Tidal Trent : which fenders?

[Bristolfashion]

Hi all,

 

Planning our cruise as we approach the Trent.

 

Which fenders do narrowboats need on the tidal Trent - conventional, slim narrowboat (rope/rubber) style, tyres or yacht type spherical or tubular inflatable types?

 

Thanks, as ever, for any advice.

[Tony Brooks]

Why do you think the Trent needs special fenders? If the wooden or tupperwear brigade want fat fenders then that is their choice. Assuming that you have a steel narrowboat, you have rubbing bands, so you don't really need fenders apart from putting between your hull and the bank when mooring. I found my slim fenders absolutely fine on the Trent, Thames, and Severn but rather less where there are underwater shelves or steps in the canal bank or where there is massive "industrial" type bank piling because of the huge corrugations and no waling bar.

[Bristolfashion]

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Why do you think the Trent needs special fenders? If the wooden or tupperwear brigade want fat fenders then that is their choice. Assuming that you have a steel narrowboat, you have rubbing bands, so you don't really need fenders apart from putting between your hull and the bank when mooring. I found my slim fenders absolutely fine on the Trent, Thames, and Severn but rather less where there are underwater shelves or steps in the canal bank or where there is massive "industrial" type bank piling because of the huge corrugations and no waling bar.

Thanks Tony - the advice for Trent (for general leisure boating) says to use "large fenders" but with no specific advice for narrowboats. I wondered what that meant and if anyone had found fenders other than standard narrowboat ones useful.

[Grassman]

When on rivers I use fat fenders. Not the huge bulbous ones the plastic boats have, but ones which are wider than my usual 'pencil' type fenders. There are many occasions where the bank is such that the narrow fenders just don't do the job.

[Mike Todd]

1 hour ago, Grassman said:

When on rivers I use fat fenders. Not the huge bulbous ones the plastic boats have, but ones which are wider than my usual 'pencil' type fenders. There are many occasions where the bank is such that the narrow fenders just don't do the job.

Sinking fenders are your friend. Along with handrail hangers

 

That is, usual sized fenders for narrowboats made from heavy rubber-like stuff that do not float. Hanging from the handrail with a quick cleat means that they can be deployed below the surface just where the boat touches the side.

[ditchcrawler]

You only require fenders when mooring 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

The Trent locks, tidal and non, below Nottingham are big. The lockies will pack a lot of boats in the chamber at busy times and you'll be mixed in with tupperware boats. The yoghurt pots will have big fenders. On a narrowboat, go with your normal ones. Of more importance is keeping your boat under control in the lock, especially going up, where a steel boat can crush a plastic one  no mstter how fat the fenders. The currents from the sluices can be strong. Hang back at the rear of the lock when going up. Control of the ropes around the bollards and steel wires is important. 

[Bristolfashion]

30 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

You only require fenders when mooring 

Er, yes!

[Tony Brooks]

56 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

You only require fenders when mooring 

 

Tempted to say that unless you are one of the shiney boat set, then it is only for your comfort and a quiet nights sleep.

 

[nicknorman]

It seems unlikely that you will be mooring on the tidal trent other than on a floating pontoon (Torksey etc) so normal fenders that you would use for mooring anywhere are appropriate. The advice for large fenders is probably aimed at cruisers that have curved sides, rather than narrowboats that have straight sides.

Rubber tube fenders are IMO fairly pointless as they are too thin. There is no need to have any fenders down in locks, they are just likely to get ripped off and get wrapped around your or someone else's propeller - so using them in locks is antisocial. Fatter rope tubular fenders are appropriate for mooring, but should be taken away when cruising or in locks.

Edited April 28 by nicknorman

[Pluto]

The best fenders can be made from a decent piece of soft wood, a foot or so in length, with a rope threaded through a hole. Cheap, so t doesn't matter if they float away in tidal/river conditions, and don't get caught in your propellor. Fenders that sink can end up damaging the sill of a lock gate, so should not be used.

[Alway Swilby]

There are places on the Trent and other rivers where you find yourself mooring against a higher wall than is normal on a canal. Sometimes there is a big overhang at the top of the wall that would foul your cabin sides if you had thin fenders down at gunnel level. We have a couple of bouy type fat fenders for use when mooring in such situations. I don't think we bought them, more like came across them whilst travelling. 

