Fenders

[Daftmare]

Its Friday afternoon, I am bored at work, and so thought I would ask a question about Fenders.

 

It wasn't something I considered much before reading this Forum, but when the word does arise, it is usually about NOT using them and where not to use them.

 

I admit to having four of the things, black slimline thingys, two dangling each side of the boat, at all times. Even in locks. It seems this is bad practice?

 

I used to think that the fenders were there to "fend" off the boat from the lock sides, and from other boats along side me in said locks, etc. etc.

 

Some comments I have seen lately on the Forum indicate that fenders are not the done thing, especially when sharing locks. Its true that I have been stuck in locks a couple of times, and my fenders have been the culprit, so I am now more careful with them and raise them where required.

 

Anyway, what say you?

 

Jo.

[saltysplash]

Youve kinda answerd your own question.

 

Fenders only really required for mooring and such like, can be a hazard in narrow locks or shared wide locks. They may protect your paintwork but it wont look much if the boat is sunk in the lock :/

 

On the Salty bits its considered bad form to cruise with your fenders down

[LEO]

Its Friday afternoon, I am bored at work, and so thought I would ask a question about Fenders.

o.

 

Hi,

 

Sorry about work, but Friday is normally 'Poets' Day, well it was when I ploughed my lonely furrow.

 

I only use fenders when moored up, varying sizes to cope with whatever underwater obstructions there are (the concrete at Grove lock springs to mind). Or when another boat wants to moor along side.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

Leo.

Edited April 17, 2009 by LEO

[Daftmare]

Youve kinda answerd your own question.

 

Fenders only really required for mooring and such like, can be a hazard in narrow locks or shared wide locks. They may protect your paintwork but it wont look much if the boat is sunk in the lock :/

 

On the Salty bits its considered bad form to cruise with your fenders down

 

 

Yes, I rather suppose I have!

 

and we certainly don't have any fancy paintwork to protect either!

 

J.

 

Hi,

 

Sorry about work, but Friday is normally 'Poets' Day, well it was when I ploughed my lonely furrow.

 

I only use fenders when moored up, varying sizes to cope with whatever underwater obstructions there are (the concrete at Grove lock springs to mind). Or when another boat wants to moor along side.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

Leo.

 

 

Thanks Leo

This weekend is dedictated to the garden instead of boating - unfortunately!

 

We do have a couple of other fenders of varying sizes stored in the lockers as well as the thin black ones, which are tied on - it begins to make sense...........!

 

(Now you know why I have this sign-in name!) .

 

Cheers

Jo

[Liam]

Stern fenders are a must and should be carried at all times. Bow fenders are a bit contraversal, as they are OK when used in locks but can also cause the boat to be caught up or held down which is why a weak link in the chain, or simply held up with string which can snap is important.

 

I do have to admit to going along with fenders down but most of my boating is done on the Bridgewater, which has no pinch points or locks which can cause the fenders to be pulled off. When out along the T&M and going through locks etc they are always unclipped from the gunnel fixing point and put on the roof.

 

I think the thin rubber fenders are pretty much useless. The rope ones are OK but seem to be expensive. I much prefer the use of old Go-Kart tyres, sourced from places like Daytona, which are cheap (or free if you don't give the bloke a couple of quid for a few pints) and are wide enough to keep the whole boat away from an uneven bank and from underwater obbstructions.

[Albion]

Jo asked:

 

Its Friday afternoon, I am bored at work, and so thought I would ask a question about Fenders.

 

It wasn't something I considered much before reading this Forum, but when the word does arise, it is usually about NOT using them and where not to use them.

 

I admit to having four of the things, black slimline thingys, two dangling each side of the boat, at all times. Even in locks. It seems this is bad practice?

 

I used to think that the fenders were there to "fend" off the boat from the lock sides, and from other boats along side me in said locks, etc. etc.

 

Some comments I have seen lately on the Forum indicate that fenders are not the done thing, especially when sharing locks. Its true that I have been stuck in locks a couple of times, and my fenders have been the culprit, so I am now more careful with them and raise them where required.

 

Anyway, what say you?

 

 

 

My opinion is that fenders, including the thin pipe ones, should never be used while cruising and certainly not in locks. In locks you have enough to keep an eye on without worrying about whether you're going to get trapped or hung up on unecessary fendering. Fenders are useful for mooring up only IMO. As my boat builder said many times to me 'It's a contact sport' ;-)))

Roger

[sueb]

I think you will have to change your name. At least you have asked rather than carry on looking silly like a lot of boaters. I have a couple of black pipe fenders on the roof, rescued from a lock, if anyone would like to claim them. We use rope fenders when mooring.

