Rode markings - What

What do you use to mark your anchor rode and what kind of marking?

RE: Rode markings?

I have the colored and marked tabs that are woven into and stick out of the strands of the rode. The ones they sell at West Marine for that purpose.

RE: Rode markings?

colored zip ties.

cheap and easy to replace when worn or broken

RE: Rode markings?

I have an all-chain rode and use colored zip ties as well.* I keep it simple.* I use blue for every 25 feet.* I use one yellow tie at 100 feet, two yellow ties*at 200 feet, and three yellow ties*at 300 feet.* Easily replaced as they wear out.* I also know that my windlass "powers out" chain at the rate of 25 feet every 15 seconds; one minute per one hundred feet.

RE: Rode markings?

My main is all chain and I have a red spray paint section at 50 feet, another at 100 feet. I don't need any other markings.

My secondary is line and I have those plastic marker tabs*woven into the strands.

*

Rode markings?

glennwhiskey wrote:
What do you use to mark your anchor rode and what kind of marking?

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We have all-chain rode.* We used paint originally but it was too much of a bother to remember the color code and the paint flaked off and got scuffed and muddy*and became harder and harder to see.*

After talking to a few people we know with all-chain rode and who do a lot of anchoring we adopted their system which is to put a white wire tie on a link every ten feet.* We don't clip the wire tie tails*so they are very obvious as the chain is going out or coming in.* So if we want 110 feet of rode out we simply count out 11 wire ties.* If we think we need to remember how much rode we have out we write "11" with a*Sharpie*on a sticky note and stick it on*the steering cable chase in front of the helm.* If a wire tie tail*breaks off--- haven't had that happen yet but I know we will--- the clamp end will still be around the chain so we'll just stick on another wire tie.

And while we have yet to deploy the anchor in the dark, our friends tell us that it's easy to tell how much rode is going out even in pitch darkness by placing the palm of your hand on the chain as it comes off the windlass and feeling and counting*the wire ties as they go out.

We like this system a lot but there are other equally effective ways of marking a rode.* It all depends on which one strikes your fancy.


-- Edited by Marin on Monday 23rd of January 2012 07:33:35 PM

Rode markings?

I'm currently contemplating how to mark the Coot's chain rode.* Wire ties sound promising although marking every ten feet sounds a bit anal and twenty feet sounds about right.* When the sun's down, expect to use spot light to enlighten.


-- Edited by markpierce on Monday 23rd of January 2012 07:59:37 PM

RE: Rode markings?

Painted chain at 25' marks, but have not used them since we installed a chain counter. This is one of the best installs on the boat with a fully automatic up/down to a programed depth if wanted.*

RE: Rode markings?

markpierce wrote:
Wire ties sound promising although marking every ten feet sounds a bit anal...

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*As it was explained to us, a tie every ten feet is not because we're that critical about exact measurements, it's because it's really, really easy to do the math with 10 instead of 20 or 30 or*whatever.* You want eighty feet out, eight ties.* You want 150 feet out, fifteen ties.* Otherwise you have to start dividing by twenty or thirty or whatever interval you choose.

So a tie every ten feet isn't anal, it's lazy

RE: Rode markings?

Okie dokie, Marin.* Still, multiplying is easy.

RE: Rode markings?

glennwhiskey wrote:
What do you use to mark your anchor rode and what kind of marking?

Click to expand...

I use enamel spray florescent paint. I used 1" blue masking tape and aluminum foil to protect from overspray. Two rounds an inch apart, paint and removed tape. Every 25'. At 50', two rings (tape three rounds), 75 then 100 for me was plenty.

RE: Rode markings?

Marin wrote:
And while we have yet to deploy the anchor in the dark, our friends tell us that it's easy to tell how much rode is going out even in pitch darkness by placing the palm of your hand on the chain as it comes off the windlass and feeling and counting*the wire ties as they go out.

Click to expand...

*Knowing me, my hand/fingers would get caught up in the windlass mechanism, to my painful*loss.* No, I'll use spotlight or flashlight instead.

RE: Rode markings?

I I have one zip tie @ 50', 2@ 75', 3@100', it is an all chain rode with a Delta 45.
Most of my anchoring is done in less that 12' depth.
Steve W.

RE: Rode markings?

markpierce wrote:
Okie dokie, Marin.* Still, multiplying is easy.

Click to expand...

*Right,, but you don't want to be multiplying, you want to be dividing.* So first you have to figure out the square root of your anchoring depth and then divide that by 4.356 times the total length of your rode and then count out that many*35 link sections of chain, adding an extra link every three sections.* Then you'll* know exactly how much rode you have out.

Or you can divide by ten

RE: Rode markings?

Lofrans Tigres 1000 windlass lets my chain down at 1'/sec. Also 1'/rev of the gypsy. Just have to keep track of the time.

