Clever pontoon fender bracket

Arcady

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Whilst in France last year, I spotted these seemingly well-designed brackets for securing a fender to the aluminium pontoon edge. My efforts with Google and reverse image searches have failed to identify these. Anybody knows who makes them or where they can be bought?
 

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LiftyK

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I don’t know about this bracket but at a boat show many years ago I bought some two part brackets that formed a similar function. A chunky receiver is bolted to the side (vertical part) of the pontoon. Into this a large mushroom-like bolt passes through a fender eye and into the receiver. This gives a permanently mounted horizontal fender.
 

rogerthebodger

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Interesting design but could cause a trip point on any jetty and it could cause anyone walking along the jetty to trip and fall in
 

rogerthebodger

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Any more than a cleat in a similar position? :unsure:

Yes but this is much bigger and intrudes into the jetty walking space more the average horn cleat and there ae normally only cleats at each end and in the middle of the finger

IMHO a better design would incorporate a fender bracket into the edge of the finger not on the walking surface.


Ifs all about innovative design taking all factors into consideration that proper engineering designers do making the product better and more fit for purpose

This is less intrusive and less likely to trip any over that the bracket above

OIP.tDAZx2vOqafNvRh3a-u6uQHaE6


And of cause the mooring line is not attached to the cleat correctly. There was thread on tis a little while ago
 

Daydream believer

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I assume that one has asked the marina owner for permission to install such things. I do know of one marina where the owner went round & removed a lot of fender adaptions that simply looked messy. When I queried it at Bradwell 15 years ago, they said that due to the older design of the pontoon spacing, they frowned on such things, as it reduced the spacing. I can see the point when a visitor arrives in the berth & I do find it awkward when my fenders catch on the regular berth holders awkwardly spaced adaptions.
Obviously it is their berth so I should not complain. But I do make the observation all the same.
If one knows they are there then one might leave one's own fenders off. But in most cases there is not time to make adjustments when arriving. More so when single handed.
 

Arcady

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Arcady

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I don’t know about this bracket but at a boat show many years ago I bought some two part brackets that formed a similar function. A chunky receiver is bolted to the side (vertical part) of the pontoon. Into this a large mushroom-like bolt passes through a fender eye and into the receiver. This gives a permanently mounted horizontal fender.
Yes, I recall those. It seemed like a good idea. My current cheapskate alternative is a series of pad eyes to which I lash a horizontal string of old fenders. The lashings typically only last a season or two.
 

rogerthebodger

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Yes, I recall those. It seemed like a good idea. My current cheapskate alternative is a series of pad eyes to which I lash a horizontal string of old fenders. The lashings typically only last a season or two.

If you replace your fender lashing with stainless steel TIG welding wire best 316 it will last till the fender falls apart.

We use TIG welding wire for supporting garden plants on to trellis in wife's garden
 

Daydream believer

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Yes, I recall those. It seemed like a good idea. My current cheapskate alternative is a series of pad eyes to which I lash a horizontal string of old fenders. The lashings typically only last a season or two.
How would you fix your system of horizontal fenders to the pontoon in the picture in post #12?
I do not think that with such posh pontoons the owners would want people screwing bits to them.
there are no holes for looping lines through.. It might work with older construction, but as owners upgrade they tend to avoid holes etc.
That being said some pontoons are now being built with rubber buffers anyway.
Not the sort of thing I would want to leave my boat against long term but nice for the clumsy docking maneouver
 

rogerthebodger

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Yes, I recall those. It seemed like a good idea. My current cheapskate alternative is a series of pad eyes to which I lash a horizontal string of old fenders. The lashings typically only last a season or two.
How would you fix your system of horizontal fenders to the pontoon in the picture in post #12?
I do not think that with such posh pontoons the owners would want people screwing bits to them.
there are no holes for looping lines through.. It might work with older construction, but as owners upgrade they tend to avoid holes etc.
That being said some pontoons are now being built with rubber buffers anyway.
Not the sort of thing I would want to leave my boat against long term but nice for the clumsy docking maneouver

Arcady said he uses pad eyes screwed to the pontoon with lashings that only last a year, and I suggested using stainless steel welding wire which is in my case 1.5 mm Dia.

If the pontoon has wood sides, simply use stainless self-tapper or drill and tap if they are steel.

My Mobo jetty I did the same but like Arcady the lacing broke due to high UV and I lost some of my fenders so that how I know the issue and solution
 
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