Fenders and clove hitches

[dunedin]

My theory is that clove hitches are used to tie on fenders by people who don’t own boats - sailing school boats, charter boats, casual crew.
Bill paying owners use round turn and two half hitches.

In storms unattended boats seem to regularly lose fenders when just attached by clove hitches. Regularly reattaching other boats fenders falling off.
Just reported a newish boat lying hard GRP directly to wooden pontoon edge in Storm Kathleen - all the central fenders are missing. A pair at the stern, doing nothing, still attached by their clove hitches.

As the boat leans in the 50+ mph gusts often the fenders go below the pontoon, then the boat tries to right in a slight easing of the wind and the fenders just get pulled off. Hope the GRP isn’t too badly damaged,

 

[V1701]

I must be a bill paying owner then...

 

[awol]

My theory is that clove hitches are used to tie on fenders by people who don’t own boats - sailing school boats, charter boats, casual crew.
Bill paying owners use round turn and two half hitches.

In storms unattended boats seem to regularly lose fenders when just attached by clove hitches. Regularly reattaching other boats fenders falling off.
Just reported a newish boat lying hard GRP directly to wooden pontoon edge in Storm Kathleen - all the central fenders are missing. A pair at the stern, doing nothing, still attached by their clove hitches.

As the boat leans in the 50+ mph gusts often the fenders go below the pontoon, then the boat tries to right in a slight easing of the wind and the fenders just get pulled off. Hope the GRP isn’t too badly damaged,

Could you pop into JWD on the way home and check my fenders are still attached, please?

 

[justanothersailboat]

Clove hitch when arriving somewhere rapid adjustment is likely to be wanted. Round and two half hitches on the ones you leave if you're staying. No problem?

Though I must admit that I round & two halves by default and have to stop and make myself clove hitch. Which is then a bit of a self reinforcing habit.

 

[johnalison]

There's nothing wrong with clove hitches so long as you finish them off with a half hitch after adjustments have been done. Personally, I have always used round turns. If it is my own berth I will do two half hitches but if an unknown one I will just put in a slip hitch so that quick adjustments can be made. Almost every one I know and see uses clove hitches, to which they are welcome. It takes much longer to adjust a clove hitch, something that is often needed in a hurry when in strange harbours.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Who has had a clove hitch fail?
I haven't.
with 3 strand they end up locking themselves when left for any period of time and can be difficult to untie in a hurry.

I'll sick to what works for me thanks.

 

[Airscrew]

Clove hitch plus a hitch. Never lost one overwinter, on a pontoon on sometimes very windy river. Thats windy as in breeze, not windy as in ziigzag

 

[Greg2]

We use either a round turn and two half hitches or a clove hitch with a half hitch or two to make sure they don’t loosen. We rarely alter the height - they sit just under the lower rubbing strake and with the size of fender we have that caters for most moorings.

 

[NormanS]

My theory is that clove hitches are used to tie on fenders by people who don’t own boats - sailing school boats, charter boats, casual crew.
Bill paying owners use round turn and two half hitches.

In storms unattended boats seem to regularly lose fenders when just attached by clove hitches. Regularly reattaching other boats fenders falling off.
Just reported a newish boat lying hard GRP directly to wooden pontoon edge in Storm Kathleen - all the central fenders are missing. A pair at the stern, doing nothing, still attached by their clove hitches.

As the boat leans in the 50+ mph gusts often the fenders go below the pontoon, then the boat tries to right in a slight easing of the wind and the fenders just get pulled off. Hope the GRP isn’t too badly damaged,

And that's why we make fenders fast (with a round turn and two half hitches) to the base of the stanchions, and not to the guard wires.
(See another thread about that).

 

[DanTribe]

My personal preference is for a rolling hitch. Never lost a fender but have gained other people's.

 

[johnalison]

My personal preference is for a rolling hitch. Never lost a fender but have gained other people's.

