Marking Anchor chain

[Peter B]

We have a Cruz Pro counter (actually made in NZ). We had a problem with the sensors and magnet and replaced them after 7 years but I found a useful standby is to know the distance per minute deployed. Then you can simply keep an eye on your watch when dropping the chain - ours is approximately 20m per minute. Obviously doesn't work if you have a free-fall windlass.

The problem was the magnet just being too tiny and rusting rather quickly Bendit. Hence my specific mention of that issue in the post to N4712.
I'm amazed yours lasted 7 yrs. I had to replace the magnet with a much bigger one after a couple of years. The reed switches in the sensors were never the issue - or have not been since the larger magnet, now 4 more years on….

 

[Bendit]

Very likely but the kit containing a rare earth magnet and new sensors was quite affordable.
I can't remember exactly how much but I posted the cost here some time ago.
Incidentally, the old magnet was extremely hard to drill out.

 

[Peter B]

I would have thought even if epoxied in it would just tap out with a big punch and hammer..? Mine did.

 

[Bendit]

No, the position on the chainwheel is such that the hole doesn't go right through - it's a blind hole. Vertical Nilsson hydraulic windlass.

 

[Peter B]

No, the position on the chainwheel is such that the hole doesn't go right through - it's a blind hole. Vertical Nilsson hydraulic windlass.

Aaaah (very loaded) aaahhh....now I see...yes. With my horizontal gypsy, the hole is drilled right through near the edge, making the removal the easiest bit really. Maybe you got a set after they had realised the magnet was too puny anyway, as I can't imagine the one like I got initially could have lasted the time you mention. It was only say 4-5mm diameter and about 8 mm long and shiney silver when new..? That sucker you see in there now is 10mm dimater and ~12 mm long, and made of ferrite, so it does not rust - they are naturally dark brown. The only downside was I had to take the minimum order of 20 I think it was, when I ordered them on the iNet. So I got lotsaspares...

 

[koliver]

My watch has a stopwatch function, so I just start it when the anchor hits the water and stop when enough time has passed. My gypsy conveniently lowers at the rate of 1ft per second.

 

[Peter B]

My watch has a stopwatch function, so I just start it when the anchor hits the water and stop when enough time has passed. My gypsy conveniently lowers at the rate of 1ft per second.

Yes, I used to do that too - until I found out just how inaccurate that can be at times, especially if something distracts you during the count, hence why I fitted a chain counter…
One added bonus is just how accurate it is in advising where the anchor is on retrieval, for when to go for'd to do the anchor wash thing, etc. One trick I can do now is I can tell when the anchor is just still under the surface, so if a known muddy bottom, I swing the boat in a slow arc as we leave the spot, and that washes most of the mud off before I retrieve it all the way up. Often needs little or no further cleaning then.

 

[Poach]

Everybody has their own approach, but I don't like running the chain out remotely. If the chain fouls coming out of the hawspipe, I want to see it and stop immediately, so I stand at the windlass and observe the chain pay out, and measure by old fashioned observation. I have painted 3' of the chain with white paint every 25' and white/red/white at 100'.

 

[Bendit]

Yes, the chain does occasionally foul in the hausepipe especially if it has a twist. For this reason, I don't use the preset deployment function , or indeed the auto retrieval.
I can see the windlass and bow roller from the wheelhouse.

 

[markpierce]

Everybody has their own approach, but I don't like running the chain out remotely. If the chain fouls coming out of the hawspipe, I want to see it and stop immediately, so I stand at the windlass and observe the chain pay out, ...

Me too.

 

[Bendit]

Peter, talking to a Quick windlass user, he said he had a similar problem with the magnet - it seemed that it just wasn't strong enough. Quick have now come up with a new position for the magnet because it was getting swamped by the magnetic field from the motor under high loading. The counter would work while dropping the chain but not on retrieval.
This could be the cause of the apparent Cruz Pro magnet failure. Mine continued to work for 7 years because the windlass is hydraulic so there is no associated magnetic field to interfere with the magnet/sensors.

 

[Peter B]

Might have had something to do with it, but mine worked until one day about 1/4 of the magnet came away as rust, then it failed. Replacing it with the big mother there now got it going like a charm straight away - fortunately just in time to stop me ripping all the wiring out, convinced I had a dud join somewhere.

 

[Ardell]

As a sailboater coming to the trawler community, I've used a chain marking system for about 20 years and have only lost 1 marker over that period,.

I use Red & Green strips of 2" Rip-Stop nylon, cut in 3 foot lengths, marked with permanent marker (say 120') then threaded thru the chain every 30 feet and tied with a simple knot. Never had a problem going over all chain gypsies and you don't miss a 3' marker as it goes over the bow.

Ardell

 

[dwhatty]

As a sailboater coming to the trawler community, I've used a chain marking system for about 20 years and have only lost 1 marker over that period,.

I use Red & Green strips of 2" Rip-Stop nylon, cut in 3 foot lengths, marked with permanent marker (say 120') then threaded thru the chain every 30 feet and tied with a simple knot. Never had a problem going over all chain gypsies and you don't miss a 3' marker as it goes over the bow.

Ardell

Just adopted this method (with white & red spinnaker cloth) at the beginning of this past boating season. Seems to work quite well and one doesn't have to worry about paint wearing off chain or loosing track of paint marks.