The best fender knot

[Zing]

A round turn and two half hitches or a clove hitch or maybe a bowline? My vote is a clove hitch. Quick and easy to adjust. My pal thinks a round turn.., but it is slow and more than very slow and a PITA, so I think he is wrong. A bowline has its place elsewhere. What do you think and what is the vote? BTW, where have the survey options gone?

 

[LadyInBed]

I used to use a clove hitch finished with a half hitch but now use a round turn and two half hitches. Not sure why I changed but happy with either.

 

[Gary Fox]

CH usually, a rolling hitch round a stanchion to avoid jamming

 

[Skysail]

A clove hitch initially for easy adjustment, then a half hitch to secure.

 

[Sea-Fever]

Not exactly sure what it's called but a clove hitch except you put a bight underneath the turn instead of running it straight through so it's easier to undo.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Clove hitches are ok for an initial quick fix but they’re not very secure and for that reason I changed over to using a round turn and two half hitches a long time ago. I appreciate that several people have said they add a hitch on the standing part of the line to their clove hitches to make them secure, but in that case you might as well tie a round turn and two half hitches IMHO as it’s not any slower to tie.
In the end it’s not exactly a life and death decision and you or your crew could use any variation of the infamous Pussers Dhobi hitch (as beloved by RN sailors who can’t tie knots) so long as your fenders don’t fall off and float away.

 

[PilotWolf]

Or this!

W

 

[john_morris_uk]

Or this!View attachment 116635

W

It’s not often a Pussers Dhobi hitch is captured in such detail by the camera.

 

[PilotWolf]

It’s not often a Pussers Dhobi hitch is captured in such detail by the camera.

It’s courtesy of one the actual deck crew who knew what they were doing.

W

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Mostly a slippery clove hitch. You do lose one now and then but picking them out of the water is good practise.

 

[michael_w]

Rolling hitch. At first tied with a slip for easy adjustment. Slip pulled out when leaving the boat. Quick to tie and adjust, yet secure; What's not to like?

 

[PilotWolf]

It’s courtesy of one the actual deck crew who knew what they were doing.

Should clarify the pic is his not the knot.

W

 

[john_morris_uk]

W

It’s courtesy of one the actual deck crew who knew what they were doing.

Knew what they were doing with a camera rather than knew what they were doing with fender knots I assume.

 

[PilotWolf]

W

Knew what they were doing with a camera rather than knew what they were doing with fender knots I assume.

No, he certainly knew what he was doing, hence one of the few I’d trust.

He took this and several others just out of disbelief - we shared the disappointment of the training scheme.

W.

 

[john_morris_uk]

No, he certainly knew what he was doing, hence one of the few I’d trust.

He took this and several others just out of disbelief - we shared the disappointment of the training scheme.

W.

Understood. I interpreted your previous post that the crew had tied it himself.

 

[TiggerToo]

Round turn and two HH.
And not around the lifelines, please (i.e. not what it looks like on TT's avatar ;-))

 

[michael_w]

If your guardwires are that weedy they can't carry a few fenders, they aren't going to stop anyone falling overboard.

 

[RJJ]

If your guardwires are that weedy they can't carry a few fenders, they aren't going to stop anyone falling overboard.

They are only as strong as the stanchion bases, which in almost all boats isn't very strong. And if the stanchions bend even a tiny bit the wire goes floppy. They aren't a great device for keeping you on board unless you're three feet tall.

Ideally, nobody touches the stanchions or guardrails. Not for boarding, not for fending off. I tell people to assume (for "staying on board" purposes) they aren't there.

Our fenders are attached with RTTHH at the base of the stanchions or anything else at deck level. A clove hitch is OK if you're in a hurry but should always be wrapped around a stanchion head, not in the middle of a length of wire. We don't have floppy guardrails.

 

[Homer J]

They are only as strong as the stanchion bases, which in almost all boats isn't very strong. And if the stanchions bend even a tiny bit the wire goes floppy. They aren't a great device for keeping you on board unless you're three feet tall.

Ideally, nobody touches the stanchions or guardrails. Not for boarding, not for fending off. I tell people to assume (for "staying on board" purposes) they aren't there.

Our fenders are attached with RTTHH at the base of the stanchions or anything else at deck level. A clove hitch is OK if you're in a hurry but should always be wrapped around a stanchion head, not in the middle of a length of wire. We don't have floppy guardrails.

I don’t have floppy guardrails either and I always tie to them, this allows the fenders to be slid left or right to where they are needed and not just at the stanchion. Each to their own of course and was interested to hear your views.

 

[Refueler]

If your guardwires are that weedy they can't carry a few fenders, they aren't going to stop anyone falling overboard.

Most guardlines would not stop a serious fall anyway ... there are many boats with stanchions with machine bolts into the GRP with nothing behind ...

Personally I prefer to attach my fenders to chainplates / spare cleats if possible avoiding that pull on guardwires as boat ranges .. and the knot ? Depends on what its made to .. but generally Clove Hitch with slip half hitch of the free end to lock.