Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-18-2011, 07:18 PM   #1
Guru
 
Steve's Avatar
 
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
Labeling lines.

I keep a bunch of lines of varying lengths*coiled in a locker on the flying bridge. Most of them are 3/4" 3 strand, but of varying lengths.*It is hard to tell how long they are without pulling them out. Does anyone here use a way to label or mark them by length? If so please share.

Thanks. Steve W.
Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2011, 07:37 PM   #2
Guru
 
swampu's Avatar


 
City: Biloxi, MS
Vessel Name: Cajun Rose
Vessel Model: Biloxi Lugger
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,384
RE: Labeling lines.

No, but I use black thread on my fishing boat anchor to let me know how much I have out. Tuna fishing here requires sometime to be anchored in 200' of water and I tie a black thread every 50 or 100 foot to know what I have out.
swampu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2011, 08:02 PM   #3
Guru
 
bobofthenorth's Avatar
 
City: Cowichan Bay, BC
Vessel Name: Gray Hawk
Vessel Model: Defever 43 Offshore Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 570
RE: Labeling lines.

I haven't bothered to do it but it wouldn't be hard to whip the ends with some color code based on the length. I think whipping might be a dying art but its pretty easy to do, the hardest part would be finding the different colored whipping string.
bobofthenorth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2011, 08:53 PM   #4
Guru
 
HopCar's Avatar
 
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,299
RE: Labeling lines.

I second the idea of whipping the ends with different color twine. If you have trouble finding colored twine, let me know. We carry several colors in stock where I work.
HopCar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 03:17 AM   #5
FF
Guru
 
FF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
Labeling lines.

If you want to whip the ends , the best code does NOT need light.

One whipping for 15 ft , two for under 30 ft?

Or ????


-- Edited by FF on Wednesday 19th of October 2011 04:18:31 AM
FF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 04:59 AM   #6
Guru
 
jleonard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,034
RE: Labeling lines.

When I reach into my locker to pull out a line, if it's light I know it's a short one, if it's heavy I know it's a long one. If it's really heavy that's my spare anchor rode.

That's my system and I'm sticking to it!
jleonard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 06:13 AM   #7
Guru
 
rwidman's Avatar
 
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,869
RE: Labeling lines.

Quote:
FF wrote:
If you want to whip the ends , the best code does NOT need light.

One whipping for 15 ft , two for under 30 ft?

Or ????



-- Edited by FF on Wednesday 19th of October 2011 04:18:31 AM

Being a power boater and former electronic technician, I used heat shrink, not whipping, but that's what I did.* One piece for the shorter lines and two for the longer lines.

I used to do that with wires when I was working, but with a marker.* One line, two lines, three lines, etc.* Just for temporary marking.
*
rwidman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 08:05 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Great Laker's Avatar
 
City: Spring Lake, MI
Vessel Name: Great Laker
Vessel Model: American Tug 34
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 346
RE: Labeling lines.

I am using colored electrical tape wound tightly over the whipping. I only mark the special purpose lines (breast line, spring lines). The 4 standard length bow and stern lines are left alone. This works great with the Admiral!
Great Laker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 09:13 AM   #9
Master and Commander
 
markpierce's Avatar
 
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
RE: Labeling lines.

Quote:
jleonard wrote:
When I reach into my locker to pull out a line, if it's light I know it's a short one, if it's heavy I know it's a long one. If it's really heavy that's my spare anchor rode.

That's my system and I'm sticking to it!
*What's more, it can be done with one's eyes closed or in pitch blackness.
markpierce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 09:28 AM   #10
Guru
 
Jay N's Avatar
 
City: Edmonds, WA
Vessel Name: WESTERLY
Vessel Model: 1974 Pacific Trawler 37
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 502
RE: Labeling lines.

Two of my deck lines are 35' and are marked with red heat shrink, the other two are 25' and unmarked.* Other lines are obvious by their diameter, type*and place of stowage.
Jay N is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 10:50 AM   #11
Guru
 
skipperdude's Avatar
 
City: Whittier AK
Vessel Name: Apache II
Vessel Model: 1974 Donald Jones
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,147
RE: Labeling lines.

Colored sharpies and the english language or what ever you speak.

SD
skipperdude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 12:15 PM   #12
dvd
Senior Member
 
dvd's Avatar
 
City: California Bay Area
Vessel Name: BOOSTER
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
RE: Labeling lines.

I hand-sew a short length of polyester webbing (can get in many colors) to the line to identify it. I also use this to mark every 25 ft. on my anchor chain and rode (using a code so I can tell what depth is marked).

dvd
dvd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2011, 07:50 PM   #13
Guru
 
windmist's Avatar
 
City: Port Orchard, WA
Vessel Name: Violet A
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 908
RE: Labeling lines.

I use spinnaker cloth - ripstop nylon - in many colors from my local sailmaker for marking my anchor rode. Have been doing this for many years and it works great. I have to replace the first 2 or 3 markers about every 2 years because they wear out rubbing against the ground. Sailmakers give it away free from their scrap bin. I place them every 30 feet and make a chart that shows the depths the various colors represent. I tie them right to the anchor chain with a square knot.

