Hi. Fender lines

[alahol2]

One catamaran I occasionally skipper locally uses the lower hole of the fender. Some thin line and a plastic clip is secured to each one. Instead of taking ages to stow fenders and rig them again 4 hours later, my crew simply lift the fender horizontally and secure them with clip to guard wire. Simple and outside the wires so free gangway for the punters.

I like this idea. A friend of mine who is now a bit old and a bit dodgy on his feet quite often asks me to take him out on his boat, a very tidy Beneteau 331. So I rigged drop em and go dock lines and put those clips on the fenders, 9 of them. As it's normally only for a few hours, it's perfect.

Might do that on my yacht for short trips round to anchor off the beach. Easy life.

Join all the bottoms with a rope led aft and you can lift all the fenders horizontally from the cockpit, no need for crew to handle them.

 

[Poignard]

Anyone else use the bottom eye?

Sometimes

 

[capnsensible]

Join all the bottoms with a rope led aft and you can lift all the fenders horizontally from the cockpit, no need for crew to handle them.

I can see that being very useful on smaller boats. But on a 40 foot catamaran, the weight would be a toughie. Good idea though.

 

[NormanS]

Does anyone tie their fender lines round the bottom of the stanchions, at least after you're tied up?

Yes, always. I hate seeing them sloppily tied to the guard wires. In any sea, or wash for example, the fender can put a very unfair load on the guard wires.
As to lines, is that not what the good bits of retired halyards or sheets are for?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

My 4 main fenders have lines attached at both ends so that they can be used horizontally. The 'bottom' rope is normally half hitched to the 'upper' rope when used vertically. Anyone else use the bottom eye?

As our boat is set for drying alongside we set some fenders horizontal against pier or wharf uprights. This needs cordage on both ends of fender. In the fairly tidal waters however horizontal is not the default for the other fenders