fender stowage

[Fossil]

Where we are, in Wellington NZ, I find it best to stow my two fenders rather than let them dangle (but there is a residual notion of tidiness and not liking the lines of the boat being spoiled by having it festooned with bulbous shapes). But I don't find it necessary to stow them in a locker, I tie them on the stern rail, inside the cockpit and underneath the outboard, where they make a comfortable backrest without obtruding on boat life. And they are readily accessible for docking and it only takes a moment to tie them back into position.

 

[thinwater]

I was brought up in a school that demanded that the fenders were off the topsides within a nano second leaving the dock. So they get stowed in the cockpit locker everytime.

Seeing another boat with fenders dangling is a useful early warning that the people onboard may be inexperienced....

Actually, that is perfect proof that there is no correlation to experience. Other things, perhaps, but not experience.

 

[Jaguar 25]

Seeing another boat with fenders dangling is a useful early warning that the people onboard may be inexperienced.
[/QUOTE]

Or sensible, particularly if sailing single-handed. Why take a risk of going overboard to satisfy pernickity people who produce personal rules that have no merit. Take them in if you want or leave them out if you want. I also use fenders on a swinging mooring.

 

[RobF]

Seeing another boat with fenders dangling is a useful early warning that the people onboard may be inexperienced.

Or sensible, particularly if sailing single-handed. Why take a risk of going overboard to satisfy pernickity people who produce personal rules that have no merit. Take them in if you want or leave them out if you want. I also use fenders on a swinging mooring.

Agree with your point about single handing, but intrigued as to why you leave them out on a swinging mooring (unless you're expecting other boats to raft alongside???)

 

[Jaguar 25]

Agree with your point about single handing, but intrigued as to why you leave them out on a swinging mooring (unless you're expecting other boats to raft alongside???)

Principally because our moorings are very close together and and if an adjacent boat swings in a different direction to mine, they can collide. Additionally, when I bring my tender alongside, it cushions the impacts between boat and tender, particularly as the Ullswater steamers go past!

 

[Heckler]

Having grown tired of putting fenders on and off, we now simply flip them up onto the deck where they sit happily enough, and out of the way. The only issue we have had with this arrangement so far was forgetting to clear the jib sheet first and one fender line catching. It is a simple matter for Karen or myelf to just knock or kick them out again, and though it may not be the most elegant of solutions it has so far worked well for us. Do others do the same, or do you all take the trouble to stow them away?

I made some elastic hook things, piece of bungy about 6" long with one of those hook things on each end. When cruising leave hooked to the guard rail, then when under way push one hook through the bottom hole on the fender and hook it back to the rail. It leaves them all at an angle neatly clipped to the guard rale out of the water