Fender stowage

Slow_boat

Slow_boat

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Well, we finally got away cruising after years of anticipation!

We (swmbo and I) are having a kind of protracted shakedown cruise this year, slowly bimbling down the south coast towards Cornwall. We've found that having bow and stern lines permanently ready on the pushpit and pulpit makes mooring much easier but what to do with the fenders? At present we tie them, four each side, to the pushpit and I rig them coming into port.

Has anyone come up with a clever way to have them 'in place' just ready to unclip and kick over the side?

While we're on the subject, I prefer not to have them on the top guard wire as I don't want that much stress on the top wire or leverage at the top of the stansions.

The boat is a Countess 33 ketch, if that has any bearing on the subject.
 
I prefer to keep the decks clear for safety reasons. So we setup the mooring lines and fenders on approach to a port and keep them safely stowed away at other times. They're just too easy to trip over on deck. I'd have thought the same was true of mooring lines?
 
I personally dislike fenders stored above decks and in sugar scoops etc, I know I am bucking the trend on this one..

When solo I hate the chore of 8 fenders in and out, I would only do 4 but the berthing is kind of tight. So we tend to leave our fenders out all the time, once we are approaching the berth. Sailing I am lucky enough to have enough space in the stern locker to get them out of sight.

I often wonder is people really need the jumbo size fenders that most tend to have, length can be handy but do they really need to be such large diameter? Makes a big difference to storage space required.
 
onesea said:
I often wonder is people really need the jumbo size fenders that most tend to have
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Wondered that myself. Why not flat ones? They wouldn't tend to roll up and down as conventional fenders do. And be easy to stow.

As far as 'jumbo' fenders go, I suppose the argument is that the bigger the boat, the more sideways force it can exert, and you need a fender that will resist the pressure.
 
For Med stern-to berthing small diameter fenders don't give very good protection. We carry ten, either 6 or 8 inch diameter, plus two big round ones and a couple of small diameter for various purposes such as the tender. All stowed away in a locker except one ball fender that is too big to stow and is carried on the transom. In lively conditions the last thing we want is fenders rattling across the deck or lines dragging in the water.
 
Slow_boat said:
Well,
Has anyone come up with a clever way to have them 'in place' just ready to unclip and kick over the side?

While we're on the subject, I prefer not to have them on the top guard wire as I don't want that much stress on the top wire or leverage at the top of the stansions.

The boat is a Countess 33 ketch, if that has any bearing on the subject.
Click to expand...

As far as I recall, one can buy sets of clips with adjustable straps that can be fitted at both ends of the fender. they were trading as "Fender Buddies (?) or something like that. I bought them at one of the boat shows some time ago. If you cannot find this, you can always use plastic hooks and a piece 4 mm dia of rope or similar size bungee to secure the hooks onto the fender.
I normally use 8 fenders ( 4 either side) and one transom fender that fits the sugar scoop edge. All side fenders are hanging from the top guard wire when deployed. I leave the hanging rope attached to the top guard wire and hang the fenders by the fender-buddies on the second guard wire when in the horizontal stowed position. I find that this saves considerable time when compared with having to open the lockers , fish them out , adjust the drop,tie them up and repeat this every time coming into or leaving port. Not to mention that you are freeing an awful lot of locker space. One drawback is that if you happen to sail in rough weather and water breaks over the deck, the fenders do tend to put some strain onto the stanchions. However, not enough to damage anything.
 
I'm of the "fenders should be stowed in lockers" school, but sadly we've bought a boat with a big aft cabin and very little deck locker space. So four of our fenders go in those motorboat-style wire basket things, mounted on the inside face of the pushpit. They're out of the way (we have a little afterdeck behind the cockpit) and with socks to match the hull colour I don't think they look bad at all. Four more fenders do fit in the locker.

Pete
 
We have 10 fenders in all, plus a "Fenderstep" and they all stow in the starboard cockpit locker, along with all our warps, all the shore power cables and the bucket. There is still space to stuff the odd extra item that needs stowing in a hurry.

They put decent cockpit lockers in 1980s boats.:D

To answer the OP's question I would not be happy with warps and fenders stowed on deck, especially the warps, it would only need one to come adrift unnoticed when motoring to seriously spoil your day!
 
Leighb said:
We have 10 fenders in all, plus a "Fenderstep" and they all stow in the starboard cockpit locker, along with all our warps, all the shore power cables and the bucket. There is still space to stuff the odd extra item that needs stowing in a hurry.

They put decent cockpit lockers in 1980s boats.:D

To answer the OP's question I would not be happy with warps and fenders stowed on deck, especially the warps, it would only need one to come adrift unnoticed when motoring to seriously spoil your day!
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We have too many fenders when we are at sea but not enough when we are coming into our marina berth!! I am not yet proficient at parking my boat. At 17 ton if I get it wrong there will be consequences! I am relying on fenders to overcome poor manoeuvring skills. I will improve honest.
 
Willard clips on end of fender lines. Go round base of stanchion and simply clip to fender line. To stow - simply lift fender up and over (inboard) of top lifeline and fender lies upright against lifelines. Willard clip simply slides up stanchion to first lifeline. Seems to work on all of my boats.
 
Sorry but I simply cannot see the big hassle in stowing fenders tied up tight to the pushpit rail. Not sure you need to mess about with more than 6 unless going stern to in a tight spot.
 
I only have 2 and get by. All the boat came with and budget tight with other priorities. It's a bit of a pain in the butt. Means I set up for for Starboard side alongside every time, only one gate also a pain in the butt.
4 is much mor convieneint comming into a unfamilliar harbour at night I'd prefere to set up for port or starboard to.
having only 2 they stow easly in anchor locker.
often just pull up and lay on deck.
For some strange reason folks seam to get very upset about sailing with fenders out.
 
chrisedwards said:
Willard clips on end of fender lines. Go round base of stanchion and simply clip to fender line. To stow - simply lift fender up and over (inboard) of top lifeline and fender lies upright against lifelines. Willard clip simply slides up stanchion to first lifeline. Seems to work on all of my boats.
Click to expand...
sorry - wichard clips
 
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