How do you hang your fenders.

[B27]

I'm amazed that so many forum boats have all these stanchion bases exactly where every fender is needed!
I've almost always needed to use the lower lifeline to get the fenders in the right place.

 

[Sea Change]

I'm amazed that so many forum boats have all these stanchion bases exactly where every fender is needed!
I've almost always needed to use the lower lifeline to get the fenders in the right place.

If your fenders are fat enough then you have a fair bit of leeway in where you put them, I generally find.

 

[johnalison]

Guard wires every time. With a clove hitch. It's then simple to slide fenders fore/aft or raise/lower as appropriate. Once secured, an additional half hitch makes sure the fenders don't desert.

Clove hitches are not permitted on my boat. My fenders are tied with a round turn and a slip hitch as we approach, which are converted to 2 HHs when we are berthed. A slip hitch can be adjusted much more quickly, even with one hand if necessary. It's my boat and I'll do what I want, but I'm not saying this is the only or 'right' way.

One advantage of putting fenders on the top wire is that a long fender will hang vertically, while one attached lower down may stick out at an angle on some boats if they are at the appropriate height.

 

[Refueler]

Clove hitches are not permitted on my boat.

For any thing ? But I suppose you allow Cow Hitch - the most insecure hitch imaginable ??

I understand you use a round turn and slip .... fair enough ... I use a Clove hitch with final part of hitch is as a slip if its temporary ... if its more longer term - then the free end after the clove hitch is half-hitched back on the fender rope to make doubly secure.

Cow hitch as example is used as the first part of a chain stopper on ships wires - because it doesn't lock up and literally falls away on its own. If the more secure Clove hitch was used - then it would be near impossible to remove the stopper as the chain would interlock.

 

[bedouin]

For any thing ? But I suppose you allow Cow Hitch - the most insecure hitch imaginable ??

I like cow hitches - they look so pleasingly symmetrical

 

[Refueler]

I like cow hitches - they look so pleasingly symmetrical

Fine when you watch your fenders and anything else Cow hitched disappearing of in the distance ...

 

[johnalison]

For any thing ? But I suppose you allow Cow Hitch - the most insecure hitch imaginable ??

I understand you use a round turn and slip .... fair enough ... I use a Clove hitch with final part of hitch is as a slip if its temporary ... if its more longer term - then the free end after the clove hitch is half-hitched back on the fender rope to make doubly secure.

Cow hitch as example is used as the first part of a chain stopper on ships wires - because it doesn't lock up and literally falls away on its own. If the more secure Clove hitch was used - then it would be near impossible to remove the stopper as the chain would interlock.

I only use a sort of cow hitch for a specific purpose. When mooring overnight on a swinging mooring I will pass the loop on my mooring line through the ring and put the line through the loop forming a sort of looped cow hitch on the mooring ring. This prevents chafe on my line, and recovery is assisted by a light line attached to the loop. A loose second line is used as a back-up.

 

[Boathook]

Coming into an unknown berth fenders are attached to the top guard wire for ease. Once berthed i will adjust to stanchion posts at low level or to other strong places as appropriate.

My main concern entering a berth is not to hit anything, tie up and then adjust fenders and lines to suit berth and or boat.

 

[Momac]

On flat roofs on commercial buildings, safety railings around an accessible roof need to be strong enough to stop somebody falling over the edge. It's not much different on a boat, with similar consequences. If a worker fell through the guardrail system the HSE would be all over it and somebody would be sued. Why not with boats guardrail systems?

Indeed the design loads for balustrades in buildings are defined in standards. I wouldn't know about standards for pleasure boats but the same design loads would not be viable.

 

[geem]

Indeed the design loads for balustrades in buildings are defined in standards. I wouldn't know about standards for pleasure boats but the same design loads would not be viable.

Of course not, a boat moves. However, designing stanchions to be far stronger with through bolted stanchion bases is not beyond the ability of designers.

 

[Sneaky Pete]

For the majority who do tie fenders to the guard wires, why the upper one and not the lower one?

It's something to do with repetitive strain if you are tall, the lower wires come under D.E.I. they are for the crew who are vertically challenged (inclusion) and can't reach the top wire.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Top rail for me. Easy to put out and recover and slide. Particularly when single handed.

Slippery clove hitch for attachment. Should probably re-attach to aluminium toe rail
later but never do.

Looking around, it only seems to be big high freeboard boats that attach them elsewhere . Stanchions never seem to be in the right place sometimes.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I was out sailing with a friend on returning to marina I set out the fenders along the side we would be docking on. I have always tied the fender line onto the guard wire, no bending easy to slide along for positioning against pontoon. However I was told that on this particular boat the fender line is attached to the stantion base as tieing to the guard wire will cause the wire to stretch. Never heard of that one. Where do you tie yours.

Wherever the skipper tells me to... ;o)