COLOR-CODED ANCHOR RODE MARKERS
©
2014 Tor Pinney - All Rights Reserved
Take
the guesswork out of anchor scope with this simple $1 system
Putting out the right
amount of scope - the ratio of anchor rode to vertical depth -
is a vital part of anchoring a boat securely. In tight harbors
in settled conditions, 5:1 is the minimum. Otherwise, use 7:1 in
general, and 10:1 or more for a blow. To accurately monitor how
much rode you're paying out, whether it's line, chain or both,
you need to affix a series of length markers.
You can buy numbered tabs for
line rodes from a marine chandler, which attach by tucking in
between the strands. Some sailors paint chain links to mark the
lengths, but it will have to be sandblasted off if the chain is
ever to be re-galvanized. There are also manufactured chain
markers available, plastic nuggets that wedge inside the links.
All of these work, but here's an easy, inexpensive alternative
for the do-it-yourselfer.
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For chain, buy a pack of
multi-colored cable ties from a hardware store; 8-inchers
are sufficiently robust and can be cut down to 2-or-3" once
in place. (Don't worry, the plastic ties pass easily through
a windlass gypsy.) Set two cable ties tightly onto adjacent
chain links every 25-feet, using a different color each
time. (When one marker eventually breaks off, replace it
while the second one still marks the spot.)
<--click photo
to enlarge
click photo to enlarge--> |
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Now secure a matching set of
colored ties, one each, in the same order around the base
of the bow pulpit nearest the windlass. This is your color key,
to remind you at a glance which depth marker you see paying out.
If yellow is the 3rd cable tie down on the pulpit's color key,
then you've paid out 75' when you see the yellow cable tie
emerge from the deck pipe. You can mimic this color coding on
line rodes with colored yarn or scraps of nylon, tucked or woven
into the strands.
Helpful Hints
->
Replace the cable ties (or yarn) annually, or sooner if needed.
-> You can use single-color cable ties on a chain rode instead,
increasing the number every 25-feet,
i.e., 1 at 25', 2 at 50' and so on up to 4 at 100';
then start over with 1 at 125'.
-> Remember, scope is relative to total vertical depth, i.e.,
the water depth plus the height of the
anchor roller or hawsepipe above the waterline.
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End ~
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