RE: Rode markings?

Marin wrote:markpierce wrote:
Okie dokie, Marin.* Still, multiplying is easy.

Click to expand...

*Right,, but you don't want to be multiplying, you want to be dividing.* So first you have to figure out the square root of your anchoring depth and then divide that by 4.356 times the total length of your rode and then count out that many*35 link sections of chain, adding an extra link every three sections.* Then you'll* know exactly how much rode you have out.

Or you can divide by ten

*Won't admit I "gotchya."**Right?* But that's OK.*

(Marin 10, Mark 3)

Rode markings?

Marin wrote:markpierce wrote:
Okie dokie, Marin.* Still, multiplying is easy.

Click to expand...

*Right,, but you don't want to be multiplying, you want to be dividing.* So first you have to figure out the square root of your anchoring depth and then divide that by 4.356 times the total length of your rode and then count out that many*35 link sections of chain, adding an extra link every three sections.* Then you'll* know exactly how much rode you have out.

Or you can divide by ten

*Hmmmmm???* * :frustrated:

Way too complicated for my simple mind!

I look at the water depth and add 5 ft for the bow pulpit height.* 20 ft of water + 5 ft = 25 ft times 3 or 5 or 7 for the conditions gives me my desired rode length.

My chain rode is 120 ft, marked every 30 feet with white long wire ties...1 at 30 ft, 2 at 60 ft and 3 at 90 ft.* My rope rode starting at 120 ft and continuing to 350 is marked with West Marine markers every 30 ft.* All markers are easy to see day or night.*

If I know I need 125 ft of rode, I let out all the chain and tie off on the rope.* If I need 200 ft, all the chain and tie off at the third color on the rope.* Easy and close enough!


-- Edited by FlyWright on Monday 23rd of January 2012 11:25:18 PM

Rode markings?

When I have had an all chain rode, the wire ties didn't last very long because the wildcat would eventually cut them off.* Painted chain was what I went with most of the time, but required annual remarking.*

At one time, I had a galvanized chain rode using (2) 50' lengths and a 100' length.* Intentionally placed the two shorter lengths nearer the anchor and connected them with SS shackles.* Very noticeable.

Current boat has 300' SS cable rode.* For marking, I insert a brightly colored nylon string under one of the strands.* This doesn't cut like a wire tie.

Any white is 25', any blue is 50', any red is 100'.* Marked every 25'.

Another way to estimate rode deployed with a wire rode, is to be knowledgable of how many feet on in a wrap of wire on the drum.* This works good, but can become confusing because every wrap has a different length.**Colored string is better.


-- Edited by Jay N on Monday 23rd of January 2012 11:30:54 PM

Rode markings?

Jay N wrote:
When I have had an all chain rode, the wire ties didn't last very long because the wildcat would eventually cut them off.*

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I can see how that could happen.* When we put the ties on our rode we fastened all of them to the*upper bar of links that are vertical in the wildcat and we keep the chain oriented that way.* So the ties actually never come in contact with the wildcat. Where the tails can come off eventually is in the pile of chain in the locker if one gets pinched between other parts of the chain and then gets snapped off when the link it's attached to is hauled up by the windlass.


-- Edited by Marin on Tuesday 24th of January 2012 12:04:14 AM

RE: Rode markings?

For 17 years I have been painting about a meter of my chain every 10 mts (30 ft) Yellow, then red then blue and then repeat it again.
The paint only lasts about 12 months and after that it gets a bit difficult especially in the dark.
My next job is to install a chain counter and do away with all this old tech stuff.

RE: Rode markings?

I'm with Rochepoint and Benn. I bought a ~ $200 chain counter from Cruzpro, (yeah, another NZ co, but you can order them on line and they'll post it), and I installed it myself. Not a fancy auto in & out like Rochpont's but hey, it works, and it was satisfying to install, and I love it.* No more mucking about with ties, paint which wears off, or getting the count wrong because someone said something (loud) at the wrong time.* It also obviates the need for risky business getting her down or up at night. Just one tip. The magnets they supply die early - too puny, but you can get 10 x 10mm replacement magnets easy on line, and they do the job extremely well, just needs a bigger hole drilled in the side of the gypsy.* Oh, and yeah, there is a minimum order of ~ $15, so I've got enough spares to supply anyone who wants one - works out at ~ $1 each - beats the $50 they want for the 'replacement' magnet.

C'mon guys, get with the progress - it's easy - if I, a simple quack can fit one..... ok....watch it....on the other hand wasn't it a doc who built that beautiful riverboat...?

http://www.cruzpro.com/products.html#HEADINGB

RE: Rode markings?

Had to remove/retire the rode counter that was installed by the PO.* The problem is that with a cable rode, you have to keep sufficient pressure on the roller sensor to keep the count accurate.* This was difficult to do, unless you could*afford the time to lower the anchor very, very*slowly.

