Fender Chain Protection

[Adam]

What do you all recommend for protecting the paintwork from the fender securing chains? I notice some boats have a Hessian type material sleeved over them but unable to find a supplier?

[Peugeot 106]

Bicycle inner tubes

[Rob-M]

Bit of hose pipe

[Tonka]

The correct answer is don't use chain or steel shackles to attach to the boat. Use rope shackles, problem gone

[magnetman]

Bulletproof kevlar wrap from decommissioned police vests. 

1 minute ago, Tonka said:

The correct answer is don't use chain or steel shackles to attach to the boat. Use rope shackles, problem gone

Yes also this helps to detach the fender if it gets caught. If using chain it is imperative to split a link on each part with the angel grinder, hacksaw or bolt croppers. 

 

 

[blackrose]

24 minutes ago, Tonka said:

The correct answer is don't use chain or steel shackles to attach to the boat. Use rope shackles, problem gone

 

Yes, why are you using chains?

[Iain_S]

I use self amalgamating tape. Do have a weak link, but would like to ensure that fender remains attached to boat!

[Tonka]

Just now, Iain_S said:

I use self amalgamating tape. Do have a weak link, but would like to ensure that fender remains attached to boat!

Fender costs a couple of hundred quid. Boat costs thousands of pounds and you're worried about the fender

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

51 minutes ago, Adam said:

What do you all recommend for protecting the paintwork from the fender securing chains? I notice some boats have a Hessian type material sleeved over them but unable to find a supplier?

can’t say it’s something that’s ever crossed my mind,

I’m sure chains at front hang clear of the paint,

I’ll have it check it out,

but shan’t lose sleep in meantime. 

[jacko264]

Do you mean the front fender?  
how about heat shrink over the chains

side fenders rope 

G

[Iain_S]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

Fender costs a couple of hundred quid. Boat costs thousands of pounds and you're worried about the fender

Well, yes.

I am, however, satisfied that a fender hang up will not result in a boat hang up.

[matty40s]

We tend to use heat shrink over the chains of they risk touching our carefully applied paint.

[Adam]

Thank you for the responses.

 

 

We have very small D links on the bottom chains of the fender as a weak point. You don't really need the bottom chains though.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

11 hours ago, Adam said:

Thank you for the responses.

 

 

We have very small D links on the bottom chains of the fender as a weak point. You don't really need the bottom chains though.

Not using the bottom chains greatly reduces the chance of a hang up when the boat is descending a lock, or the water level is otherwise dropping relative to a fixed structure. Gravity keeps the fender in place, held from above.

[Peugeot 106]

Or cable ties but I’ve left one fastening as a shackle so I don’t lose the fender. I got hung up on a bolt sticking out of the gate on the Middlewich Deep lock. It was my own fault I was talking to the guy on the boat next to me. Neither of us noticed until the bow was up in the air and there was an almighty crash and splash as the tie snapped so it worked. 
I was very lucky as I only fitted the ties that year

[Annie cariad]

Doing something new Matt ... carefully applied paint 🎨......

[matty40s]

12 minutes ago, Annie cariad said:

Doing something new Matt ... carefully applied paint 🎨......

We apply it carefully, what you owners do with your boats and bridge holes afterwards is entirely your choice.....

[Peugeot 106]

15 hours ago, Peugeot 106 said:

Bicycle inner tubes

Or suggest you google “tubular webbing” if you want something posher!

[IanD]

31 minutes ago, Peugeot 106 said:

Or suggest you google “tubular webbing” if you want something posher!

 

[Tonka]

17 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

That would be so much smarter with rope shackles attaching the chain to the boat 

[IanD]

4 minutes ago, Tonka said:

That would be so much smarter with rope shackles attaching the chain to the boat 

And this is why people are put off from posting pictures on CWDF... 😉 

[Tonka]

Just now, IanD said:

And this is why people are put off from posting pictures on CWDF... 😉 

It would save the paint work. 

I wasn't rude. 

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, Tonka said:

It would save the paint work. 

I wasn't rude. 

Sorry, it's just that every single time I post a picture to try and be helpful, somebody nit-picks fault with it... 😞 

 

("smarter" reads as nit-picking, "would save the paint work" is a helpful point)

 

Maybe short rope slings would save the paintwork, but being pragmatic how do you fit them through a relatively small eye-hole? If you had some time to spare you could put a rope through and then splice it, but I expect most boatbuilders don't want to spend hours doing this 8 times. I suppose an owner with enough time on their hands could do it if they were bothered... 😉 

[magnetman]

The top fittings should be welded loops not plate with shackle holes.

 

Thin rope back and forth between the chain and the deck loop then wrap the rope around itself. The rope part ends up looking like a miniature rope fender itself. 

 

 

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The top fittings should be welded loops not plate with shackle holes.

 

Thin rope back and forth between the chain and the deck loop then wrap the rope around itself. The rope part ends up looking like a miniature rope fender itself. 

 

 

What a great idea -- I'll just get the boat lifted out onto a lowloader and ship it back to Tim Tyler and tell him to do that, shall I? 😉 

 

Then if you've got a few hours to spare you can come and make up some nice rope loops for me. And do it again after they've work in a few years.

 

Meanwhile, what's there works just fine, and I'm not going to worry about it... 🙂 

Edited February 5, 2025 by IanD