Rich. That’s what I was taught as a kid. That’s what I have always read. Let’s look it up and see what the pros from Dover have to say.

But...of course it always depends right. The type of bottom, the boat, the anchor, the wx, local practices, etc. And every skipper is expected to take appropriate action to protect the crew and the ship, so he lays out as much as “necessary.”. So sure, many caveats. And, we all know that.

But, what I have observed throughout my sailing life is most people don’t understand how to set their anchor and then to compensate veer out far to much scope. Then they have fouled the anchorage for anyone else near by. I’ve seen people come in and between boats drop their hook and put out 7 or even 10:1 jump in their dinghy and head ashore without another thought. The rest of us are up all night fending off his boat. It’s ridiculous.

When I get home I’ll take a look at some references. I’ll report back.

[Tod Mills]

FWIW, from the Rocna knowledge base:

"Scope ratios
A 3:1 ratio of rode-length to water-depth should be considered minimal ("1" being the vertical distance from the seabed to the bow roller, not the waterline, at high tide). Generally speaking about 5:1 is appropriate. Typically you should set the anchor at the same scope it will be left at, in order to be sure the anchor can re-set itself again should it pull out. However, it may be necessary to set it at a higher scope and then pull in some of the rode.

In bad conditions, the ratio can be increased up to around 8:1. There is little benefit in going beyond this point, and boaters using scopes of 10:1 and higher are gaining almost nothing from their efforts and huge swinging circles. At 8:1, the maximum angle of pull on the anchor is already capped at just over 7°, and of course the scope must be doubled in order to halve the angle (i.e, even very large increases in the scope result in angle reductions of only several degrees). Considering the desire to lower the angle against the practical problem of longer rodes and increased swinging circles, 8:1 is roughly the 'sweet spot'."

http://kb.rocna.com/kb/Scope_vs_catenary

And then from West Marine:

"Scope is defined as a ratio of the length of an anchor rode from the bit to the anchor shackle and the depth of the water under the the bow of the boat measured from deck height. Most anchoring texts and anchor manufacturers agree that a scope of 7:1 achieves the anchor's designed holding power, and more scope is better than less. In theory, 7:1 scope is great, but at a crowded anchorage most cruisers scoff at the idea of paying out more than 3:1 or 4:1; there just isn't that much space for boats to swing. When an anchor is securely set you can consider shortening scope in a crowded anchorage."

https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/ ... r-Securely

The catenary of an all chain rode really only has much effect in light conditions and in a deep anchorage.

[Tod Mills]

....and a little more discussion, from Rod Collins of Compass Marine (see page 2 for the quote):
"There is nothing wrong with more scope but just be sure you have the swing room to do it. As you continue on out in rode length the changes in angle become smaller and smaller and this is why 7:1 is the generally advised scope for anchoring when you need good holding power. In tighter places a 5:1 or 4:1 can work but the angle on the anchor shank clearly becomes more upright the shorter you go with scope."
https://pbase.com/mainecruising/anchor_scope&page=1

Then Boat US Foundation:
"Before leaving the dock, you will need to determine how much anchor line, or "rode", you will need. It is recommended that you use a scope of 7:1, meaning that for every foot of water depth, you should use 7 feet of rode. [note that their diagram shows "water depth" to include the vertical distance from the water surface to the connection on the boat]
For example, to anchor in 10 feet of water, you would pay out 70 feet of line. Measure the scope as the ratio of the length of the anchor rode to the height of the bow above the bottom. If you're using a lightweight anchor on a small boat in good weather conditions, a shorter scope of 5:1 is sufficient and safe. A prudent boater always has extra line and chain on hand, just in case."
https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/navi ... anchoring/

And then from Soundings:
"Minimum scope is a ratio of 3:1, or 3 feet of anchor rode to 1 foot of water depth (plus freeboard) for the most benign conditions. A 5:1 ratio is better if swinging room allows it. A ratio of 7:1 is ideal to achieve maximum holding power."
https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/ ... -anchoring

Many people anchor with too little rode out and end up dragging if conditions pick up during the night. That's why it is good to be early into the anchorage so you can set your anchor with proper scope for the situation. It could be that with too short of scope a few more boats could squeeze in, but if chaos ensues in the middle of the night, the savings is more than lost, for everyone.

[John Stone]

Good grief. All Dean was asking was best way for painting anchor chain.... Serious thread drift.

I don’t use recommendations of anchor manufacturers or chandleries or electricians, no matter how useful their website. That’s not to say others shouldn’t. But that frames my perspective. I listen to experienced seaman...voyagers. I got home and took a quick tour through my library. Don Street, Hal Roth, Pardeys, Tom Colvin, Chapman’s, Alain Gree. All experts and live aboard long range voyagers...except for Chapman’s. Don’t have time for in-depth research. But the views ran from 3:1 to 5:1 for all chain depending on the conditions. More as the wind rises. As we would all expect. Nothing new there.

So I might revise how I said what I said. The min standard is 3:1 for chain. More as conditions deteriorate or other factors dictate. I would also add for me, scope always infers from the waterline to the bottom. Never to the bow roller.

It occurs to me that scope recommendations have increased over the years. Perhaps that’s due to boats getting bigger with considerably more windage due to increased beam, bigger dodgers, cabins, arches, solar panels etc. Most boats are not so slim anymore. It’s one reason I don’t want that stuff on my boat. It increases windage and contributes to poor handling under sail, and under power too, when maneuvering in tight quarters.

My apologies Dean for the drift. Good luck with marking your chain.

[mgphl52]

Good grief. All Dean was asking was best way for painting anchor chain.... Serious thread drift.

I agree with you! Just glad it didn't drift into loose-foot/free-wheeling territory...