[cheesegas]

On 28/04/2026 at 10:10, ditchcrawler said:

You only require fenders when mooring 

On bigger waterways like the Thames, you need to pop some fenders down - preferably the air filled sausage type - when approaching some lock landings too. There's quite a few pontoon-style lock landings where the platform part is higher than the gunnels, and the pontoon will end up bashing against the side of the cabin. Know of one person who didn't know and a protruding bolt smashed a window...

 

You can also get firmly wedged under the pontoon if the wake of a passing boat rocks your boat so the gunnel dips lower than the pontoon momentarily.

[Momac]

I have noticed the general absence of fenders on most narrowboats  other than the rope type on the stern and bow . 

Some of the walls of the locks on the Trent are sheet piled and others are rough / abrasive concrete which must be quite good at paint removal. Most of the locks are quite turbulent when going up. Something to cushion the boat from impact and abrasion on the lock walls would seem to me a sensible precaution but of course it is not mandatory.

At moorings you will have boats passing and making some wake so again the use of fenders is not a bad idea but not mandatory.

 

[David Mack]

From Facebook via another group:

 

This is Tenacious (that used to belong to Ian M Thompson), on the non-tidal Trent near Cromwell Lock.

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, David Mack said:

From Facebook via another group:

 

This is Tenacious (that used to belong to Ian M Thompson), on the non-tidal Trent near Cromwell Lock.

Any idea how it happened, being towed or under her own power

[Momac]

22 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Any idea how it happened, being towed or under her own power

The boat has been there many months and it seems the winter high water levels have left it grounded.

[Momac]

Back to fenders - some of the lock sides can be abrasive concrete

 

 

And the water flow quite turbulent . Going upstream the locks on the Trent (below Nottingham) are not such a gentle ride compared to most on the canals.

 

[PaulJ]

On 30/04/2026 at 18:26, Momac said:

The boat has been there many months and it seems the winter high water levels have left it grounded.

@MrsM posted about this boat back in February when she was concerned about how it was moored.

[MrsM]

15 hours ago, PaulJ said:

@MrsM posted about this boat back in February when she was concerned about how it was moored.

I'm still concerned about it! It's too nice a boat to be left like that. Is it taking on water does anyone know? I reported it to CRT but the owner obviously didn't move it. 😞

[PaulJ]

7 minutes ago, MrsM said:

I'm still concerned about it! It's too nice a boat to be left like that. Is it taking on water does anyone know? I reported it to CRT but the owner obviously didn't move it. 😞

Looks like any worries about any potential security issues was the least of this boats problems!

[DandV]

19 hours ago, Momac said:

Back to fenders - some of the lock sides can be abrasive concrete

 

 

And the water flow quite turbulent . Going upstream the locks on the Trent (below Nottingham) are not such a gentle ride compared to most on the canals.

 

I consider paint on rubbing strakes to be sacrificial. Recoat once a year,  and when putting the boat on the market. 

I much prefer rubbing strakes being free to slide, rather then fenders possibly catastrophically impeding the freedom of the boat to adjust to changing water levels.

Side fenders are reserved for when moored up, to cushion movement against the bank from passing boats. 

So on the tidal Trent, side fenders if you moor up at Gainsborough, although when we did that we needed a layer of carpet overlay on the cabin top for the rocks thrown by the local ferals. 

[Momac]

8 hours ago, MrsM said:

I'm still concerned about it! It's too nice a boat to be left like that. Is it taking on water does anyone know? I reported it to CRT but the owner obviously didn't move it. 😞

I would say it is not taking on water at present but it is possible the bow has been below the water a some point when river levels were  higher .

 

[MrsM]

If anyone knows how I can get in touch with the current owner of Tenacious then please let me know - I can't get this boat out of my mind.

[MrsM]

13 hours ago, MrsM said:

If anyone knows how I can get in touch with the current owner of Tenacious then please let me know - I can't get this boat out of my mind.

I have emailed Great Haywood, who had the boat up for sale in 2024, and also CRT asking them to pass on my contact details to the registered keeper.