🔍 Key Concepts

• Anchor cable (anchor chain) is marked in shots, each usually 15 fathoms (90 feet) long • Standard color sequence used to mark shots of anchor chain on many commercial and naval vessels • How the first shot, middle shots, and the bitter end/last shot are marked differently for quick identification

💭 Think About

• Think about which shot must be most obvious to the crew so they know they are running out of chain • Recall or visualize the typical color pattern at the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th shots and what special marking is used for the final one • Consider which color would give the clearest warning in poor visibility or at night under artificial light

✅ Before You Answer

• Review the common practice that the last shot (near the bitter end) has a distinctive, easily recognized color • Confirm how your study materials describe the standard U.S. Navy / commercial color pattern for anchor chain shots • Make sure you are not confusing the color used for the middle shot (halfway point) with the color for the last shot