Knowing the length of rode deployed is a fundamental part of any anchor system. It’s the only way to calculate the scope you’ve got out.
The usual approach is to divide the rode into segments of a set length, 20 meters for example, mark each one, and count them as they go over the roller. Electronic counters do the same job automatically.
Marking the rode
Tags
Chain tags need to be installed on the rode beforehand, and they’re the method we recommend.
Peter Smith recommends heavy duty reinforced awning fabric in bright colors. Leather was common in the old days. Cut it into strips about 15 mm x 100 mm, cut a slit in one end, and thread the tag through itself onto the chain link. Tags attach to rope the same way, feeding through and around one of the strands of 3-strand or 8-braid.
Place a tag at most every 20 meters.
You can usually make these out even in the dark, and reflector tape works better still. They should last a couple of years or more of use, and they do not damage the chain or the windlass gypsy.
Paint
Chain can be marked with paint, but it wears off quickly and it’s a nuisance to apply and reapply. Rope still must be marked some other way.
Chain inserts
Chain inserts are commercially available. They’re plastic shapes that snap into the interior of a chain link. They work well but they can be hard to see in the dark. Rope still should be tagged some other way.
Pre-marked rode
Some rode comes marked from the factory, which saves the job entirely. Titan’s 8-plait nylon anchor rode ships with depth markers already fitted, along with G43 chain and a shackle.
Chain counters
[IMAGE: AutoAnchor-chain-counter.jpg — REMOVED, third-party product. See CN-01. Replace with a generic cockpit counter image or leave the section without one.]
Chain counters track how much rode has been deployed and retrieved, which isn’t easy to measure exactly by any other automatic means. They let the whole process of deploying and retrieving the anchor be run from the cockpit, or more often the flybridge of a powerboat.
They work by counting revolutions of the windlass gypsy and rope drum, which have a fixed circumference. The counter must be calibrated and programmed for your windlass and rode make-up. Modern versions can be interfaced with the windlass control electronics, so deployment and retrieval can be run remotely.
Even with an electronic counter fitted, mark the chain at least every 20 meters.
Why some boaters stick with manual counting
Manual counting takes diligence and it means standing out in the weather. Plenty of boaters prefer it anyway, because a remote control and a screen can leave you feeling out of touch with what’s happening in the water.
There’s a practical reason too. A foot or a hand on the chain while the anchor is setting picks up the vibrations and movement the anchor is generating on the bottom, and that’s genuinely useful information.