Rope fenders

[John Lewis]

Are the manilla rope fenders any good? Will they last long or do they eventually rot... Id like to buy a button for bow and a similar for the stern?

 

Thanks

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, John Lewis said:

Are the manilla rope fenders any good? Will they last long or do they eventually rot... Id like to buy a button for bow and a similar for the stern?

 

Thanks

 

 

Natural fibres will rot unless you give then a good coating (creosote ?) every year or two.

[Tracy D'arth]

Where can you buy manila rope fenders please?

[dave moore]

We had manilla fenders for almost 20 years. From New I treated them with colourless wood preservative every couple of years or so, until they became discoloured with age when I switched to brown Creocote, a creosote subsitute.

There are plenty of fender makers out there, depends where you are in the country. If it’s a button fender for the bow, it might be worth fitting a tyre over it to prolong the life.

[Chewbacka]

3 minutes ago, dave moore said:

We had manilla fenders for almost 20 years. From New I treated them with colourless wood preservative every couple of years or so, until they became discoloured with age when I switched to brown Creocote, a creosote subsitute.

There are plenty of fender makers out there, depends where you are in the country. If it’s a button fender for the bow, it might be worth fitting a tyre over it to prolong the life.

If you are going to put a manky tyre over it, why not get a polypropylene rope fender and not use the tyre, won’t rot and looks better

[BEngo]

My stern fenders date from 1991.  They were built by Derek Pearson at Marsworth.  I soaked them  in real creosote when new and they have had a coat or two each year since.  I reckon  they will do at least another five years.

 

The bow fender was torn to pieces in about 5 years, by gate bolts and things, so we have done without a fixed fender since.  If I had wrapped it in a slice of tyre tread to take the rubbing it would have lasted longer.

[David Mack]

22 minutes ago, BEngo said:

I soaked them  in real creosote when new and they have had a coat or two each year since. 

But since real creosote is no longer available, what do you soak them in now? All of the normal shed and fence treatments seem to be little more than coloured stains, with no preservative properties.

[dave moore]

Creocote is a less environmentally hazardous substitute for real creosote, available from Tool Station.

[dave moore]

2 hours ago, Chewbacka said:

If you are going to put a manky tyre over it, why not get a polypropylene rope fender and not use the tyre, won’t rot and looks better

I’m sorry, but as a staunch traditionalist, and black polypropylene wouldn’t cut it. Here’s the manky tyre, turned inside out and fitted to the button. Sorry about the photo, it’s a photo of a photo in our kitchen with too many lights.

[Alan de Enfield]

57 minutes ago, David Mack said:

But since real creosote is no longer available, what do you soak them in now? All of the normal shed and fence treatments seem to be little more than coloured stains, with no preservative properties.

 

I have been able to source 'proper' creosote from agricultural dealers (its apparently still allowed in commercial use, but not safe for 'the public')

[Rob-M]

I've had my new bow fender soaking in creocote for a while and itt has a tyre fitted. This was it pre lockdown when I first put it on.

 

[TheBiscuits]

57 minutes ago, dave moore said:

I’m sorry, but as a staunch traditionalist, and black polypropylene wouldn’t cut it

 

The colour or the material?

 

 

Polyprop rope is available in many different colours.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, dave moore said:

Creocote is a less environmentally hazardous substitute for real creosote, available from Tool Station.

But does it have any preservative properties? "Less environmentally hazardous" means it doesn't kill the sorts of things that rot rope.

[David Mack]

23 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I have been able to source 'proper' creosote from agricultural dealers (its apparently still allowed in commercial use, but not safe for 'the public')

A quick google shows plenty of suppliers, although they shouldn't sell to the general public, and it isn't available from retail outlets.

[robtheplod]

Presume this is all to stop them going green?  if the proper stuff isn't available, what else would do the trick?

[dave moore]

41 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

The colour or the material?

 

 

Polyprop rope is available in many different colours.

The respondents stated black poly. No, I didn’t know it was available in a natural colour. 

[John Lewis]

Ya I like the colour of the manilla rope as it looks natural, wasn't too keen on soaking in creosote as I thought it might turn it a funny colour. 

