There are some truly inventive marking methods mentioned in the latest
round.  I have been down the paint and wire-tie route, and I find that
neither seems permanent enough.  Whatever easily viewed method you use, you
may eventually need to refresh it, especially the first few marks, which I
routinely lose track of.

I have mentioned this before, but since we are on the topic....

In whatever increments you have decided to mark your chain, consider
wrapping several rings of solid copper wire around those links for future
reference when you DON'T want to roust out your chain to remeasure to the
places you need to remark.  I recently did this for every twenty feet of
chain, and it's not as easy as it sounds, but I should not be having to
repeat it.  A couple of pairs of strong needle-nosed pliers and a file to
smooth off the two end cuts in a three-ring spiral solved the problem.

Rich Gano
CALYPSO (GB-42-295)
Southport, FL

One other chain marking technique that has not been mentioned is my way.  I go
down to my favorite sailmaker and get numerous colors of spinnaker rip stop
nylon material from their scrap bin.  They typically give it to me.  I cut
strips of the cloth into pieces about 1 inch wide by 18 inches in length.  I
first paint the chain for about two feet of white at each mark and tie a piece
of cloth in the middle of the paint mark.  Using the paint gives me a warning
when a mark is coming as I pay out the chain and the color tells me how much
chain I have out.  I have to keep a chart of the colors nearby for a
reminder.

The first 2 or 3 marks take a lot of wear so I always cut spare strips of
spinnaker cloth for replacements but they do seem to last for at least 30 or
so anchorings and probably more.  I have never counted.

In response to Rich's remark that the paint could wear off enough to lose the
measurement, I have found that there is always enough specks of paint to find
the area to renew the paint every other season.

Ron Nelson
Port Orchard, WA

There are some truly inventive marking methods mentioned in the latest
round.  I have been down the paint and wire-tie route, and I find that
neither seems permanent enough.  Whatever easily viewed method you use, you
may eventually need to refresh it, especially the first few marks, which I
routinely lose track of.

I have mentioned this before, but since we are on the topic....

In whatever increments you have decided to mark your chain, consider
wrapping several rings of solid copper wire around those links for future
reference when you DON'T want to roust out your chain to remeasure to the
places you need to remark.  I recently did this for every twenty feet of
chain, and it's not as easy as it sounds, but I should not be having to
repeat it.  A couple of pairs of strong needle-nosed pliers and a file to
smooth off the two end cuts in a three-ring spiral solved the problem.

Rich Gano
CALYPSO (GB-42-295)
Southport, FL

West Marine and others sell a set of numbered markers for your rode.  They are
made of a tough, flexible plastic, about 5 inches long and numbered in 30'
intervals.  The first three are green, the next three are yellow, and the last
three are red.  That gets you to 270'.  I operate the windlass from the pilot
house and it easy to see them as they pass over the anchor roller.  They are
intended to lace between the strands of twisted nylon but I use wire ties to
affix them to my all chain rode.  I usually have to replace one or two of the
first three each season because they have been drug over the rocks the most.
Its part of the annual task of spooling out all of the rode and cleaning out
the chain locker so its easy to do then.

Steve Anderson
"Intrepid"  KK-42