Fenders: One of the weird things...

[langstonelayabout]

I’ve just noticed that one contributor has just mentioned in another thread that he dislikes fenders stowed over the stern of a boat. This got me thinking…

I’ve always been keen on stowing fenders as soon as possible after leaving the pontoon. For years I stuffed them under the shelf at the back of the cockpit but they didn’t all fit. They always got in the way in the cockpit. A b* nuisance.

After a few charters in Greece I’ve taken to hanging them over the stern rail. Not tidy I know but out of the way.

My new boat will also make this difficult and not having any fender stacking room in the cockpit I’m wondering what the best and most seamanlike thing to do with them is. Does anyone have any suggestions? (Short of leaving them attached to the pontoon)

 

[jac]

Firstly - how many do you really need? 4 plus a couple of round ones should be plenty in most circumstances. Of those will you use all of them all the time. That may trim the numbers you need to deal with.

If you have an out of the way / awkward locker you could shove the round / least used ones there.

If you haven't got lockers and can't tie to the stern rail I think you have two choices.

1) stow them down below - maybe on a spare bunk ( 1/4 berths were always great for that)
2) attach a suitable securing point at the rear of the cockpit, stow the fenders by attaching to said point and then over the stern of the boat - same as attaching to the stern rail - just made fast to a different place.

Some boats do fit fender holders in the same way that mobos do but imho these usually end up in the way of the genoa if in the pulpit or restrict movement on the sidedecks if by the dodgers.

 

[flaming]

Many boats have very large anchor lockers that will swallow many fenders.

 

[Daydream believer]

As a single handed sailor i always hang the fenders over the stern so they are ready to hand whilst at the tiller as i approach a marina. My wife says i look like a charter boat so i leave them there to wind her up!!

 

[sailorman]

As a single handed sailor i always hang the fenders over the stern so they are ready to hand whilst at the tiller as i approach a marina. My wife says i look like a charter boat so i leave them there to wind her up!!

S/Handed i stow them inside the stern rail

 

[Wandering Star]

I ask my wife to hold them or stow them in her voluminous handbag.

 

[macd]

Firstly - how many do you really need? 4 plus a couple of round ones should be plenty in most circumstances.

The OP specifically mentioned chartering in Greece. For the end-to berthing which is common in the Med, six is a bare minimum, eight better. Even where side-to is common, having fenders on only the landward side is expecting a degree of consideration from anyone who berths alongside you which sometimes they don't possess.

 

[rotrax]

We have six big un's and two smaller-but still big by comparison with many boats-plus two A1 ball fenders for stern to berthing.

Our new boat has two big stern lazarettes, one takes the six large fenders and the ball fenders easily and neatly, the other the liferaft, emergency steering gear, inflatable canoe, a big bucket with the refuelling gear if we need to fill from drums plus other bits and bobs.

The two smaller fenders currently live tied on the stern.

We do have plenty of room in the anchor locker with easy access which would take four fenders quite easily.

I do appreciate however that not all boats offer this accomadation for fenders.

We are happy to carry them, and it is surprising how often they are deployed. In Weymouth last week we had four other boats rafted outside us, the outer two unable to rig shore lines.

As macd says, an excess of fenders are often essential in certain locations...............................

 

[johnalison]

We normally carry six cylinders, of which five go in the anchor locker and one in the cockpit locker, plus one flat fender behind a saloon berth. I would like to have a could of blobs but they are hard to stow. I once bought a large ball, necessary because our then marina neighbour was a Wally and I wanted to protect our stern. The trouble was that I couldn't find a locker for it and it wouldn't even go through the door into the fo'c's'le, so had to live in the car.

 

[Resolution]

I once bought a large ball, necessary because our then marina neighbour was a Wally and I wanted to protect our stern. The trouble was that I couldn't find a locker for it and it wouldn't even go through the door into the fo'c's'le, so had to live in the car.

I also have a large ball (fender, for those with disgusting minds) which we found one day floating down Southampton Water. Like yours, it will not fit into any locker, so has now spent five years hanging over my transom. And wonderfully effective now we are in the Med and mooring stern to most of the time. Thank you, Wilson.

 

[Leighb]

We have 2 larger cylinders and 6 smaller, plus 2 dumpies, they all fit in the starboard cockpit locker, along with all the warps, kedge anchor and the cables for shorepower.

