Fender popping

[Woodpile]

Hello again,

I plan to berth my newly painted boat against a pontoon over winter. She's a big heavy wooden boat and I can't rely on the scruffy collection of fenders she came with - having already squeezed the air out of couple in previous berthing manouvres. I got a quote for some lovely heavy duty military spec ones, and they were $1200 each...

Car tyres are the 'choice of professionals' in my situation, but I'm worried they'll mark my new paint. (Not to mention other peoples' paint...) I thought I was on to a winner when I discovered non-marking white tyres, but no-one seems to make pneumatic ones, just solid forklift types, which wouldn't make good fenders.

Does anyone know a source of cheap mega-fenders (at least 1m x 0.5m and very strong) or have any other useful recommendations?

Cheers
Chris

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[lilianroyle]

wrap the tyres in canvas.

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[Jacket]

Car tyres in canvas bags?

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[tcm]

good idea. I wd put another bit of canvas against the hull, bit like two pairs of socks in hiking boots, stops grinding on the hull.

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[Peterduck]

I live close to an airport which is dedicated to light aircraft [Cessnas and the like]. The used tyres from aircraft cannot be sent to landfill, evidently, and the repair folk are keen to find an outlet for them. They can usually be had freely, often with tubes intact. Sew up a canvas bag and viola! a cheap, very effective fender.
Peter.

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[jzaat]

Try Skippy balls ( not sure if they are called that in UK).
Come with a nice handle totiea lanyard to and can usually be picked up relatively cheap. Most important they can actually sustain quite a bit of load

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[Woodpile]

Yes but... isn't canvas going to be pretty abrasive against that new paint when there's 20 tons or more of weight squashing those tyres against a berth?

How about sticking a ring of that cheap 'deep pile' bathroom carpet to the back of the tyres - so the fenders would becme giant buffing/polishing pads instead of scourers. I haven't tried it out but what would be the best glue? And would it work?

BTW - Unfortunately, UK-spec 'skippy balls' (aka Spacehoppers) wouldn't be any good. They have two 'ears' for handles, instead of a single looped handle...


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[Peterduck]

Yes, you can use outdoor carpet to protect your topsides, but be sure to rinse the salt out of it frequently, as it will make the carpet stiff, which is not what you want. The salt will get there from spray if nowhere else - it can't be avoided. Even if your boat displaces 20 tons it won't have that weight bearing down on the fenders; that will be the resultant of the force of the wind times the area of topsides exposed. Whichever glue you used would probably let go in that environment; stitch the carpet to the canvas witha big needle and string.
Peter.


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[ccscott49]

Whats wrong with normal fenders? Good ones aren't that expensive and you can make your own fender socks from a kit. My boat is 48 tons and on pontoons in the UK I never burst a fender. You could also relieve the strain on them, by putting a kedge anchor or two out the other side and hauling the boat off the pontoon. Or use tyres in canvas sacks, with an old blanket behind them, (easier to wash) I would get some decent fenders, plenty of them to spread the load.

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[Woodpile]

Well, I suppose the cost of everything is relative - but my boat has very large overhangs all around the topsides where a solid cork fender used to be mounted. As a result I would need five or six larger than average diameter fenders - at least half a metre. I haven't seen any of a suitable size for less than £60 each, and while I agree this isn't a significant investment for a 50ft boat, it does strike me as a(nother!) rip-off, and quite honestly they never look rugged enough. Tyres can be strung together to make long fenders, they're free, virtually indestructible and easier to stack on deck.



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[ccscott49]

I paid 25 quid for my 1 meter diameter fenders a few years ago, try shopping around, especially at boat jumbles, 1/2 meter fenders aren't that big or expensive! I've never burst one, my boat is 57 feet and as I mentioned 48 tons, with a lot of windage.

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[Woodpile]

I hate boat jumbles, it's always raining!

£60 plus seems to be the going rate for new ones on-line. Don't old boatjumble ones slowly deflate of their own accord anyway..?

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[ccscott49]

Not if you replace/clean the valves! Theres a guy in Dartmouth, also online I think, who sells them as cheap as I've seen anywhere. But 60 quid does seem expensive!

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[Woodpile]

Cheap fenders (and other stuff) galore

Thanks to everyone for all the advice. As it happens, I came across this lot on the internet: www.woods-group.co.uk

They are a kind of marine salvage/surplus yard - a real higgledy-piggledy Aladdin's Cave type place piled high with all sorts of goodies at sensible 'negotiable' prices. I got some mighty fenders at £30 each, and could have easily spent a couple of hours rummaging about the place for other stuff. They're in Crediton, nr Exeter. Hope this is useful to someone!

Chris

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