Fender covers. Knit your own?

Hipchick

Hipchick

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I know this might sound whacky or not quite the right thing to do don't you know, but someone told me that PBO had a feature on knitting your own fender covers. I will need something creative to do on those long passages and this tickles my fancy. I can do basic knitting. Any tips please?
 
Friends of ours showed us how to make fender socks from muslin polish cloth, bought at just 50p per large roll from Lymington Market. This muslin is in double thickness and is put on the fender to below where it reduces in size by the eye, then a cord tie is put around this spot and knotted and the muslin then taken back up to the top or other end where it is simply knotted (as in a knot formed in itself). So for a few pence you get a cream fender sock, 4 layers thick that polishes the hull as it moves, neat! It is cheap enough to make new ones every so often to avoid any dirt getting trapped. Of course it only comes in cream colour...
 
Robin said:
Friends of ours showed us how to make fender socks from muslin polish cloth, bought at just 50p per large roll from Lymington Market. This muslin is in double thickness and is put on the fender to below where it reduces in size by the eye, then a cord tie is put around this spot and knotted and the muslin then taken back up to the top or other end where it is simply knotted (as in a knot formed in itself). So for a few pence you get a cream fender sock, 4 layers thick that polishes the hull as it moves, neat! It is cheap enough to make new ones every so often to avoid any dirt getting trapped. Of course it only comes in cream colour...
Click to expand...

Sausage roll style you mean ?
 
Robin said:
Friends of ours showed us how to make fender socks from muslin polish cloth, bought at just 50p per large roll from Lymington Market. This muslin is in double thickness and is put on the fender to below where it reduces in size by the eye, then a cord tie is put around this spot and knotted and the muslin then taken back up to the top or other end where it is simply knotted (as in a knot formed in itself). So for a few pence you get a cream fender sock, 4 layers thick that polishes the hull as it moves, neat! It is cheap enough to make new ones every so often to avoid any dirt getting trapped. Of course it only comes in cream colour...
Click to expand...

Nice idea, I've been used the legs cut from old trackie bottoms.
 
VO5 said:
Sausage roll style you mean ?
Click to expand...

It's been 3 years and SWMBO did it under our friend's instruction so my memory isn't perfect, but yes the fender goes in the bit between the two layers of muslin sausage roll style. Maybe you end up with just two layers not four as I said, but the cloth goes down the length, is fixed by a loop of line round the narrow bit (it just acts as a restriction band, narrower than the main body, it isn't tied to anything) and then goes back up to the other end and is simply knotted to the other bit over the narrow part. At least I think! I've seen it done with elastic woven in the ends knicker style but the method we were shown was much neater and very effective, if only my memory was better as well as my descriptive powers!
 
The main issue is to keep dirt off the topsides. The only thing that will work is something clean. Any fabric picks up dirt more quickly than fender material. Cleaning fenders has always been a PITA. In the past I've used acetone, bu6t it's a lot of work. A dockmate recently suggested I use brush & roller cleaner from a hardware store. I tried it and it really works, almost no effort. I took three almost blackened 6x23 fenders and restored them all to like-new condition in less than a half an hour.
 
I know of two boats whose topsides are deeply damaged through the long-term use of uncovered fenders. Maybe not all types, but some of the plastics used contain powdered glass as a strengthening filler. There's a Starlight 35 not far from where I am now with enormous scars under the fenders.

We have used socks of one type or another for years, and still have shining topsides. We have made socks from towelling and using the kits available at boat shows, which I have to say are excellent, despite the cost. A boat at Kilada has a row of round fenders kept permanently on the rail, all of which are covered with old T shirts, quite amusingly. Never come across knitted ones and don't see a natural product like wool being very successful.
 
On a sailing boat where the fender action area is in a short area amidships then a fender sheet is a good idea, On a mobo you might need two sheets to cover the longer contact area. We used a soft PVC foam padded fender sheet made by I think Compass in Dartmouth but also sold by Force 4. This flake folds for stowage and makes a handy padded seat. A combination of clean fenders and/or socks, a fender sheet and in our case an extra spring line from the offside centre cleat to the main pontoon to pull the boat away from the finger meant we had no fender burn on the topsides.
 
I mentioned the cheap T shirt idea to a friend, he toddled off to the shops to get some & came back with several pairs of stretch ladies leggings.

Quite what the shop thought I have no idea, but each pair did 4 fenders, total cost about £5.
 
Fender Socks

Tried the expensive chandlers ones years ago and they rubbed through in no time, although I could have (as someone has suggested), rigged a line to keep the boat off the pontoon a little (not always possible if you have a neighbour)
I now use a hull protector (also available from chandlers) although ours was made by Slik Cut in Plymouth. It is about 2.5m long so can 'accomodate' 5 large fenders easily. We do not get any marks on the hull, only a polishing effect as the boat moves.

Cheers,

Michael.
 
Just bought some £2 XXL t shirts in blue for the blue fenders. A bit pricey £2 for a t-shirt x 4. The fenders have been rubbing up on the dock: frustrating. I'll try harder next time to get a better deal. Hopefully a charity shop but I need matching.

I looked at fender socks and the price was rude and my experience is 'wash fender covers' on the job list! What a dog of a job. If there is grit you can forget the washing machine.

Making your own is a hugely time consuming effort, but I'll take my hat off to those who do.

I took my 't shirt idea' from a 50ft boat I saw in Greece in 2010 (just got round to doing it) they had many different bright colours I'm keeping with fender matching colours 'blue'.

I'll let you know how they get on.

Edit: I just saw a note on another post about putting some rope on the dock to prevent rubbing directly to the dock: good idea! Got loads of double braid
 
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Hipchick said:
I know this might sound whacky or not quite the right thing to do don't you know, but someone told me that PBO had a feature on knitting your own fender covers. I will need something creative to do on those long passages and this tickles my fancy. I can do basic knitting. Any tips please?
Click to expand...
Wife took up knitting last year. The scatter cushions are gradually getting new covers with 'interesting' design variations. Wife has several neck warmers and wooly hats, stuffed boat mascot(s) are threatened. Thinking of asking her to knit me a new burgee and red ensign.
 
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