Sue

[Liam]

I don't understand all of this contact sport business. Personally I pride myself on entering a lock, passing through a bridge, mooring up and passing other boaters without a single touch. I think "contact sport" is just an excuse for people when they muck stuff up.

 

Don't get me wrong, we all muck stuff up (like the time I hit the tree on the Shroppie and lost our chimney) but don't use the "contact sport" thing as an excuse

[Woollymishka]

It must be the time of year - what with black slimey thingys and usb thingys in another thread - heaven help us! I won't ask what the next thingy is?

[Daftmare]

I think you will have to change your name. At least you have asked rather than carry on looking silly like a lot of boaters. I have a couple of black pipe fenders on the roof, rescued from a lock, if anyone would like to claim them. We use rope fenders when mooring.

Sue

 

 

Thanks Sue,

The first time we go out "fenderless" I will be feeling very superior!

 

ha ha

 

 

J.

 

It must be the time of year - what with black slimey thingys and usb thingys in another thread - heaven help us! I won't ask what the next thingy is?

 

 

 

Slimline, not slimey. Well maybe a little slimey..

 

J.

[Woollymishka]

Thanks Sue,

The first time we go out "fenderless" I will be feeling very superior!

 

ha ha

 

 

J.

 

 

 

 

 

Slimline, not slimey. Well maybe a little slimey..

 

J.

 

 

Oops - sorry - slimline - not slimey - must put my glasses on - now wheres that drink I had?? well its still a thingy !

[RLWP]

Oops - sorry - slimline - not slimey - must put my glasses on - now wheres that drink I had?? well its still a thingy !

 

If you have a slimline thingy, I have some spam email that may be of interest to you...

 

Richard

[Keeping Up]

I used to think that the fenders were there to "fend" off the boat from the lock sides, and from other boats along side me in said locks, etc. etc.

There's another item at the side of the boat whose name gives its purpose away. It's called the "rubbing strake" and it is put there for the express purpose of rubbing against lock sides, or other boats etc.

 

Some comments I have seen lately on the Forum indicate that fenders are not the done thing, especially when sharing locks. Its true that I have been stuck in locks a couple of times, and my fenders have been the culprit, so I am now more careful with them and raise them where required.

As others have said, side fenders shouldn't be left down when travelling. I hate to see the way so many boats travel that way, but at the same time I am grateful to them because there is always a good supply of torn-off fenders floating in the cut - especially near locks - so that I have never had to buy myself a side fender. I just pick up one or two a year and throw them away when they are in too poor a condition to use any more.

[Dominic M]

Never use them in locks. And only use them when moored up if you can't lay your hands on a couple of grey squirrels.

[Woollymishka]

If you have a slimline thingy, I have some spam email that may be of interest to you...

 

Richard

 

Richard

I'll decline this time around - thanks!

[churchward]

I don't understand all of this contact sport business. Personally I pride myself on entering a lock, passing through a bridge, mooring up and passing other boaters without a single touch. I think "contact sport" is just an excuse for people when they muck stuff up.

 

Don't get me wrong, we all muck stuff up (like the time I hit the tree on the Shroppie and lost our chimney) but don't use the "contact sport" thing as an excuse

 

maneuvering without touching objects is highly desirable but for me the phrase "contact sport" just means that sometimes contact is inevitable due to error, wind conditions or anything else and our tough steel narrowboats are built to cope with this. It doesn't mean that folk need not bother to steer correctly or not take pride in doing it right. It is difficult not to brush by a boat for instance when sharing a wide lock on the GU for example. As someone else points out we do have "rubbing strakes" on our boats. I don't like sharing a lock with their side fenders down.

 

To answer the OP on my boat I have fenders front and back always fixed but side fenders I only have enough for one side (3 slimline rubber ones from Tradline plus a couple of spares) which I clip on when moored only, never on when on the move or locking.

Edited April 17, 2009 by churchward

[magpie patrick]

I haven't read the other responses in too much detail but here is my view

 

Not so much not the done thing as unwise

 

"pipe" or similar fenders down the side of a narrow boat have two problems when moving, they increase your effective width, and they get torn off. The latter gets expensive, the former can cause you to jam in a lock or even a narrow bridge hole. They also don't "fend" particularly well, as they only protect two or three points and if you hit an uneven bank or a tree stump or even a girder the chances are you will hit between the fenders.

