Coir fender for dinghy

[Mirelle]

I had never used the "traditional" coir rope run round the gunwale of a dinghy as a fender.

The requirement of our local club that all dinghies on the pontoon must be fendered cause me to think again and to visit Des Pawson.

What I had not appreciated is just how light in weight and how effective such a fender is - it looks heavy and abrasive, bit it is neither.

 

[ccscott49]

I have a lump of rope around my clinker dinghy, but it's modern multiplait, would like a coir rope and bow fender, any links??

 

[Mirelle]

See Private Message for details, but I hope Kim won't be offended by a small "plug" for an old friend:

http://www.bigwig.net/knots/footrope.htm

You need to measure round the boat very precisely.

 

[kestrel1891]

And a very pretty dinghy it is too.

Any ideas on the best way to attach it to the boat though? I use tarred string through small holes in the sheer strake and knotted on the inside but it's not very satisfactory and liable to break away if really forced. Of course it needs to come off once a year for varnishing so it can't be too permanent.

 

[Mirelle]

Des Pawson says that the modern replacement for the traditional copper wire, i.e. Monel seizing wire, taken round the wire core of the fender and through two small holes in the sheerstrake, is best. Anyway, that's what I did, and I am pleased with the outcome. I stretched the fender round the dinghy and then pulled it down into place with the wire ties.

Dinghy is one of Malcolm Goodwin's "Nutshells", which I threw together from a kit in 1991. I'm very pleased with it - it has put up with a lot of abuse!

 

[Santana379]

I got a piece of heavy duty rope from Felixstowe Docks to go around my dinghy's gunwhale. It is secured by a very light rope on each side, threaded in and out of small holes drilled in the hull every foot. It works very well, and is easy to remove and refit. I do use a plastic fender at the bow, (an ordinary, not a shaped one, as the bows are pram style like a Mirror), because the dinghy is frequently towed at sea and on occasion is prone to catching us up at fairly high speed.

FF

 

[sailorman]

gets sand in it & therefore abrasive i used to use it but now have small fenders afixed to the gunwale

 

[fishermantwo]

Plastic zip ties would work well to attach the fender. Holes along the gunwale and pass the ties through the inner lay of the rope only.

 

[ccscott49]

Plastic zip ties!! On a clinker dinghy!!! Go wash your mouth out with soap and water!! The very thought!!