which fenders

[juragirl]

So our newly purchased wee narrowboat is being blacked - has no fenders so we need some. Which types do you experienced narrowboaters use? Any advice appreciated!

Edited February 20, 2019 by juragirl

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, juragirl said:

So our newly purchased wee narrowboat is being blacked - has no fenders so we need some. Which types do you experienced narrowboaters use? Any advice appreciated!

Please make sure that whatever type you get you dont use them whilst on the move as they are for fending off when moored or manouvering in tight spots. Never for dangling in locks be they wide or narrow.

[Stilllearning]

3 minutes ago, juragirl said:

So our newly purchased wee narrowboat is being blacked - has no fenders so we need some. Which types do you experienced narrowboaters use? Any advice appreciated!

These. https://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/fender-rubber-tubular-cw-rope-10630-p.asp were always my favourite, but only used when mooring!

[doratheexplorer]

Do you understand what you've done?

Assuming you mean side fenders:

 

Whatever you do with fenders, it will be wrong.  Leave them up, leave them down, rubber, rope, too many, not enough...etc...

 

My advice, buy whatever is cheapest and keep a look out for more when cruising.  I find them quite often.

 

Use them how ever you like.  leave them down, pub them up.  don't have any at all.  Do what you fancy.  You can't win.

 

The only vaguely decent argument for hoisting them up is because you can get hung-up/stuck in locks.  However, a better solution to this is to keep an eye on your boat.  Most lock sinkings are caused by cilling.  Side fenders won't make a difference there.

 

 

Or do you mean bow/stern fenders?  That's a whole other can of worms.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Go Kart tyres are hard to beat. Cheap, sometimes free and are thick enough to cope with a lot of wriggle in the bank side.

 

Jen

[juragirl]

Thank you both. What do you think about these? https://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/fender-side-mc-type-black-poly-10631-p.asp

Thank you also Dora and Jen - I had no idea it was such a contentious issue! I mean side fenders to stop the boat rubbing when moored. Thank you for the suggestions so far!

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, juragirl said:

Thank you both. What do you think about these? https://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/fender-side-mc-type-black-poly-10631-p.asp

Thank you also Dora and Jen - I had no idea it was such a contentious issue! I mean side fenders to stop the boat rubbing when moored. Thank you for the suggestions so far!

Ahh at least you know what fenders are for. Leaving them down is naff showing poor boating skills and absolutely not needed. Jen is right in go cart tyres are great for the job. You need quite wide fenders when mooring against an uneven concrete edge or indeed the Shroppie shelf just as for instances.

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, juragirl said:

Thank you both. What do you think about these? https://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/fender-side-mc-type-black-poly-10631-p.asp

Thank you also Dora and Jen - I had no idea it was such a contentious issue! I mean side fenders to stop the boat rubbing when moored. Thank you for the suggestions so far!

Too expensive for me. You could almost get a  set of four tube ones for that price.

[Boater Sam]

On the Shroppy you need car wheels because of the step, alloy ( lighter & no rust ) with good tyres, don't mix radials and crossplies.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Boater Sam
smellings & Added

[Stilllearning]

4 minutes ago, juragirl said:

Thank you both. What do you think about these? https://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/fender-side-mc-type-black-poly-10631-p.asp

Thank you also Dora and Jen - I had no idea it was such a contentious issue! I mean side fenders to stop the boat rubbing when moored. Thank you for the suggestions so far!

Those are fine too, for when moored up. The main use is, in my experience, to stop the noise of hull against the steel piled edging that is so common on canals, and to go some way towards protection of the hull paintwork. 

There is a long history of arguments, both online and elsewhere, about having fenders hanging down as one goes boating. I wouldn’t leave them hanging, but others do.

Always lift them up out of the way when working a lock though, as they really can be dangerous in a lock.

Have fun boating

 

[juragirl]

Thank you everyone and thank you for the good wishes Stilllearning!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, Boater Sam said:

On the Shroppy you need car wheels because of the step, alloy ( lighter & no rust ) with good tyres, don't mix radials and crossplies.

And a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm to pass the Boat Safety Scheme examination. ?

I hide my kart tyre fenders during the exam as they are racing slicks.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Mad Harold]

Opinions on fenders vary. It used to be considered poor seamanship to cruise with fenders down. Still is with some people.

I have five rubber pipe fenders a side,and they are down all the time apart from when using narrow locks.When mooring up,they prevent a lot of hull scraping,although you can bet that the hull will scratch where there isn't a fender.

