The last shot on an anchor chain is attached to the bottom of the chain...

• A. red
• B. green
• C. blue
• D. yellow

Answer: (A)

Color coding on anchor chain helps the crew quickly see how much chain has been paid out and identify the end that’s connected to the anchor. The last shot—the one attached to the bottom of the chain—carries a red mark. That red end mark makes it easy to recognize the end of the chain, so you know when you’ve reached the anchor and can manage paying out or retrieving chain safely. Other shots in the chain are marked with different colors to distinguish the sections, but red is specifically used to denote the end closest to the anchor.