 

Where they are useful is moored for the night against a hard edge, when the boat will bang, scrape and grind all night keeping you awake, but to be effective for this, you need to be able to move them to the point of contact, which means hanging them off the handrail, not from pre welded eyes

[churchward]

I haven't read the other responses in too much detail but here is my view

 

Not so much not the done thing as unwise

 

"pipe" or similar fenders down the side of a narrow boat have two problems when moving, they increase your effective width, and they get torn off. The latter gets expensive, the former can cause you to jam in a lock or even a narrow bridge hole. They also don't "fend" particularly well, as they only protect two or three points and if you hit an uneven bank or a tree stump or even a girder the chances are you will hit between the fenders.

 

Where they are useful is moored for the night against a hard edge, when the boat will bang, scrape and grind all night keeping you awake, but to be effective for this, you need to be able to move them to the point of contact, which means hanging them off the handrail, not from pre welded eyes

Ours are a bit of both front and back we have fixed hooking points most times these do make contact with the bank/mooring wall etc and a movable fender on a plastic hook that slots over the handrail (to be strategically positioned to meet any bit sticking out) so at least two fenders possibly three are making contact, simple.

[Guest]

Most of my pipe fenders fell off, but there may be an odd one in the gas locker. We put two tyres against the bank when we moor anywhere for a while.

[alan_fincher]

I must say we rather enjoyed certain aspects of our visit to the Thames, from which we have just returned.

 

The shiny white Tupperware can't wait to race narrowboats away from the locks, arriving at the next one maybe 2 to 5 minutes ahead of you.

 

Of course they inevitably then have to wait for the lock, meaning they go in first rather than the narrowboats they have raced.

 

There is then a frantic deploying of "Space Hopper" fenders, as they realise those nasty ditch crawlers are going to be allowed in the lock after them.

 

 

What did surprise us is that we thought it would be "horses for courses", and that the Tupperware would be more suited to the Thames than our canal boat. However many of the boaters on these ten foot high monsters seem incapable of taking them into a lock in a straight line, of stopping, or getting lines around bollards.

 

Much of the time I would say the Tupperware was holding up the narrowboats.

 

It's a strange sport!

[onthecut]

I must say we rather enjoyed certain aspects of our visit to the Thames, from which we have just returned.

 

 

 

 

What did surprise us is that we thought it would be "horses for courses", and that the Tupperware would be more suited to the Thames than our canal boat. However many of the boaters on these ten foot high monsters seem incapable of taking them into a lock in a straight line, of stopping, or getting lines around bollards.

 

Much of the time I would say the Tupperware was holding up the narrowboats.

 

It's a strange sport!

 

Always makes me smile, as well. Many of them seem to bob about like a cork. Other thing I've noticed is the relatively high proportion which plainly have a sizeable engine(s), but are running absolutely dreadfully and / or putting out substantial smoke. Suspect a disproportionate number of them have well glazed bores.

 

Mike.

[FadeToScarlet]

I've got fenders down, but narrow pipe ones on the side of the boat. The locks I use are all wider than 14' and so having fenders down isn't a problem sharing with other boats. They're very narrow (1") pipe fenders, and they are good at taking the force out of knocking against the side, for example taking the boat into a lock and then strapping it to a halt; the boat tends to knock into the side of the lock, and the fenders stop it clanging.

 

That's about all they're useful for, though; I've got two car tyres which I use when mooring up.

 

The side fenders are vulnerable and can get snapped off. If I were on a narrow canal then I'd take them up and not have them at all.

[Dominic M]

[On the subject of Thames GRP boats] Suspect a disproportionate number of them have well glazed bores.

 

Mike.

They have. The gewurztraminer is chilled. They are at the wheel.

[ditchcrawler]

I think you will have to change your name. At least you have asked rather than carry on looking silly like a lot of boaters. I have a couple of black pipe fenders on the roof, rescued from a lock, if anyone would like to claim them. We use rope fenders when mooring.

Sue

We have a bag full of fenders which we have picked up on our travels. I gave some away when we were in Thrupp. We use rope fenders and go kart tyres for mooring or if its really bad two wheelbarrow wheels and tyres floating between the boat and bank.

[Speedwell]

Clearly fenders are a risk in narrow locks but, sharing wide locks, fenders between the boats give a more comfortable ride. Rubbing strakes rarely meet, each making a separate gouge in the other boats paint.

Arthur