I personally dislike the look of fenders hung on the aft rail but appreciate that some boats don't have enough locker space.

 

[geem]

We have four normal cylinder types and five Avon hypalon fenders. There is also one large deflated cylinder type in the bilges for storm situations. We dont have any fenders on deck when sailing. In fact I dislike anything on deck when sailing. We try to minimise it.
The Avon fenders make a huge difference. They a lot bigger than normal fenders at 100cm long so afford lots of protection. They deflate to nothing so super easy to stow

 

[LittleSister]

I think fenders over the stern rail look good on a big, proper old rufty-tufty cruising boat, but a bit of an eyesore on a smart AWB or the like.

I wouldn't be happy trying to manage with just four fenders, I slimmed down our cargo of fenders a while back, and am now down to the 'bare minimum' of
8 decent sized sausage fenders,
i biggish ball 'roving' (=panic stations) fender for tight manouevre situations,
a tiny sausage fender for buoying lines, etc., and
a bow fender.

And that's on a 23 footer!

Fortunately, they all fit in our cavernous cockpit locker, along with an inflatable, largish fuel tank, jerry can, lots of ropes, a couple of buckets, and various odds and sods. Can't imagine how I'd manage with the joke sized lockers on some modern boats.

 

[steve yates]

I leave em all out in position, I have about 4 each side and a bow fender. They are all different ones too

 

[Wansworth]

I leave em all out in position, I have about 4 each side and a bow fender. They are all different ones too

What doesbthe club committee think of that......I. wonder

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I leave em all out in position, I have about 4 each side and a bow fender. They are all different ones too

Chap at our club was spotted doing that.

When leaving the committee room, as is customary, he picked up the diver's boots , put them on,
saluted in the direction of Windsor Castle and threw himself off the end of D pontoon.

We never saw the bounder again. Lost three like that..............

 

[LittleSister]

Chap at our club was spotted doing that.

When leaving the committee room, as is customary, he picked up the diver's boots , put them on,
saluted in the direction of Windsor Castle and threw himself off the end of D pontoon.

We never saw the bounder again. Lost three like that..............

That's the spirit!

 

[jonjo]

My new boat will also make this difficult and not having any fender stacking room in the cockpit I’m wondering what the best and most seamanlike thing to do with them is. Does anyone have any suggestions? (Short of leaving them attached to the pontoon)

This season I implemented a containerized system for my deep cockpit locker and as a result of fitting two stacks of rectangular boxes into the curved locker shape I created ideal slots for 3 of my cylinder fenders and the 4th goes in the anchor locker. This leaves two large ball fenders that have to hang over the stern out of necessity.

When departing in a rush for a short passage the two ball fenders sit on the floor of the aft cabin and self lock in position and 3 cylinder fenders stack between the main cabin table legs and port bunkside.

 

[doug748]

3 things I hate to see, fenders stowed above decks, canvas sheds on the back of boats and those dreadful American Windgens that make more noise than electricity.

Bloke next to me has just Foxtrot Oskered, leaving his crappy, screeching windmill, shed flapping and fenders dangling. Why me, I have not been a bad man.

 

[pathfinder]

I’ve just noticed that one contributor has just mentioned in another thread that he dislikes fenders stowed over the stern of a boat. This got me thinking…

I’ve always been keen on stowing fenders as soon as possible after leaving the pontoon. For years I stuffed them under the shelf at the back of the cockpit but they didn’t all fit. They always got in the way in the cockpit. A b* nuisance.

After a few charters in Greece I’ve taken to hanging them over the stern rail. Not tidy I know but out of the way.

My new boat will also make this difficult and not having any fender stacking room in the cockpit I’m wondering what the best and most seamanlike thing to do with them is. Does anyone have any suggestions? (Short of leaving them attached to the pontoon)

I have always tied my fenders to the alu toerail because of the downward pull on the guard wires in choppy conditions. When I leave the pontoon I simply lift the fenders and tie the bottom eye to the upper guardwire with short pieces of cord with plastic hooks which are permanently attached to the wires, this way the fenders are stowed outside the guard rail and don't obstruct the side decks. It take just seconds to deploy them when returning to the berth and the height is right every time. Not the prettiest solution but very practical.