mossy fenders !

[awatsonbcp]

our font and rear fenders are both rope and are probably quite old by the look of them but they still do the job.they have quite a lot of moss growing in the crevises in the rope and i wondered how other people might have solved this.....can i take them off and soak them in mosskiller or bleach or something?

[Richard Bustens]

I think Creosote is the traditional way to keep it down and keep the fenders looking good

[John Orentas]

The best thing is to take your fenders home every year, as Richard says soak them in creosote, mine are 12 years old and look like new.

[DHutch]

or you can get black polyprop ones, which also last years, without any maintainance.

[ChrisK]

our font and rear fenders are both rope and are probably quite old by the look of them but they still do the job.they have quite a lot of moss growing in the crevises in the rope and i wondered how other people might have solved this.....can i take them off and soak them in mosskiller or bleach or something?

 

A yachtie friend of mine told me to jetwash them. I haven't tried it yet !

Edited December 13, 2005 by ChrisK

[Canal Shop Man]

Yes pressure washing works very well, BUT, be warned, if your fender is a bit old it may also take off the outer layer of the rope as well as that may have become brittle or loose.

 

Dipping in creosote of course only helps if it is real hemp. How can you tell? Put a match by it - if it melts, it's plastic, if it smoulders, it's hemp.

[DHutch]

Yes pressure washing works very well, BUT, be warned, if your fender is a bit old it may also take off the outer layer of the rope as well as that may have become brittle or loose.

 

Dipping in creosote of course only helps if it is real hemp. How can you tell? Put a match by it - if it melts, it's plastic, if it smoulders, it's hemp.

Yeah, both very valid comments.

- Its suprusing how much you can take of with even a small domestic presurewasher.

- And some of the things they where using at my work experience would cut though anythink

 

 

Daniel

[awatsonbcp]

thanks everyone....... i'll have a go this weekend with the jet and then creosote to protect afterwards.at least the creosote will dye any stubborn bits of moss the same colour as the fender so they will blend in!

[alan_fincher]

thanks everyone....... i'll have a go this weekend with the jet and then creosote to protect afterwards.at least the creosote will dye any stubborn bits of moss the same colour as the fender so they will blend in!

I know someone will have a go at me about being a wishy-washy tree-hugger, and no doubt the working boatmen cared little about such things, but should one have any environmental concerns about heavily dousing the things in creosote ?

 

No doubt not all will be fully absorbed, and presumably at least some residue might end up in the cut ?

 

Could that harm fish or other marine life, or is the risks no greater than putting a recenntly reblacked hull back in the water ?

 

Just curious......

[dor]

Hasn't the sale of creosote been banned anyway?

[DHutch]

Hasn't the sale of creosote been banned anyway?

Yeah, it was banned in 2003 (linky)

 

- But there are other (safer?) alternatives which do a simular job.

 

 

Daniel

[awatsonbcp]

oops ...and i was hoping to use up the 20yr old tin of creosote i still have in the shed at last.any one know what to use instead as most things that kill moss probably also kill fish?

[gaggle]

well moss is a plant,what kills plant life ,weedkiller.

 

the stuff i use for my paths in the garden "pathclear" clearly state that it is harmless to fish and aquatic life.

b&q will defo have the right one if i have named the wrong one,it should work because i used it on the coping stones around a pond.

[awatsonbcp]

sorry to be picky but you dont killl moss with weedkiller ...you use mosskiller .dont know if its safe on fish etc?

[DHutch]

To be honest, i cant see i being a huge problem.

 

If you do it first-thing in winter, and then hang it up outside in the weather for a few months surly anything thats going to come of will have done, then you can put it back on the boat.

 

(similes and thinks of our lovely black polyprop fenders)

 

 

Daniel

[gaggle]

could be right.meself i would not be bothered about a bit of moss.from what i have seen the way they are fixed on it will be a job and a half getting them off and on again especially the stern one.

i reckon i would need to get in the cut to remove it as the genny is above it in a fixed carrier.