Bathing platform fendering question

[Andrew M]

Hi,

A bit of an odd question but some of you with more experience might have useful answers...... I'm in the middle of a little job sorting out tie down points for our tender while we're out the water, it's going onto our HiLo platform. While I'm doing this I'm thinking of putting some folding Eye Pads somewhere around the vertical edge of the platform to occasionally use to fix horizontal fenders for if we berth anywhere that they would be useful. As we're pretty new to coastal boating I can't decide where around the platform fenders are most likely to be needed, would it be along the rear face ?, on the corners? etc ? Anyone got any ideas on what's likely to be the most useful position please, or am I doing something I'll never use and just shouldn't bother ?

Ta,

Andy

 

[rafiki_]

The corners are generally the most vulnerable. Our Azi has quite a large platform, and it is not possible to see the extremeties from the helm.

 

[Andrew M]

Thanks, that's what I'm after, I was wondering but then again as I said I'm wondering but with no experience which is quite useless, corners seem obvious but so did along the rear face, but I don't want it to look like I've completely wrapped it in bubble film !

Thanks again.

 

[rafiki_]

It is quite hard to fender the corners, unless you fix a permanent solution, which of course will look a bit carp. Fendering the rear is quite easy, if you have access. We have our rib on the platform, which overhangs the rear, making the Hurley davit the rearmost point, therefore fendering hard, therefore I am really careful going in reverse.

 

[CharlieAlpha]

As rafiki said the corners are near impossible without a permanent fixture as fenders will move without a flat surface to push against , but a ball fender on the rear of the platform will give you something to reverse gently into when mooring stern to, but if the view is restricted a camera looking down might be the answer, well that's what I'm going to do Andy. I hope your tender project is progressing well

 

[BartW]

Hi,
we have retrofit a fairly substantial hi/lo platform (H+B) to our boat
and normally I would never place fenders near the edges of the platform,
as imo the platform may never touch anything,(avoid damage to the lifting system)

now there have been one or two occasions while being moored in the med (stern to) without bow lines, our anker came loos by a nasty swell in the port,
and we had a crew member holding a big fender right if the middle of the rear edge of the platform, until we had moved the boat away from the quay.

in another situation during a swelly night we had put a big fender in that position,
and strapped it with a long rope to the deck railing.

When maneuvering in our berth in strong wind, we have a crew member holding a “fat” fender ready for accidental touch.

Now, it still is on my todo list to place 2 retractable cleats , on the platform,
main reason to tie the tender parallel with the stern of the platform, for having guests climbing in it,

But so far, I couldn’t decide which model of cleat, and where to place them.
just like you ;-)

 

[Bouba]

Try 'low freeboard fenders'
http://www.taylormadeproducts.com/cgi-bin/catalog.pl?item_id=9

 

[Andrew M]

[/ATTACH

As rafiki said the corners are near impossible without a permanent fixture as fenders will move without a flat surface to push against , but a ball fender on the rear of the platform will give you something to reverse gently into when mooring stern to, but if the view is restricted a camera looking down might be the answer, well that's what I'm going to do Andy. I hope your tender project is progressing well

Thanks Chris, well yes, I'm making progress , we're being relaunched after next weekend, I think the tender project is now for when we're on the berth again, the platform's up in the air so I can't get dinghy up there, don't like the idea of rocking the boat around using the crane bit while it's chocked. I'm trying to work in the tender bow fixing to also double as a fender fixing. Thanks for the helpful comments guys, and it looks like corners are the bit that needs protecting which means I can maybe put a double folding pad eye to act as tender and fender mount on the side of the platform.
I'm thinking of using either of these:


Andy