Ron
windmist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 03:22 AM   #14
Guru
 
Besslb's Avatar
 
City: Cary NC
Vessel Name: Skinny Dippin'
Vessel Model: Navigator 42'
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 800
RE: Labeling lines.

I only mark my hurricane specific lines.**They have neon yellow electrical tape*on the ends. One mark for starboard two for port.* ** The rest of them I can tell by weight and or type.* My braided lines are all shorter,25-35 feet, while my twisted lines are 35-55 feet.*****
Besslb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 03:52 AM   #15
Moderator Emeritus
 
dwhatty's Avatar
 
City: Home Port: Buck's Harbor, Maine
Vessel Name: "Emily Anne"
Vessel Model: 2001 Island Gypsy 32 Europa (Hull #146)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,846
RE: Labeling lines.

Quote:
windmist wrote:
I use spinnaker cloth - ripstop nylon - in many colors from my local sailmaker for marking my anchor rode. Have been doing this for many years and it works great. I have to replace the first 2 or 3 markers about every 2 years because they wear out rubbing against the ground. Sailmakers give it away free from their scrap bin. I place them every 30 feet and make a chart that shows the depths the various colors represent. I tie them right to the anchor chain with a square knot.

Ron
*Do the ones in the chain interfere in any way with with your windlass gypsy?
dwhatty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 04:18 AM   #16
dvd
Senior Member
 
dvd's Avatar
 
City: California Bay Area
Vessel Name: BOOSTER
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
RE: Labeling lines.

The webbing on my chain/rode is completely ignored by the windlass. I decided against color coding my rode (I just use a dark color) because I found it difficult to distinguish colors in low or no light. I use a different number of tags next to each other to signify different depths.

dvd
dvd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 09:14 AM   #17
Guru
 
windmist's Avatar
 
City: Port Orchard, WA
Vessel Name: Violet A
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 908
RE: Labeling lines.

David Wrote:

Do the ones in the chain interfere in any way with with your windlass gypsy?
__________________________________________________ ______________________

The markings go right through the windlass with no problem. Being rip-stop nylon, they take up very little space.

Ron
windmist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 06:03 PM   #18
Guru
 
Keith's Avatar
 
Vessel Name: Anastasia III
Vessel Model: Krogen 42
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,716
RE: Labeling lines.

I use small wire ties, green, yellow and red. Every 20' I put them like this. One green, one yellow, one red, two green, two yellow, two red, three green... you get the idea. Don't snip the tails off, because it'll make sharp points that will cut you and reduce the visibility.
Keith is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 06:36 PM   #19
Moderator Emeritus
 
dwhatty's Avatar
 
City: Home Port: Buck's Harbor, Maine
Vessel Name: "Emily Anne"
Vessel Model: 2001 Island Gypsy 32 Europa (Hull #146)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,846
RE: Labeling lines.

Quote:
Keith wrote:
I use small wire ties, green, yellow and red. Every 20' I put them like this. One green, one yellow, one red, two green, two yellow, two red, three green... you get the idea. Don't snip the tails off, because it'll make sharp points that will cut you and reduce the visibility.
*4" or something longer?
dwhatty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2011, 07:18 PM   #20
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
Labeling lines.

For our anchor chain we simply put a white wire tie every ten feet. We tried the color thing with paint and ties and found that trying to remember what red-blue-red meant or what green was was a pain the butt. Somebody in our club who has cruised and anchored this area for decades told us about putting a wire tie every ten feet and leaving it at that. You want ninety feet out? Count out nine ties. You don't even have to see them to know how many feet of chain is going out. In the dark, you can feel them simply by putting your palm on top of the chain as it goes out to the end of the pulpit.

We use ties about 8"long and we don't trim them. The "tails" make them more obvious. Eventually a tail will get torn off in the pile of chain in the locker but it hasn't happened yet. When it does it will leave the bottom of the tie on the chain so you just put on a new tie. When we installed the ties we ran the chain through the windlass so all the ties would be on the same side of the chain as it went through the wildcat. I don't know that it makes a difference, though. We've never had a tie hang up or get caught on anything going out or coming in.

So far we've never forgotten how much chain we've put out, but as a precaution once we're anchored and set one of us writes how much chain is out on a sticky note and puts it on the steering cable raceway at the helm.

All our mooring/docking lines are black and are the same length.* So like Charles, whatever line one grabs is going to be the same as the others.* We also leave our mooring lines permanently attached to their fore, midship, and aft*cleats on both sides of the boat.* The unused lines are left looped and locked over the handrail.* When we leave a dock the lines that had been used to secure us to it are also looped and locked over the rail.* So the lines are always ready no matter which side of the boat ends up against a dock.

We have special lines made up for use on a mooring buoy, and for our anchor snubbers.* These are white(ish)*and the hardware on the ends makes it impossible to mistake them for anything else.


-- Edited by Marin on Thursday 20th of October 2011 09:18:27 PM
Marin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
How do you have your dock lines setup? kolive General Discussion 71 01-17-2012 09:22 AM
Dock Lines (Spinoff from Labeling Lines) dvd General Discussion 42 10-24-2011 04:21 PM
copper supply lines Slowboat 37 Other Trawler Systems 13 04-25-2011 04:09 AM
Waste Lines Steppen Other Trawler Systems 5 03-23-2010 05:27 PM

» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012