A Serious Fender Question

boatone

boatone

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Just a few cables from Boulters Lock
www.tmba.org.uk
I feel that there is a real need for a different type of fender for the river - particularly relating to passages through locks.

When entering a lock heading downstream, there is only a few inches of lockside to 'park' against and it's almost impossible to get fenders to protect adequately as, if they are low enough they drag in the water and they ride up over the locksides negating their intended purpose !

Sausage fenders hung vertically don't help much until the level starts falling and there is a foot or so of lockside to fend against.

Anyone got any bright ideas ?
 
Worried about that new paint finish already :)

I've often wondered what an ideal solution would be but its impossible to position fenders for every eventuality, those big rubber D-section mouldings in strakes at different heights would work but ugly on sports boat.

Think the only answer is to buy a boat 100% suitable for inland work i.e steel, painted black, about 6ft 10inches wide and forget about fenders:(
 
Decent craft, such as early 80's Brooms, are endowed with a pair of huge Rubber strakes on each flank, to protect from the inevitable.


Doesn't that old Tin can have any?
 
I used a load of things called, I believe, "fender buddies" on my last boat little clips with a sort of ratchet mechanism that allowed you to drop/raise the fenders with one hand if needs be.

Got them at a boat show for pennies
 
boatone said:
I feel that there is a real need for a different type of fender for the river - particularly relating to passages through locks.

When entering a lock heading downstream, there is only a few inches of lockside to 'park' against and it's almost impossible to get fenders to protect adequately as, if they are low enough they drag in the water and they ride up over the locksides negating their intended purpose !

Sausage fenders hung vertically don't help much until the level starts falling and there is a foot or so of lockside to fend against.

Anyone got any bright ideas ?
Click to expand...
How about 2 or 3 sausage fenders used horizontally? Float them on the water so they fill that 'few inches' but could be taken up as the level falls and the normal fenders take over the task. All fenders, vertical and horizontal, should , of course be lifted as soon as possible after exiting the lock, unless you want to be regarded as a total chav.

ps lovely paint job, Tony. No wonder you are concerned.
 
rr_123 said:
I used a load of things called, I believe, "fender buddies" on my last boat little clips with a sort of ratchet mechanism that allowed you to drop/raise the fenders with one hand if needs be.

Got them at a boat show for pennies
Click to expand...
You should have held on to them. They're still available but inevitably, sweeties have gone up! They're now £10-£11 a pair.

ps Tried 'em once and didn't like them. The clip was far too willing to leap off the rail!
 
Far easier to tie a clove hitch, and easy to alter the height - also looks a lot better IMHO

Get someone to show you the knot, dead easy and quick when you know how.
 
pheran said:
All fenders, vertical and horizontal, should , of course be lifted as soon as possible after exiting the lock, unless you want to be regarded as a total chav..
Click to expand...

Better to be a CHAV then being hit by the pompous puddings of the world (has he paid up yet?),

I'll do you a deal - if the Pompous Pudding fits these, I will lift my fenders up...
Yoko_Mark.jpg
 
For many boats fitted with a wooden rubbing strake a possible solution is to fit a heavy guage rubber "D" section instead as part of your next refit.

Otherwise try covering an old tyre with a nice white plastic cloth jacket to add a little elegance and save your paintwork.
 
For many boats fitted with a wooden rubbing strake a possible solution is to fit a heavy guage rubber "D" section instead as part of your next refit.

Otherwise try covering an old tyre with a nice white plastic cloth jacket to add a little elegance and save your paintwork.
 
"Otherwise try covering an old tyre with a nice white plastic cloth jacket to add a little elegance and save your paintwork."

Old tyres work best if the of the ends of the steel wire in the carcass are sticking out.You will be amazed as to what lengths other people in the lock will go to,in order to avoid contact with your your boat.
 
oldgit said:
"Old tyres work best if the of the ends of the steel wire in the carcass are sticking out.You will be amazed as to what lengths other people in the lock will go to,in order to avoid contact with your your boat.
Click to expand...

...especially those with newly painted Peedros
 
[QUOTE I feel that there is a real need for a different type of fender for the river - particularly relating to passages through locks.
Anyone got any bright ideas ?[/QUOTE]

Search MoBo threads about cruising abroad; Motorboat Monthly organised a cruise to Paris last year and are bound to have suggestions based on experience in the locks, while Raggie blogs who've gone through France to the Med ,like Grehan whose website is becoming a handbook about waterways, have lotsa info.
Tyres are illegal in France unless capable of floating and secured by two separate lines - common sense when you think of the disruption caused by a sunken tyre rolling around until jamming the gates not quite shut!
 
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TOM PRICE said:
[QUOTE Ifeel that there is a real need for a different type of fender for the river - particularly relating to passages through locks.
Anyone got any bright ideas ?
Click to expand...

Search MoBo threads about cruising up the Seine to Paris or Raggie blogs who've gone through France to the Med - plenty of ideas there.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't involve hanging planks over the side by any chance :D

I think it is a universal problem, from superyachts to narrowboats nobody has found a good way of permanently protecting a boat except by hanging cheap old bits of rubber over the side. Its about time somebody thought of something that was an integrated part of the boat, looked good, that you didn't need loads of crew to rush about tying all sorts of complicated slip knots and finding places to store ugly old balls and sausages.:)
 
Chris_d said:
Its about time somebody thought of something that was an integrated part of the boat, looked good, that you didn't need loads of crew to rush about tying all sorts of complicated slip knots and finding places to store ugly old balls and sausages.:)
Click to expand...

Bingo !!!! Exactly my point. If ever there was a problem looking for an 'outside the box' solution this is it.

For river boats I could envisage a rubber fender type stringer bolted to the hull just above the waterline - bit workboatish but could be feasible. Wouldnt do for posh designer style planey type boats though.

I think the real problem is most folk want their boat to look pretty rather than be practical.
 
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boatone said:
Bingo !!!! Exactly my point. If ever there was a problem looking for an 'outside the box' solution this is it.

For river boats I could envisage a rubber fender type stringer bolted to the hull just above the waterline - bit workboatish but could be feasible. Wouldnt do for posh designer style planey type boats though.

I think the real problem is most folk want their boat to look pretty rather than be practical.
Click to expand...

You mean like this:
 
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