STOP LOSING FENDERS FOR EVER

[trebby91]

Hi All.

Posted this bit of information a while ago in response to a boat owner that kept losing side fenders but as not everybody may have looked at the actual post I thought I would post it in its own right.

 

To stop losing any type of fender simply tie a thin piece of shock cord either on the fender or on the rope just above the fender (the fender rope usually breaks at the point it secures to the boat)

Wind about a metre of cord around the securing rope and tie it off at the boat (same as the fender)

When the fender rope gives out due to the fender getting trapped the shock cord will undo and hang onto the fender, just pull it back in, Job done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dor]

Or just don't cruise with your fenders down!

[trebby91]

Don`t care what anybody says I always have my side fenders down when using double locks especially when sharing with some of the “boaters” that try and see how much paint they can remove from the side of my boat when entering the lock last.

Never lost a fender while cruising there again don`t seem to bump into a lot of obstacles while cruising!

Edited January 15, 2014 by trebby91

[RLWP]

What's that got to do with it? We often drop fenders in a shared lock, then take them up again after we leave the flight

 

Only between the boats, mind

 

Richard

[LoneWolf]

What's that got to do with it? We often drop fenders in a shared lock, then take them up again after we leave the flight

 

Only between the boats, mind

 

Richard

 

do you? why?

 

that's a genuine question btw like, does paint scrape off on another boat better than it does against the lock wall or something

Edited January 15, 2014 by LoneWolf

[sueb]

Fenders scrape paint off and the paint is sacrificial anyway

[Ex- Member]

Fenders scrape paint off and the paint is sacrificial anyway

 

Not Jotun 2 pack they don't

[RLWP]

do you? why?

 

that's a genuine question btw like, does paint scrape off on another boat better than it does against the lock wall or something

Etiquette as much as anything else. Plus, I don't like leaving smears of Tawny's blacking on more presentable boats

 

Lock chamber walls hold no fears for us!

 

Richard

[MtB]

You've all got me here.

 

What's a 'side fender'?

 

 

MtB

[springy]

 

do you? why?

 

that's a genuine question btw like, does paint scrape off on another boat better than it does against the lock wall or something

 

When locking up or down the boat and hence any attached fenders HAVE to move a distance relative to the lock walls,

and so it is inevitable that some abrasion may occur, the most likely problem however is that the boat + fenders become

too wide for the chamber - particularly if the fenders were skewed or twisted.

In a wide lock fenders positioned between the two boats will only move a slight amount relative to their contact point on the

other boat - the risk of problems is very slight, and the fenders will be providing their design function.

 

springy

[Chris3]

Having spent a good hour unwinding a fender and rope from my prop this summer which I picked up in a lock ..... please please please take fenders in at locks 'cos they only get ripped off ( usually on the gates) and cause agro for others .... like me !

[Alan Saunders]

To (mis-?) quote Les Allen, when a customer asked him to fit side-fender hooks he said 'You don't need side-fenders, that's what the rubbing strakes are for!'

 

I have rope side-fenders tied to the handrails of my 33' boat and a selection of other fenders. They are useful in various situations. e.g.:

Moored against solid sidings - stops the grinding and banging noises that may wake me.

Breasted up - there is only a short section of hull that is parallel to the larger boat.

 

If (in the past - I know better now) I accidentally left the fenders down when leaving a lock they just rotated and swung up on their 5' of sash-cord.

 

OTOH, I agree with Richard (RLWP), I do what I can to prevent my blacking (and exhaust) from bespoiling more presentable boats.

 

Alan

[John Williamson 1955]

You've all got me here.

 

What's a 'side fender'?

 

 

MtB

An item needed on boats which don't have decent rubbing strakes.

[MtB]

An item needed on boats which don't have decent rubbing strakes.

 

This all reminds me of car 'bumpers'. An accessory fitted for hitting things with so the bodywork didn't get damaged.

 

Pretty soon the amateur motorists started demanding their bumpers were repaired and made perfect again if 'bumped'. Thus negating the whole purpose of bumpers.

 

Same is happening with amateur boaters. Worrying about scratches on the blacking on their hulls. Madness!