Would probably have worked ok with a chain rode, but annual painting is a lot cheaper.* And it forces you to draw and inspect the entire rode every year.

RE: Rode markings?

I use a slight variation on the theme... I have an all chain rode, and I paint the markings. But I use the roman numeral system AND space the markings at the point where the amount of chain out is for a 4:1 scope. This way, I look at the depthsounder, and if it reads 4m, then I put out enough chain for the 4m marking. No mental arithmetic needed here. Of course, the 4:1 scope is a starting point. I can always reduce or increase the amont based on the conditions of the day. But, 99% of the time, it works. There is a card at the ehlm that indicates the actual chain lengths at each mark if you really want to do the arithmetic.

The markings are white for an 'I' and red for a 'V'. So fo 3m depth, the markings are 3 splotches of white. (each splotch is about a foot long). For 4m depth, it is a white splotch followed by a red. For 5m depth, it is just a red splotch, and so on. I only have enough chain for 11m of depth at that scope so for 10m, it's two red splotches. Yes, the paint does wear off and I usually repaint it about every two years at the haul-out. But, enough stays on that you can easily see where you're at.

RE: Rode markings?

Tiny bright red nylon string about 6 inches long every 25 feet.....put it on 5 years ago, still works

RE: Rode markings?

Chain counter......

RE: Rode markings?

i use differnt colored tie wraps

RE: Rode markings?

We have 300', all chain and paint it, red, white and orange. The first and last mark are*30' in from the ends and*the rest are in 40' sections.* That way when we swap the chain around we are always starting with 30 feet at the anchor.* The paint markings are about 3 feet in length.** If I have to renew any of the paint, I do it on the deck in a plastic bag if we're not at a dock.* When anchoring at night, a flash light works for us.

RE: Rode markings?

Peter B wrote:
I'm with Rochepoint and Benn. I bought a ~ $200 chain counter from Cruzpro, (yeah, another NZ co, but you can order them on line and they'll post it), and I installed it myself. Not a fancy auto in & out like Rochpont's but hey, it works, and it was satisfying to install, and I love it.* No more mucking about with ties, paint which wears off, or getting the count wrong because someone said something (loud) at the wrong time.* It also obviates the need for risky business getting her down or up at night. Just one tip. The magnets they supply die early - too puny, but you can get 10 x 10mm replacement magnets easy on line, and they do the job extremely well, just needs a bigger hole drilled in the side of the gypsy.* Oh, and yeah, there is a minimum order of ~ $15, so I've got enough spares to supply anyone who wants one - works out at ~ $1 each - beats the $50 they want for the 'replacement' magnet.

C'mon guys, get with the progress - it's easy - if I, a simple quack can fit one..... ok....watch it....on the other hand wasn't it a doc who built that beautiful riverboat...?

http://www.cruzpro.com/products.html#HEADINGB

Click to expand...

*We also have a Cruz Pro chain counter with windlass controller, but on our summer cruise the magnet died - after 6 years. I then worked out that the windlass deploys 20m of chain per minute. It's surprising how useful 20m of chain is in*these waters. 2 minutes worth for fishing and 1'30" worth for overnight anchoring in 5 to 7m of water.

Peter: The replacement*magnet*and new sensors as a set (CH31 product code) were only $25.

RE: Rode markings?

Well Jeff, the quote for a replacement magnet, identical to the one that came with the counter, from a local chandlery was $50. However, I can accept from Cruzpro it might be cheaper, but what they did supply was info as to how to check the sensors were ok, and they were. So I just ordered some 1x1cm cylindrical magnets from a local supplier on line, which work much better, but just need a bigger hole in the gypsy. They are even ferrite, so don't rust like the supplied one in the kit. Oh and if your ever fails again, let me know and I'll post you one for a coupla bucks. I have about 12 spares, they were so cheap and the minimum on-line order was only $15, so worth it, but I'll never need so many spares.
Hey, what do you know about their battery condition monitors...?

Rode markings?

Hi Peter,

If I need another magnet, I'll be in touch. The old one was very hard to drill out, but didn't appear to be ferrous - no sign of rust but there was some white powdery corrosion. Couldn't be bothered checking out the senders - physically they were a bit knocked around anyway from the chain impacting them occasionally.

We also use a Cruzpro battery monitor VAH110. Has worked fine for several years. I like the large scale display so I can*read the amp hours from the saloon as well as the wheel house. I leave it set on amp hours remaining most of the time.

The BEP version (also pictured) is more sophisticated in that it can show charging current separately. The Cruzpro*is limited to*net current in/out.

I'd probably go for the BEP now. You can also hook up BEP tank senders (ultrasonic) to the same device.


-- Edited by Bendit on Thursday 9th of February 2012 03:35:15 PM