Fenders while cruising

[bowten]

I am personally far more concerned with the potential danger of people navigating with their head up their arse over other peoples fenders. if you want to buck for membership of the royal yacht squadron then it's the kind of thing to get upset about but if you're not a poseur then what the hell.

[Ex- Member]

I am personally far more concerned with the potential danger of people navigating with their head up their arse over other peoples fenders. if you want to buck for membership of the royal yacht squadron then it's the kind of thing to get upset about but if you're not a poseur then what the hell.

 

Absolutely

 

 

 

[Psycloud]

Since we've only been boating for 2 days I'm keeping them down for the time being. I will make sure that they are kept away from the gates though if they pose a serious risk.

[oarfish]

Got rid of mostly pointless pipe fenders and now have some chunky ones to hang off the roof when moored.

[MtB]

I was delayed for 24 hours at Whitchurch lock on the Thames last Christmas, by a lock gate jammed open. They eventually called the divers in who spent six hours removing a narrowboat pipe fender which had rolled in between the bottom of the gate and the cill.

 

They ought to be illegal.

[Athy]

You will eventually get stuck in a lock if you travel with fenders down. Anyway it looks daft.

1) We haven't yet, after 14 years.

2) In what way?

Snibble, a greenie for your commonsensical post!

[Richard10002]

Given the state of many boats on the canals, I think fenders up or down is a minor detail for anyone to get uptight about. A year ago, I delivered our boat almost the full length of the T & M with fenders down and didn't get stuck.

 

I am not actually sure where our fenders would go if I raised them. They wouldn't sit on the gunnels without one or two rolling down again, and that would look incredibly untidy - 2 fenders down and 2 up..... Imagine the complaints that would encourage

[Naughty Cal]

We very rarely travel with our fenders down, they scuff the GRP and dont really look great.

 

We tend to pull them in as soon as is practical after we have set off and only put them back down to moor up or go through a lock etc.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Phylis

[johnmck]

I have put swivel shackles on our side fenders. We usually lift them before setting out. On the odd occasion they do fall I have never lost one in a tunnel or lock. The swivel shackle allows them to roll up the side of the boat without twisting the suspension rope.

 

I replaced the swivel shackles as they damaged the painwork. Now use Soft Rope Shackles from Tradline. http://www.tradline.co.uk/

 

These are simply brilliant. No connection to the company other than very satisfied customer.

 

John.

[DandV]

Surely it depends on the type of boat and type of boating. Lumpy stuff boating fenders up and stowed to prevent them being flung around dangerously in the waves. Phylis speed trials definitely up and stowed for the same reason. Norfolk broads, and Irish waterways down to provide protection from errant other boats, and errant bridges and where there is no room to store them on board anyway. Narrow canals, fenders up to avoid being wedged. Along side a wall at night, definitely down if you want to sleep.

 

Don

[RLWP]

<snip>

 

Norfolk broads, and Irish waterways down to provide protection from errant other boats, and errant bridges

 

<snip>

 

Don

 

Unless you are fendered up like a Thames tug, it doesn't work though. How do you plan that the collision always happens where a fender is, rather than in the large gaps between fenders

 

I'm afraid that I too judge another person's boating ability by how many fenders they have down when cruising.

 

Richard

[DandV]

No room to store them on board in Ireland!

 

 

Don

[Richard10002]

 

I'm afraid that I too judge another person's boating ability by how many fenders they have down when cruising.

 

Richard

 

That makes my 40 years of boating experience, including Yachtmaster, 2nd Mate Foreign Going, IWHC, and whatever else I've got, pretty much worthless in your eyes - not that I'm bothered

 

I tend to think that, the scruffier the boat, and the more stuff stored on the roof, the more experienced the boat owner is likely to be but, more than that, you can't judge a book by its cover.

[Athy]

 

I tend to think that, the scruffier the boat, and the more stuff stored on the roof, the more experienced the boat owner is likely to be

But many boats of that type are rarely seen to move, so perhaps their owners don't get much experience in actual navigation.

[Guest]

I'm afraid we are now pretty lazy in this respect and generally cruise with them down these days, but there is no real risk of getting hung up in a lock on them or one getting ripped off where we do our boating.

 

That said if we returned to the Midlands or moved down south or when we pass along the L&L we would certainly have to get back in the habit of only using them while mooring.

 

Even in a broad lock they can be a problem if left down as we found out when we were in Stenson lock with another boat. He was about the same length as us and at the time the bottom gates of the lock would not fully open, we hadn't long been under way and had forgotten to lift our fenders and neither boat could get passed the gates until the ones at the front of our boat were lifted - there simply wasn't enough width.

 

The other skipper was very good about it and he actually went to the front of the boats to do this for us to save Jan having to do it.

[MtB]

Given the state of many boats on the canals, I think fenders up or down is a minor detail for anyone to get uptight about. A year ago, I delivered our boat almost the full length of the T & M with fenders down and didn't get stuck.