A rolling hitch is a remarkable knot but I don’t quite see the application to fenders, since its chief function is to prevent slippage, and I doubt if even a rolling hitch would prevent movement along a wire. My first serious encounter with the rolling hitch was in 1956 when we spent a week in Salcombe with the Island Cruising Club. They had 13 1/2ft dinghies with gunter rig where the halyard had to be rolling hitched to the gaff and if you couldn’t do a decent hitch you couldn’t go sailing.
As I said in another thread, you need two hands to adjust a rolling hitch but only one to adjust a round turn and a slip hitch.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I always use a clove hitch - very quick to make, often with a half hitch when making final adjustments after initially tieing up.

 

[DanTribe]

A rolling hitch is a remarkable knot but I don’t quite see the application to fenders, since its chief function is to prevent slippage, and I doubt if even a rolling hitch would prevent movement along a wire. My first serious encounter with the rolling hitch was in 1956 when we spent a week in Salcombe with the Island Cruising Club. They had 13 1/2ft dinghies with gunter rig where the halyard had to be rolling hitched to the gaff and if you couldn’t do a decent hitch you couldn’t go sailing.
As I said in another thread, you need two hands to adjust a rolling hitch but only one to adjust a round turn and a slip hitch.

I take junior dinghy sailors from our club to give them experience of cruiser racing. They can usually quickly master the rolling hitch but the alternative usually ends up as a round turn and dozen half hitches. Something in beginners psyche says two isn't enough.

 

[mjcoon]

I take junior dinghy sailors from our club to give them experience of cruiser racing. They can usually quickly master the rolling hitch but the alternative usually ends up as a round turn and dozen half hitches. Something in beginners psyche says two isn't enough.

Of course the "two half-hitches" is a clove hitch in disguise!

 

[lustyd]

In storms unattended boats seem to regularly lose fenders when just attached by clove hitches

Not my experience at all. What I see are boats losing fenders because they cheaped out and used the polyprop rope that came free with the fender. That turns to dust in the outdoors and gives the fender company more business.

Sailing schools always use proper rope and rarely lose fenders despite the clove hitch

 

[michael_w]

Another vote for a rolling hitch. Quicker to adjust compared to the round turn and two half hitches and just as secure.

 

[jac]

Have only l;ost one fender and that was where it chafed through on the toe rail - My clove hitches ( and even those of my daughter) have not come undone - That said - 3 strand rope and with a reasonable tail may help.
We chartered once in Greece a few year ago and the lanyards on the fenders were so short that a fender at pontoon height would have left barely a couple of inches of tail if made fast ion the upper guardrail. I can imagine those going for a swim

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I wonder if those who use rolling hitches, mean clove hitches? Maybe a rolling hitch on a stanchion or a special fender line.

Clove Hitch
Clove Hitch – Rope End

Rolling Hitch
Rolling Hitch

 

[capnsensible]

Sometimes, if I had a lot of fenders on one side, for example strong wind pinning us on, I would tie some to the lower guardwire.

It may be that some people with lots of fenders are mooring between two other boats and a lazy line, Med mooring style?

Weve done a lot of that. Plus between a finger pontoon and a modern wide beam boat.

On out transat tootles on our Moody 33, the 14 fenders had to stay, suitably secured on deck. So tying them on properly was important.

On our school boats, 14 fenders was quite normal and every course ended with crew as black belt fender riggers. You would be surprised how many yachtmaster candidates were unsure of rigging fenders and dock lines. Obviously had good crew!!

 

[Daydream believer]

Coming in to port if it is not too rough & I am not sure if I will be rafted against another boat( fenders at gunwhale level) or against a regular pontoon( bottom of fender just clear of the water) then I do a clove hitch but do not take the last turn right through but leave a buterfly. Then I can just pull the end & it comes undone in a second. Of course there is always the risk that it can self loosen so one has to do it when in the port, not 1 mile away.
I always have the fender inboard when tying & then flip it over the side whilst still holding the tail end - just in case I have miss tied it. Same when recovering it. I bring it aboard then untie.
I do not fit to the rail at deck level because when sitting on the cabin side I cannot easily reach the deck. Plus if it were fixed to one of the loops in the rail it could not be easily slid along. Furthermore, if left there, the edges of the metal would probably chaffe the rope.