Fender Socks

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stownsend

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Happy New Year All !

Have done a quick search but didn't come up trumps, has any one got any cheap ways of making fender socks, she's got 4 new fenders and would like to cover these and re-cover the other fenders currently on their - I've seen kits for 35 quid which would do 5 to 6 fenders but any other ideas?

Cheers

Stu
 
Ours were always made in towelling, which worked Ok but wore out in a couple of years against concrete walls. We replaced them with the kit material, which is very hard-wearing but we could not get on with their 'no sew' technique so we didn't use it, sewed them as previously.

A boat next to us last season had very fancy ones, made from Dunelm Mill fleece blankets. They may not wear well but the lady of the boat enjoyed replacing them every season.
 
We used some fleece material, can be found quite cheaply.
Not great for 24/7 exposure to sunlight but otherwise fine.
A mate of mine used the 'dralon' material from an old sofa!
 
Do fender socks not attract dirt and other bits of grit off the pontoon which would otherwise not stick to a plastic fender and then become a sort of fender sock rubbing compound/wet and dry paper?

I mention this as mine (washed this week) seem to attract these particles like a magnet and one would assume then do more harm than good.
 
xyachtdave said:
Do fender socks not attract dirt and other bits of grit off the pontoon which would otherwise not stick to a plastic fender and then become a sort of fender sock rubbing compound/wet and dry paper?

I mention this as mine (washed this week) seem to attract these particles like a magnet and one would assume then do more harm than good.
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That has certainly not been my experience, based on well over 20 years of using them. My topsides remain undamaged (except by me!) despite above-average service. Occasional hosing down probably does no harm. However, I have seen seriously damaged topsides resulting from use of un-socked fenders, whose plastic often contains powdered glass to improve mechanical properties.

The real decider for me is that you will never see a crewed superyacht that doesn't have fender socks. The sole purpose in life for these people is to keep the boat looking perfect, to which fender socks make a significant contribution.
 
Brut's are self-sewn polo-fleece material, into a cylinder with draw-cords top and bottom. 24x7 exposure (tied to dock whilst boat comes and goes) and still OK 5 years on. Washed only once or twice with no abrasion to topsides. Keep them out of the water though because they will grow barnicles (I had to tie one to a pile). Happy New Year to you all. Andrew
 
I think you guys need to be careful making your own from random fabrics. Colour bleed can stain your topsides. Also some fabrics can be abrasive and rub the gelcoat.

There is a british manufacturer of fendercovers called fendequip, they even produce the fabric before making a fendercover specifically to fit your make and size fender. i know they supply fender covers all over the world and to many boat builders so you know that the quality is high end.

You can buy online www.fendequip-direct.com

Hope this helps
Paul
 
paulboy said:
I think you guys need to be careful making your own from random fabrics. Colour bleed can stain your topsides. Also some fabrics can be abrasive and rub the gelcoat.

There is a british manufacturer of fendercovers called fendequip, they even produce the fabric before making a fendercover specifically to fit your make and size fender. i know they supply fender covers all over the world and to many boat builders so you know that the quality is high end.

You can buy online www.fendequip-direct.com

Hope this helps
Paul
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Something of a difference in price, though. Many of us have made them from quite cheap material with no ill effects. From the link above http://www.fender-socks.co.uk the cost is £26.50 for 5/6, although I think we managed rather more than that from a kit. The cost for yours is £18 for one.
 
vyv_cox said:
Something of a difference in price, though. Many of us have made them from quite cheap material with no ill effects. From the link above http://www.fender-socks.co.uk the cost is £26.50 for 5/6, although I think we managed rather more than that from a kit. The cost for yours is £18 for one.
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£18.00 a pair. Its the larger double thickness covers that are listed on the site as one. The fender-socks.co.uk are held on each end with zip ties that can damage topsides....and are just for cosmetics only, they provide no gelcoat protection at all!
 
The cable ties are a pretty rubbish idea but there is no way they can damage the topsides. Don't understand how topsides can be 'protected' by a particular type of material. All the ones we have used have been fine, including Fender Socks.
 
Love's a healthy discussion!!

Of course the fabrics make a difference; Would you rub your car bonnet with the fender-socks.co.uk fabric?? Probably not as it would scratch the paints clear coat.

fendequip fabric is specifically designed to protect topsides and gel coats as its primary function, you can't buy the fabric anywhere because they (fendequip) manufacture the fabric themselves on knitting machines. The fendequip fabric also has been tested by Bureau Veritas and have been accredited with an ISO 105 B02, greater than Grade 7 certificate for UV light fastness.

I wouldn't fit anything else to my fenders for the fear of damage to my gelcoat, or dye bleed on to the topsides and fenders.
i'm also supporting UK manufacturing as they make the whole thing in the UK.
 
paulboy said:
Love's a healthy discussion!!

Of course the fabrics make a difference; Would you rub your car bonnet with the fender-socks.co.uk fabric?? Probably not as it would scratch the paints clear coat.

fendequip fabric is specifically designed to protect topsides and gel coats as its primary function, you can't buy the fabric anywhere because they (fendequip) manufacture the fabric themselves on knitting machines. The fendequip fabric also has been tested by Bureau Veritas and have been accredited with an ISO 105 B02, greater than Grade 7 certificate for UV light fastness.

I wouldn't fit anything else to my fenders for the fear of damage to my gelcoat, or dye bleed on to the topsides and fenders.
i'm also supporting UK manufacturing as they make the whole thing in the UK.
Click to expand...

Got an interest in this company that you'd like to declare?

Sounds like these are aimed at the super yacht market, the rest of us don't have mirror flat glossy gelcoat anymore.
Although I am a sock fan, personally I don't see the point of super high end expensive material, they're all the same when they've been up and down a muddy harbour wall for a few tides.
 
Someone we met last year uses Primark leggings - very cheap and you get two socks out of each pair.
 
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