 

I think I saw a video from the black pig maker on YouTube where he was making a button fender for bow, and he actually uses old tyres in the making of it.

[Chewbacka]

1 hour ago, dave moore said:

I’m sorry, but as a staunch traditionalist, and black polypropylene wouldn’t cut it. Here’s the manky tyre, turned inside out and fitted to the button. Sorry about the photo, it’s a photo of a photo in our kitchen with too many

Each to their own, but I wouldn’t call old tyres traditional ?

Edited January 20, 2021 by Chewbacka

[mrsmelly]

4 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Where can you buy manila rope fenders please?

Good manilla is very expensive and not on the shelf at many places. A million years ago that was what we used on the Grey funnel line and it was lovely on the hands and lovely to splice. Twas heavy the size we used but first rate. I would love some fenders made out of proper manila but I would think it would be price prohibitive these days?

[dave moore]

24 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Each to their own, but I wouldn’t call old tyres traditional ?

That’s funny, I recall a good few working boats with them fitted. Of course, fenders were used in those days. Working uphill in narrow locks, the boat was left in head gear, ticking over, the fender rising as the boat rose too. As the level was made, the boat opened the top gate and made it’s way out. Frowned upon. today, I expect....

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, dave moore said:

Working uphill in narrow locks, the boat was left in head gear, ticking over, the fender rising as the boat rose too. As the level was made, the boat opened the top gate and made it’s way out. Frowned upon. today, I expect....

 

I have been scowled at by CRT volunteer lockies for teaching people this technique, but they couldn't say why thy didn't approve.

 

I do it anyway - it's far simpler than any other technique and quite a bit faster than most.   Drop the paddles while the boat is moving out of the lock, knock it into astern just before it clears the gate then close the gate and the boat is right there to step on.

 

I don't approve of people who hang back in the lock and then ram the gate hard before the level is made though.

[Keeping Up]

6 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Drop the paddles while the boat is moving out of the lock, knock it into astern just before it clears the gate then close the gate and the boat is right there to step on.

Exactly the same technique here!

[NB Alnwick]

1 hour ago, dave moore said:

That’s funny, I recall a good few working boats with them fitted. Of course, fenders were used in those days. Working uphill in narrow locks, the boat was left in head gear, ticking over, the fender rising as the boat rose too. As the level was made, the boat opened the top gate and made it’s way out. Frowned upon. today, I expect....

That's what I do when working the boat single handed but I came unstuck once when coming uphill from Northampton: On the penultimate lock, I got distracted - it was a summer Sunday afternoon with lots of gongoozlers - I failed to get the boat into reverse, after I had closed the top gate I went to get back on when I saw the boat chugging away on its own toward the next lock. The boat was already too far away for me to catch it and I had stupidly thrown the stern line back on board. With so many onlookers, the only thing to do was to walk up to the next lock and open the gates - fortunately not too much water to let out and as I did so, the boat entered the lock on its own and came to a stop when it was near the top gate. As I closed the bottom gates one of the onlookers remarked "I can see you've done that before" - if only! They had no way of knowing how much I was panicking . . .

 

[John Lewis]

2 minutes ago, NB Alnwick said:

That's what I do when working the boat single handed but I came unstuck once when coming uphill from Northampton: On the penultimate lock, I got distracted - it was a summer Sunday afternoon with lots of gongoozlers - I failed to get the boat into reverse, after I had closed the top gate I went to get back on when I saw the boat chugging away on its own toward the next lock. The boat was already too far away for me to catch it and I had stupidly thrown the stern line back on board. With so many onlookers, the only thing to do was to walk up to the next lock and open the gates - fortunately not too much water to let out and as I did so, the boat entered the lock on its own and came to a stop when it was near the top gate. As I closed the bottom gates one of the onlookers remarked "I can see you've done that before" - if only! They had no way of knowing how much I was panicking . . .

 

And that person was.......... Jeff Bridges!

[koukouvagia]

Traditional rope fenders can last for at least ten years if they receive an annual dunking in creocote.  Beware, it takes weeks for the creocote to drain off.