[dmr]

A few of us think that boats and boaty things should look good and be a bit traditional, so those rope fenders are just perfect. They are also practical as they have about the right amount of "give" and when they fall in they float so you can recover them. The rubber tube fenders are a bit too hard and look naff, but mostly they are really anti-social...when they fall off (mostly due to cruising with them down) they sink but the rope floats making them perfect for getting caught in peoples props. I do have a couple of them (found round the prop) as there are a few moorings where their sinking characteristic can be useful such as protecting the baseplate edge from a gently sloping wash wall (Rochdale).

 

Go cart (and car) tyres also look really naff but are quite useful in some places, maybe get a couple and keep them out of sight when not needed.

 

.............Dave

[system 4-50]

 I live on the SU so I use 17" alloys which give me a good night's sleep on any bank edge except the very wide crenellated vertical steel reinforcing that can be be found on some embankments.

I always lift them in locks(!).  

I think you could probably sink a boat with the pipe-type fenders?  Go into Hurleston lock with them resting on the gunnel, have them drop down and jamb so the boat is left hanging as the water empties, then have them slip so the boat drops suddenly, one end first.  It would be tricky but it could be done if you try hard.

I only cruise with my wheels in as far as the water point, usually backwards.

Sometimes the little blue bottle fenders can be useful for quick use, anybody know what pressure they should be at?

[Sally Grim]

We usually cruise with our fenders up. One day we'd forgot, and going out of a lock the rope got caught in the lock gate. It pulled one of our nav lights right off. The fender was OK, though! 

[howardang]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Too expensive for me. You could almost get a  set of four tube ones for that price.

Learn to make them - it's satisfying and  simple taking only an hour or so for each one, -and they cost nothing if you give old mooring ropes a new lease of life.

 

Howard

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, juragirl said:

Thank you both. What do you think about these? https://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/fender-side-mc-type-black-poly-10631-p.asp

Thank you also Dora and Jen - I had no idea it was such a contentious issue! I mean side fenders to stop the boat rubbing when moored. Thank you for the suggestions so far!

In that case I must say I prefer rope ones,  I have used Gocart probably my second favourite , followed by the oblong plastic ones and finally pipe fenders. I also carry a couple of wheelbarrow wheels and tyres for where I need to be a bit further out.

[Tony Brooks]

30 minutes ago, howardang said:

Learn to make them - it's satisfying and  simple taking only an hour or so for each one, -and they cost nothing if you give old mooring ropes a new lease of life.

 

Howard

I happen not to like rope side fenders much - also bow fenders. Get tatty too quickly and degrade with UV because I  use polyprop lines. As my side fenders are only used when actually morred up I and others can't see them and are cheap and easy to replace when they get nicked.

[juragirl]

Thank you all for the great advice! Love the idea of making them - is there a youtube video about it (there usually is about everything)? Would love to get hubby into making them - will keep him busy on the long summer nights we hope to have on the canal! Thank you again everyone

[Scholar Gypsy]

My last trip down the weedhatch was to untangle a pipe fender that had become detached.  So please don't use them while you are cruising. I tend to use quite large and squashy ones when mooring, and with spring lines.

[howardang]

37 minutes ago, juragirl said:

Thank you all for the great advice! Love the idea of making them - is there a youtube video about it (there usually is about everything)? Would love to get hubby into making them - will keep him busy on the long summer nights we hope to have on the canal! Thank you again everyone

here you go - there are many other videos available if you need them. Just let me know.

 

If you use old 

mooring ropes and you find them too thick, unravel each strand (tape off the end first to keep the lay and they should be the ideal size and make three separate fenders. Of course you could also buy new rope of the appropriate size - 6 - 8 mm diam but that would incur a cost as opposed to using old rope.

 

 

 

Howard

Edited February 20, 2019 by howardang

[ditchcrawler]

12 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

My last trip down the weedhatch was to untangle a pipe fender that had become detached.  So please don't use them while you are cruising. I tend to use quite large and squashy ones when mooring, and with spring lines.

I have had a few like that as well

 

[X Alan W]

3 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

On the Shroppy you need car wheels because of the step, alloy ( lighter & no rust ) with good tyres, don't mix radials and crossplies.

If you know where to get fabric carcass Cross Ply Tyres the Coir/ Rope fender makers would possibly ex change for a few beers or other goodies as they make by far & away the best outer cover for rope type Bow /Stearn fenders It always amazes me that a boat with between 2/5 guard irons needs fenders other than 2/3 of whatever type you choose "twixt"boat /bank Side fenders more so in locks cause problems that can be avoided

[juragirl]

Howardang - thank you so much! Will entice hubby into watching that - knowing him he will be excited at the prospect of having a go! We need to replace our mooring ropes as I think the ones we have are a little too thin so we can use them to make fenders - win/win! Thank you again - will let you know how we get on or if we have any questions!