🔍 Key Concepts

• Anchor cable shots and color coding near the anchor and windlass • The meaning of the next-to-last shot when paying out or heaving in anchor chain • Standard U.S. Navy / commercial practice for painting anchor chain shots

💭 Think About

• Visualize the sequence of painted shots from the bitter end out toward the anchor—what colors and patterns are commonly used near the last and next-to-last shots? • Think about why mariners need a very clear warning that they are approaching the end of the chain—how might the colors change to reflect that? • Eliminate any colors that are more commonly used for mid-chain identification rather than for shots near the bitter end.

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on what a shot is (15 fathoms / 90 feet) and how each shot is marked. • Confirm which color is usually associated with the danger or warning zone just before the last shot of chain. • Double-check that you are focusing on the next-to-last shot, not the very last shot or the first shot from the bitter end.