Fender Improvements

[Guest]

As part of an Open University course project, I am trying to identify problems boat owners/users have with their fenders. My own experience has highlighted the storage problem of up to say 6 fenders on a small to medium sized yacht when they are not in use. They either get in the way when trying to deploy the anchor if stored in the anchor chain locker, or completely fill a shallow cockpit locker!
Do others have the same problem? and if so what problems, other than storage, have you had with your fenders?
Thanks for any thoughts/replies you can contribute on this subject.

 

[Trevethan]

Biggest problems other than storage is that they scratch and get filthy and are then quite hard to clean up. They never really look like new again. (Who decided they should be white anyway?

I tend to tie three of mine horizontally to the stern rail and the others get stuffed wherever.

 

[ToMo]

I'm sure I've seen fender racks attached to the stern of some boats although I've nevercome across them in the chandlers.

 

[chrisc]

mine are blue -seems very sensible to me
but the problem of storage.....I have a large chain locker thing
and for last two years this has also stored four large fenders
but now that we are to embark on full time sailing I am putting
two anchors in the front + boarding ladder for bow .where do I
store these big blue things now ? already have three stored in rear
lockers.i will +propobally need all these fenders as we are going down
canals to Med.

 

[DoctorD]

Problems are:

Storage (as you point out) - luckily I have huge cockpit lockers on my boat (I have loads of fenders)
Used Fenders scratching topsides (fender covers are useful here)
Round fenders that most of us use roll up when next to walls (e.g. in locks), so you tie them horizontally or use one of those "double" socks to stop the rolling.
You can get flat fenders but they are not as versatile as round ones.

 

[ccscott49]

I tie mine, 6 large ones, to the inside of my handrails, with a big bungee round the middle and onto the guard wire. This keeps them out of the way when on the move. I also have two round ones, which I stow in the dinghy. Please no smart comments!!

 

[ccscott49]

Trouble with fender socks, they are expensive and dont last.

 

[ToMo]

Well at least it will keep you out of other mischief if you knit some more! ;-)
TôMö

 

[vyv_cox]

My wife makes ours, they are very simple and don't take long. She also patches them on a frequent basis. Material costs very little and is more robust than the commercial ones.

 

[oldsaltoz]

G’day Andy.
On vessels with a reasonable anchor locker, a lot of unused space remains at the top. Fitting a shelf sloping away from the centre (about 20 degrees) with a drain hole provides extra storage space for fenders, second anchor, or mooring lines etc.

Avagoodweekend Old Salt Oz……

 

[ccscott49]

No wife!

 

[ccscott49]

Can't knit!

 

[ccscott49]

I would gladly buy some if they would last, the ones I bought only lasted about a season and that makes them expensive. They are not there to protect your topsides or fenders, they are there to look pretty! When somebody makes some that last, they have my vote!! I saw some made of canvas on the River Rhone, they lasted two locks!!

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone, for all your comments and tips.

If I can invent an improved alternative, I'll let you know!

Andy

 

[KevB]

I did see an advert last season for fenders which are mounted in the hull and inflated by compressed air when required and deflated back into the hull when not.

Crap idea really.



Politically incorrect and proud of it.

 

[ccscott49]

Its called an inflatable!!!

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't agree about the need for covers, on balance we find hull protection better with them than without. Over a long period at the pontoon there was evident wear of the gelcoat with naked fenders that does not occur with the covers. Another advantage is that the incessant squeaking noise that occurs when alongside another boat is silenced, previously done with washing up liquid.

Since we moved from mostly anchoring and berthing on a swinging mooring to almost always berthing alongside, I have generated countless scrapes and gouges in the topsides. Most of these have occurred because the fenders ride up on contact with the pontoon, letting the boat collide with it. To this end I bought a rectangular foam one, about 4 ft x 2 ft. It seems to work OK but it is a real problem to stow. We are now debating whether to dump a couple of our conventional fenders. I guess the truth is that we just carry too much stuff, like lots of sails.

 

[ccscott49]

I thought about one of those foam mattress thingies, but Englander is 48 tons fully loaded, they are just not an option. I have two great big stainless 2" rubbing strips, and these tear the covers to shreds in no time, my fenders don't tend to ride up, as the rubbing strip keeps them down, even if they did, the rubbing strips would destroy the pontonn or other boat, rather than the other way round, when somebody ties up along side me, I point this out and even put some of my own fenders down, one person said he didn't need my admitedlty a little mucky fenders on the side of his boat, this was alongside poole quay, he had some very nasty gouges the next morning, some people will not be told, still I doubt he will ever use me as a fender board again, there was plenty of room alongside the quay!

 

[Chris_Stannard]

One of the biggest problems is the fenders popping out from between the jetty and the boat in bad weather. I have cured this on my permanent berth by fixing a row of horizontal fenders along the jetty. The popping out is much worse when you have two boats rafted up and they have different roll periods. The problem is of course that the bottom end of a fender is not secured to anything.

Next problems is fenders getting dirty and scratching/marking the gel coat. Fender socks are not that good and fender clothes tend not to stay in place.

Storage comes a loong way down the list in my view.

We have a big inflatable for use in locks.



Chris Stannard

 

[beneteau_305_553]

When out at sea the're taking up volume and when mooring we never have enough. The life raft is opposite. if we had enough fenders inside we wouldn't need them. The boat would float.

Inflatable fenders could be worth investigating.

best of luck



Richard