 

MtB

"STOP LOSING FENDERS FOR EVER"

 

Please don't post in all capitals. Not even thread titles. It's not nice, nor is is clever.

 

MtB

[RLWP]

This all reminds me of car 'bumpers'. An accessory fitted for hitting things with so the bodywork didn't get damaged.

 

Pretty soon the amateur motorists started demanding their bumpers were repaired and made perfect again if 'bumped'. Thus negating the whole purpose of bumpers.

 

Same is happening with amateur boaters. Worrying about scratches on the blacking on their hulls. Madness!

 

MtB

"STOP LOSING FENDERS FOR EVER"

 

Please don't post in all capitals. Not even thread titles. It's not nice, nor is is clever.

 

MtB

He did spell losing correctly though

 

Richard

[Keeping Up]

I am so glad that some people leave their side fenders down in locks because they get ripped off then I pick them up and keep them. That way I always have a good supply of them to put down overnight. In over 25 years of boat ownership I've never had to buy one.

[furnessvale]

I am so glad that some people leave their side fenders down in locks because they get ripped off then I pick them up and keep them. That way I always have a good supply of them to put down overnight. In over 25 years of boat ownership I've never had to buy one.

Hear, hear. I have a collection of tupperware fenders which are handy when you have to moor against an irregular concrete edge.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[lesrollins]

Try mooring on the G & S canal without fenders the rubbing strake will not prevent the steel pilings taking off any paintwork no matter how good it is.

[sueb]

Using side fenders whilst moored is ok. Using side fenders whilst cruising is lazy & unnecessary.

[Nine of Hearts]

Using side fenders whilst moored is ok. Using side fenders whilst cruising is lazy & unnecessary.

 

It can also be down to ignorance, in my early days mine were tied on, so if I pulled them in at all, it was only onto the gunwales where they would fall back down at the first turn. After equipping Keeping up with 6...

 

I am so glad that some people leave their side fenders down in locks because they get ripped off then I pick them up and keep them. That way I always have a good supply of them to put down overnight. In over 25 years of boat ownership I've never had to buy one.

 

... I learned the error of my ways and now only dangle them from the roof when moored.

[dor]

Try mooring on the G & S canal without fenders the rubbing strake will not prevent the steel pilings taking off any paintwork no matter how good it is.

Mooring pretty much anywhere without fenders can be a problem - you should try the Shroppie! I've got three different sorts of fenders to suit the type of canalside. However I wouldn't dream of cruising with them.

 

Still it does provide some entertainment sitting opposite the bottom lock at Hurleston watching the boaters trying to get in with fenders down or getting a carving knife out to cut the ropes. Despite the large C&RT sign telling people to lift fenders.

[pquinn]

christ! people,chill out.

the op was just trying to contribute a bit of useful information and all they get back is a load of the usual old superior ''this is how i do it and everything else is wrong'' rubbish.this fender thing came up a few weeks ago and as i said then the locks here in Ireland are wide and you need fenders down to stop your boat getting smacked around if an inexperienced person is working the lock.so the tip makes good sense.

this is the WORLD wide web,stop thinking that the world revolves around the 70 feet of narrow canal that you occupy at any given time.lighten up and stop being such a bunch of boring anoraks.it just turns new people off contributing to the forum. paul

[RLWP]

He has offered A solution to "STOP LOSING FENDERS FOR EVER"

 

So have we - don't put them at risk of being lost. Only deploy them when you need them, like in Irish locks (apparently)

 

Richard

[pquinn]

He has offered A solution to "STOP LOSING FENDERS FOR EVER"

 

So have we - don't put them at risk of being lost. Only deploy them when you need them, like in Irish locks (apparently)

 

Richard

yes.but his solution whether it may be ''correct'' or not was passed on with a more pleasing tone and attitude.why the need for the subtle ridicule.

[RLWP]

yes.but his solution whether it may be ''correct'' or not was passed on with a more pleasing tone and attitude.why the need for the subtle ridicule.

 

I presume you are referring to the 'apparently'. I have never used an Irish lock, so I can't state for sure what to do.

 

I have used locks on the Thames, Severn and Avon where we managed with mooring lines fore and aft, so I am a bit surprised that fenders are the solution

 

Richard