Fender Ropes

[jonnybuoy]

I'd like to buy made-up fender ropes. Yes there are quite a few places that sell them online but they only seem to do up to 2m - I'm looking for 2.5m (10mm) in navy blue and can't seem to find them anywhere. Any suggestions gratefully received - or indeed of somewhere that could make them up.

Thanks
Jon

 

[Robin B]

Norfolk Marine in Hoveton, Norfolk - he makes them to order, any length you want... Best to phone in advance.

 

[JSYmartini]

Buy a length of rope and learn how to splice? Much cheaper and more satisfying!

 

[nigelmercier]

Ready made fender lines are carp, you need a big loop through the eye so you have something to hold onto, or to hook if one goes overboard. They only seem to last a season, so even with my passion for Selma finds, I can't be bothered; I just use a bowline now.

 

[prv]

even with my passion for Selma finds, I can't be bothered

Wow - I certainly wouldn't bother to splice braid for fenders. An eye splice in new three strand is quick and easy, needs no tools, and it wouldn't even occur to me to try to buy them ready-made.

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

I've stopped using three strand, it gets unravelled. I bought 50m of cheap braid on braid at a boat jumble, it works well.

 

[jonnybuoy]

Thanks all. Yes I should learn to splice but looks a bit like knitting...maybe I could ask my mother-in-law

 

[Halo]

I've stopped using three strand, it gets unravelled. I bought 50m of cheap braid on braid at a boat jumble, it works well.

+1 Simply put the a loop through the fender eye with a bowline. In winter I take these off and stick 'em in the washing machine and they come out nice and clean

 

[antaris]

Spliced three-strand does look neater, though. I understand it's a bit too much for some, still prettier than knots... just saying

I made myself 8 lines over a cold winter night... so maybe leave this project for next winter... don't bother buying them, way too much money.

 

[prv]

don't bother buying them, way too much money.

+1 - last time I saw a rigging shop's price list, they wanted £5 per splice in three-strand, more in braid. That would get pretty expensive for a boatload of fenders, and is completely unnecessary. Splicing three-strand is easy-peasy!

Pete

 

[Ariadne]

We use our old halyards, plenty of length to work with and simple to splice (OK, I remove the protective UV cover and just use the hollow core, so I never will use them by accident for anything heavy!), make great lines for fenders and dinghy painters.

What else do you do with your old ****py halyards?

 

[lpdsn]

Thanks all. Yes I should learn to splice but looks a bit like knitting...maybe I could ask my mother-in-law

Quite easy with a bit of practice. Search on YouTube for "Braid on braid splice" and you'll find a dozen or so videos. Buy a needle (bought mine from Rooster Sailing).

Awkward bit is getting the last bit of core to go back inside - I find marking the first bit of core that comes out with a marker pen allows you to start the splice in the right position to make sure it all goes back inside.

Wear gloves for milking the sheath back over the splice.

Your first three or four won't be perfect, but you'll get better.

And when they say you can't splice old rope, they're right - even if you get the occasional one to work it's not worth the bother (and it really will be a very occasional one that works). - but I've never tried splicing just the core as poster above suggests - presumably he stitches the core to the sheath.

 

[rob2]

Must admit I wouldn't even think about the colour of the fender lines, so as the OP specified blue -

spliced blue three strand and then a sewn whipping in your chosen contrast colour - now that looks classy! Easier alternative for the whipping, seal it with Dip-It-Whip-It.

Rob.

 

[prv]

I've never tried splicing just the core as poster above suggests - presumably he stitches the core to the sheath.

I was assuming he removed the sheath entirely, and just used the core for the entire rope. Our new stackpack came with some slippery lines for lazyjacks which consisted of a single braided tube, like the core out of a braid-on-braid rope. I've used the offcuts for various short lanyards on things and it's absolutely dead easy to make a moderate-strength splice in, just tucking several times back and forth through the weave and then losing the end up the tube.

I was suggesting that the OP should use three-strand for fender lines, though. I don't know why Nigel's keep "unravelling".

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

I was suggesting that the OP should use three-strand for fender lines, though. I don't know why Nigel's keep "unravelling".

I guess the fenders twist, but don't twist back so far each time. In my new marina I probably wouldn't have the problem, but in all of my previous ones my fenders have been touching two neighbouring boats most of the time.

 

[john_morris_uk]

We use braid on braid for our fenders and I spliced them all onto the fenders so they can't fall off...

I strongly agree with those who have said, "Buy a set of vids and splice the lines yourself." It really isn't very difficult and the braid on braid is only a couple of quid. The worst that will happen is that your splice won't be very neat.

Alternatively learn to whip, put whippings on all the ends and use bowlines onto the fenders.

 

[Ariadne]

- but I've never tried splicing just the core as poster above suggests - presumably he stitches the core to the sheath.

Nope I strip the sheath away completely for safety reasons, I wouldn't want to use it by mistake for anything load bearing, and I get my light rope for painters, etc out of it.

For dinghy painters I usually pass a tuck or two through the core before sending it 45cm or more up the core, I taper the splice so it looks a bit neater and if required I'll put a thimble into the eye.

For fenders I'd pass a tuck through the core and then send it up the core about 30cm, at the other end I pass it through itself and back down to get a tidier finish.

 

[William_H]

I guess the fact that he wants dark blue fender ropes says it all. Sorry to seem critical it is jus that it is so far from my own experience/attitude. (cheap skate) Dark blue would fade pretty quickly around here anyway. As said I would suggest 3 strand rope as easy /satisfying to splice but I can't imagine it being available in dark blue. good luck olewill

 

[lpdsn]

Nope I strip the sheath away completely ...

Ah OK, I see now. I had a mental picture of it looking something like a dyneema splice where you splice the core and tuck the sheath away within itself.

 

[pmagowan]

We did all ours in navy blue 3 strand and spliced the fenders on. The crew need something to do en route otherwise they might get restless. They look really good, will last a few seasons and then can be redone at little cost. The rope can be picked up in most chandleries adjoining a marina or suchlike. I always think of ropework as something to do during a cruise. By the way, I tie them on with the clove hitch and loop, just to answer two threads at once.