Anyone use Fend-Fix?

alt

alt

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http://www.sailcare.com/fendfix.shtml

Anyone use them? Are they worth the money?

Here's a sickener of a situation...
Fend-Fix XL is designed for grab-rails up to 25mm and up to 8mm rope
Fend-Fix XXL is designed for grab-rails 26mm to 32mm and up to 10mm rope

And my grab-rail is.... 25.5mm!

So which one do I get? I'm worried that the XXL ones might have too much slack on them? But the rope i'll be using is 8mm so think that XL ones might be too tight?

Decisions Decisions!

BTW boat is an S23 incase anyone got them for that boat i'd love to know how well they fit
 
alt said:
http://www.sailcare.com/fendfix.shtml

Anyone use them? Are they worth the money?

Here's a sickener of a situation...
Fend-Fix XL is designed for grab-rails up to 25mm and up to 8mm rope
Fend-Fix XXL is designed for grab-rails 26mm to 32mm and up to 10mm rope

And my grab-rail is.... 25.5mm!

So which one do I get? I'm worried that the XXL ones might have too much slack on them? But the rope i'll be using is 8mm so think that XL ones might be too tight?

Decisions Decisions!

BTW boat is an S23 incase anyone got them for that boat i'd love to know how well they fit
Click to expand...

As far as i am aware, there is no such thing as 25.5mm stainless tube. Methinks you have 25mm tube and a dodgy measuring stick. :)

Personally, i think you'd be better off tying a clove hitch. Takes but a second and is easily adjusted, if you don't mind me saying. http://www.firstsail.co.uk/useful_knots.html
 
Last edited:
I wanted some fender flutes to make putting on and taking off of fenders less of a chore. A member very kindly gave me a set which I tried.

Now, if you want to replace a set of fenders every time you dock they are wonderful, but if you want to re-use your fenders then don't use them! They cannot stand up to the tugging imposed by the boat on the fenders and just break.

What I now use is a load of stainless carabiners from Lidl or Aldi spliced to the end of each fender rope, and I can then just pass over the rail and hook on.

Now, the smart-@rses here will say "but all my fender ropes are different lengths", and I will say "so are mine!" I just spliced each fender individually, then colour coded the carabiner with paint so it is easy to clip back in the right position.

No more detached fenders and very neat and fast to fit. For adjustment, another turn around the rail before clipping.

Seemples!
 
Yes and yes.

They lock the line as you lay it back towards you. To adjust the height of the fender just lift the line vertically and pull slightly, they then 'let go' and Bob's your uncle, so to speak. Once you have them at the right height you can tuck the line under the little tab at the back of the fender fix.

Also, if you need to move the fenders you just lift them off of the rail - simples. This is not going to be explained very well but then when you lay the fender line over the rail (fender near the rail) then lower the fender, the fender fix just lines up and clicks into place as you lower - if you see what I mean!

SWMLU loves them, they are very easy to use especially for the less experienced.

My last boat had wires and would say that the wire version, also shown in the picture on your link, were not as good as, with time/dirt, they tended to jam on the wires and then the tab broke when tugged. The rail ones work a treat….

Just tie a single knot in the top of the line to stop it falling back through should anyone have a mishap!

Guess I have to mention that I have nothing what so ever to do with this company….

Let us know what you think if you buy them.
 
They're not the same as fender flutes (which are useless). The fend-fix work really well, SWMBO loves them, but I wont let her have them on our boat 'cos I think they look a bit naff.

The best ones are the guard wire type, if you have a guard wire, as they're much smaller and they don't slide along. You can then fit, remove or adjust the fenders in a couple of seconds.

I have some of the guard rail type that I don't need, biggest size I think, if you pm me your address i'll send 'em to you.
 
I think they're great.
Single handed I chuck the autopliot on and sling out 3 fenders in a jiffy, or stow them, whilst never letting go of the boat.
Inexperienced crew can do it easily and the height is preset if we're coming into a pontoon.
It's handy that the rail is constant height on my boat.
I always add a knot once in the marina as they will work loose as has been stated.
 
PaulGooch said:
Personally, i think you'd be better off tying a clove hitch. Takes but a second and is easily adjusted, if you don't mind me saying. http://www.firstsail.co.uk/useful_knots.html
Click to expand...

I can't carry 3 fender ropes in 1 hand, tie clove hitches one handed whilst still holding the other fenders in the same hand (my other hand is firmly on the boat if I'm single handed and the autopilot is on), or for that matter deploy 3 fenders at the right height one handed in less than 10 seconds without using flutes no matter how many tutorials I read. I don't think I could do it 2 handed in that time actually.
 
Elessar said:
I can't carry 3 fender ropes in 1 hand, tie clove hitches one handed whilst still holding the other fenders in the same hand (my other hand is firmly on the boat if I'm single handed and the autopilot is on), or for that matter deploy 3 fenders at the right height one handed in less than 10 seconds without using flutes no matter how many tutorials I read. I don't think I could do it 2 handed in that time actually.
Click to expand...

You should practice more, then. Make sure the eyes in the ropes at the top of the fenders are large enough to slip your whole hand into, and that way you can carry three fenders in one hand, while holding a rail with the other. When you get where you want to tie on one, the hand holding the fenders can still hold two and the rail while you tie a clove hitch at the same place on the rail. You can hold the rail with your left hand (as well as holding the two spare fenders) and still have thumb and forefinger available to help tie th ehitch.

Simples.
 
It would take about 30 secs with a round file to remove half a mil of soft plastic but it would be a right pain to try and build it up so it has to be the 25mm Shirley?

Why do people use clove hitches to secure fenders? Nearly everybody does it but my Father (ex Merchant and subsequently a CPO ) would go loopy if used a clove hitch to secure a line to a spar unless the pull was along the line of the spar.
 
alt said:
http://www.sailcare.com/fendfix.shtml

Anyone use them? Are they worth the money?

Here's a sickener of a situation...
Fend-Fix XL is designed for grab-rails up to 25mm and up to 8mm rope
Fend-Fix XXL is designed for grab-rails 26mm to 32mm and up to 10mm rope

And my grab-rail is.... 25.5mm!

So which one do I get? I'm worried that the XXL ones might have too much slack on them? But the rope i'll be using is 8mm so think that XL ones might be too tight?

Decisions Decisions!

BTW boat is an S23 incase anyone got them for that boat i'd love to know how well they fit
Click to expand...

Yachtsman tend to know how to tie knots & bends :confused:
 
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