 

I am not actually sure where our fenders would go if I raised them. They wouldn't sit on the gunnels without one or two rolling down again, and that would look incredibly untidy - 2 fenders down and 2 up..... Imagine the complaints that would encourage

 

I think you've probably been lucky then, so far. Narrow locks vary surprisingly in width. Most are 6" to 10" wider than a narrowboat but sooner or later you're going to enter a tight one, e.g. the top lock on the Stourbridge flight.

 

I was delayed there for an hour last year helping get a springer out who had jammed himself tight trying to exit the lock with a 3" rope fender down on each side. He was an experienced CCer and never had a problem before. Trouble was, as the boat slowed, the fenders rolled up the hull (hung on strong ropes!) where the boat was wider, wedging him ever faster, and he opened up his engine trying to force his way out, compounding the problem. He jammed himself utterly solidly part way out through the bottom gates.

 

We eventually freed him by backing up REGINALD and taking runs at him and meeting bow fender to bow fender to push him back into the lock, when the fenders could be lifted. It took several attempts to move him back far enough to free the fenders.

 

The guy was totally shocked and embarrassed to have have a problem, saying the fenders had been down ever since he bought the boat.

 

Mike

 

 

(Edited for spelling and clarity.)

Edited October 10, 2012 by Mike the Boilerman

[Naughty Cal]

Surely it depends on the type of boat and type of boating. Lumpy stuff boating fenders up and stowed to prevent them being flung around dangerously in the waves. Phylis speed trials definitely up and stowed for the same reason. Norfolk broads, and Irish waterways down to provide protection from errant other boats, and errant bridges and where there is no room to store them on board anyway. Narrow canals, fenders up to avoid being wedged. Along side a wall at night, definitely down if you want to sleep.

 

Don

 

Even on the Broads (on our own boat) we lifted our fenders until we were coming in to moor. We dont like leaving them down.

[FadeToScarlet]

We have a "Testicle Award", which we give daily to the boat with excessive dangly bits.

[adam1uk]

I am not actually sure where our fenders would go if I raised them. They wouldn't sit on the gunnels without one or two rolling down again, and that would look incredibly untidy - 2 fenders down and 2 up..... Imagine the complaints that would encourage

 

It depends what sort of fender eyes your have. We have carbine clips on the fenders, so they're very easy to clip on when we moor up, and unclip when we set off.

[RLWP]

That makes my 40 years of boating experience, including Yachtmaster, 2nd Mate Foreign Going, IWHC, and whatever else I've got, pretty much worthless in your eyes - not that I'm bothered

 

 

It's pretty hard to read certificates at 200 feet distance, fenders under weigh are pretty obvious

 

I can't say I'm proud of judging boaters like that, I'm still aware that I do

 

Richard

Edited October 10, 2012 by RLWP

[Naughty Cal]

We have a "Testicle Award", which we give daily to the boat with excessive dangly bits.

 

So do we.

 

This one is hard to beat though

 

[Zayna]

If I had my way we wouldn't, but it causes arguments so they're down. When they do eventually get ripped off, I'll be able to look smug.

 

So do we.

 

This one is hard to beat though

 

 

That looks like a Christmas tree.

[Athy]

We have a "Testicle Award", which we give daily to the boat with excessive dangly bits.

What a load of bollocks.

[Sir Nibble]

Once upon a time I was leaving Portsmouth harbour the night after a strong blow. Going the other way into the harbour was a boat flying a yellow Q flag indicating she was arriving from international waters. At some time during the night's gale she had been dismasted, the mast snapping off about 5' above the boom. The crew had jury rigged a storm jib as a mainsail by turning it through 90 degrees with the foot of the sail to the stump of the mast. Shrouds had been sheepshanked down and tightened by spanish windlass. We stood at the rail and applauded her crew in. Now THAT was seamanship!

Fenders down is the kind of thing that upsets dickheads with club burgees and peaked hats who lean over the side yelling "Wahtah, wahtah" if there is another boat on the same tack within a mile and call for a helicopter if the gin runs low.

[Ex- Member]

Once upon a time I was leaving Portsmouth harbour the night after a strong blow. Going the other way into the harbour was a boat flying a yellow Q flag indicating she was arriving from international waters. At some time during the night's gale she had been dismasted, the mast snapping off about 5' above the boom. The crew had jury rigged a storm jib as a mainsail by turning it through 90 degrees with the foot of the sail to the stump of the mast. Shrouds had been sheepshanked down and tightened by spanish windlass. We stood at the rail and applauded her crew in. Now THAT was seamanship!

Fenders down is the kind of thing that upsets dickheads with club burgees and peaked hats who lean over the side yelling "Wahtah, wahtah" if there is another boat on the same tack within a mile and call for a helicopter if the gin runs low.

 

 

nuff said