Sea_Lark
Well-Known Member
I have a new small fibreglass dinghy/tender moulding to which I am fitting wooden gunwhales and then i want to fit 3-strand rope as fendering. How can I best fasten the rope to the hull?
fastening rope fendering
- Thread starter Sea_Lark
- Start date
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
I use short lengths (loops) of stainless steel wire, through the rope and through small holes drilled in the side of my wooden dinghy. Twisted on the inside and the ends hidden behind the stringers, to stop peeps being scratched. The wire through the rope disappears inside it.
chasroberts
Well-Known Member
Nylon cable ties always used to work for us. Cheap easy to fix and replace and provided you put them on the right way there are no sharp edges to worry about. Job done in 5 mins!
Mirelle
N/A
There is more to this than meets the eye.
what follows is courtesy of Des Pawson Footrope Knots who did not make my dinghy fender but taught me how to make one properly after selling me the materials.
Basically, if you just secure a coir rope round the gunwale, it will stretch, sag, and look a mess in no time.
The trick is to make it up round a wire rope heart, "pointing" the ends, get the wire rope really, really taut with lashings to the transom, then secure with wire (monel seizing wire) ties round the wire rope heart, not round the coir.
what follows is courtesy of Des Pawson Footrope Knots who did not make my dinghy fender but taught me how to make one properly after selling me the materials.
Basically, if you just secure a coir rope round the gunwale, it will stretch, sag, and look a mess in no time.
The trick is to make it up round a wire rope heart, "pointing" the ends, get the wire rope really, really taut with lashings to the transom, then secure with wire (monel seizing wire) ties round the wire rope heart, not round the coir.
oldsaltoz
Well-Known Member
G'day Tourbo,
Why not duck into your local fire station and pick up a length of fire hose, they have plenty of off cuts, easy to fit and will not mark you hull.
Avagoodweekend......
Why not duck into your local fire station and pick up a length of fire hose, they have plenty of off cuts, easy to fit and will not mark you hull.
Avagoodweekend......
roger
Well-Known Member
Re: There is more to this than meets the eye.
This method is used on motor boats. I remember seeing hooks intended to attach to the hull which the wire rope is forced into.
Strikes me as difficult to get the wire rope along the centre of the coir one. I have a personal interest as I have a naval rope offcut about 20 metres long round Badger's gunwhale and I couldnt figure out a way to get the wire through without risking the rope falling into separate strands.
I just use light line in short lengths which go through the rope using a fid.
This method is used on motor boats. I remember seeing hooks intended to attach to the hull which the wire rope is forced into.
Strikes me as difficult to get the wire rope along the centre of the coir one. I have a personal interest as I have a naval rope offcut about 20 metres long round Badger's gunwhale and I couldnt figure out a way to get the wire through without risking the rope falling into separate strands.
I just use light line in short lengths which go through the rope using a fid.
Sea_Lark
Well-Known Member
Thanks folks, you've given me plenty of options to consider. Still not sure which to go with. I see the merit in the wire rope system, but I doubt my ability to make up the rope around it without ruining everything. Any tips?
