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STOP LOSING FENDERS FOR EVER


trebby91

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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.

 

With respect, the solution posited was for a problem which does not really exist. So it is fairly natural for other people to point this out, I would have thought. And to my eyes, all those doing so have managed it with far less condescension and assumed superiority than your post complaining about it.

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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!

 

What are "double locks"?

 

 

Dave

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I presume you are referring to the 'apparently' no. I have never used an Irish lock, so I can't state for sure what to do. i have but i would not presume to''state for sure'' what other people should 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. who said they were a solution?

 

Richard

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With respect, the solution posited was for a problem which does not really exist. So it is fairly natural for other people to point this out, I would have thought. And to my eyes, all those doing so have managed it with far less condescension and assumed superiority than your post complaining about it.

with respect.maybe the problem does not really exist for you but if you read the first line of the original post you will find that it exists for somebody.

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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!

Please don't try this on the K&A

:)

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Please don't try this on the K&A

smile.png

 

Hi Laurie

 

We've cruised on the K&A for over 2 years over the past 10. Fenders always down. Never lost a fender either. Being a 10/6 wide beam we don't share locks, all locks are wide so fenders much less likely to get hooked up. Fenders are also roped to fender eyes, the S/S bar would break out releasing the fender if under any great strain.

 

They might not be appropriate on n/b's doubling in locks or other parts of the network, but for a wide beam on the K&A they work extremely well and protect expensive paintwork.

 

Ours are home made too from scrap Air hose and tripled up 10mm rope threaded through the hose.

 

DSCF2413_zpse9915656.jpg

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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 guess Les Allen has never brought his boat single-handed into a big river lock that's already half full with plastic cruisers, some of which have inexperienced crews who don't always put their own fenders in the right place at the right time. GRP boats don't generally respond well to a steel rubbing strake scraping down their sides!

 

I get bored of listening to the imperatives of traditionalists, based on their own "narrow" experience of their local ditches. Despite my boat having no roses & castles, I know I have a far broader range of boating experience than many of them. So I will continue to cruise with my fenders down and ignore the traditionalists until one of them can clearly explain to me a simple method of deploying fenders when I'm single-handed. And no, leaving the helm while I'm entering a lock is not a good idea!

 

DSC_2949-1.jpg

Edited by blackrose
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Hi Laurie

 

We've cruised on the K&A for over 2 years over the past 10. Fenders always down. Never lost a fender either. Being a 10/6 wide beam we don't share locks, all locks are wide so fenders much less likely to get hooked up. Fenders are also roped to fender eyes, the S/S bar would break out releasing the fender if under any great strain.

 

They might not be appropriate on n/b's doubling in locks or other parts of the network, but for a wide beam on the K&A they work extremely well and protect expensive paintwork.

 

Ours are home made too from scrap Air hose and tripled up 10mm rope threaded through the hose.

 

DSCF2413_zpse9915656.jpg

I see your point, I was thinking of two boats sharing, side by side on the K&A.

:)

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I get bored of listening to the imperatives of traditionalists, based on their own "narrow" experience of their local ditches. Despite my boat having no roses & castles, I know I have a far broader range of boating experience than many of them. So I will continue to cruise with my fenders down and ignore the traditionalists until one of them can clearly explain to me a simple method of deploying fenders when I'm single-handed. And no, leaving the helm while I'm entering a lock is not a good idea!

 

 

 

Trouble is, I can't see any reason why you would ever have to deploy fenders when single handed, Mike

 

So, I'll put my flat cap on, tie up my red neckerchief and carry on with my fenders on the roof or in the locker. You carry on with your fenders tied to the side and we can both continue to look down on each other

 

Richard

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I thought I'd already described one good reason for using fenders in my last post, but I guess you'll only see what you want to see Richard.

 

If you want to look down on me then that's your problem. I don't look down on anyone who doesn't want to use fenders. It's their boat and I respect their right to cruise as they see fit. I just wish they would extend me the same courtesy.

 

well said - that man

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Funny how dangling a bit of rope or rubber off the side of a boat can get so emotional, isn't it

 

Richard

 

From my own perspective it's not the arguments about the rubber and rope per se that get on my nerves. Rather it's forever being told by finger-wagging know-it-alls that what I'm doing is wrong and how things should be done. Quite often these people have limited experience themselves and have never even taken their boat off the confines of the canals and onto some bigger waterways. When I was living on the Thames I'd estimate that at least 90% of river traffic of all types came past with their fenders down, so I think the strict "no fenders" rule mainly applies to narrowboats on canals.

 

As I said, I respect anyone's right to move their boat in any way they wish (within reason of course - if they're drunk or creating a hazard or nuisance then I don't respect that). So if people don't want to use side fenders that's fine with me - it's their boat.

 

I've been living on my boat for the last 9 years and during that time I think I can say that I've never caused a problem and have always been considerate to other boaters. It's a big boat so I always pull in to let others get past or overtake for example. I've taken my boat from one side of the country to the other single-handed without incident, so I would appreciate a little respect too.

Edited by blackrose
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How do I respond to this thread Mike?

 

If people take the OPs advice and cruise the canals around here with fenders down, they will lose them - a bit of elastic will make no difference.

 

I know because I used to lose fenders. I now cruise with them up, if friends borrow the boat they forget, leave them down and lose them.

 

Richard

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How do I respond to this thread Mike?

 

If people take the OPs advice and cruise the canals around here with fenders down, they will lose them - a bit of elastic will make no difference.

 

I know because I used to lose fenders. I now cruise with them up, if friends borrow the boat they forget, leave them down and lose them.

 

Richard

 

You can respond in any way you wish Richard, it's an open forum.

 

If you're concerned about losing your fenders then I suggest you carry on doing what you're doing. Personally I'm not too worried about losing fenders - I've lost 2 in 9 years. Once I hit an undrwater obstruction and the second time was coming up the Kennet in flood last spring and hitting Woolhampton lock because it was a difficult manouvre and I got it wrong. Anyway, on both those occasions had the fender not been there the boat may have suffered much worse damage, so in that sense I see them as sacrificial.

Edited by blackrose
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The 'no fenders ' thing has a much longer history than you may think. It is generally considered to be good seamanship by professional sailors. There was a lovely example during the Jubilee Pageant when a small boat crewed by the navy came alongside (I don't remember the exact details). The crew fore and aft presented boat hooks, then one of them deployed a single fender just as they came alongside. Once they had set their passenger ashore, they moved off, immediately taking the fender back on board

 

Festooning boats with fenders is a relatively new phenomenon

 

Richard

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The 'no fenders ' thing has a much longer history than you may think. It is generally considered to be good seamanship by professional sailors. There was a lovely example during the Jubilee Pageant when a small boat crewed by the navy came alongside (I don't remember the exact details). The crew fore and aft presented boat hooks, then one of them deployed a single fender just as they came alongside. Once they had set their passenger ashore, they moved off, immediately taking the fender back on board

 

Festooning boats with fenders is a relatively new phenomenon

 

Richard

 

I'm sure you're right about the history Richard. Your example of the crew on the small boat deploying their fenders as and when necessary is exactly what we used to do when I was crewing Streatley and Nuneham, the Thames steam passenger launches at Runnymede. However, deploying fenders in this manner is not usually an option to those who are travelling single-handed on bigger boats. On my boat I'd rather have fenders down and very occasionally lose them, than not have them down and then need them.

 

Festooning boats with fenders may indeed be a relatively new phenomenon, but then so are lots of other things on boats. New doesn't necessarily mean wrong.

Edited by blackrose
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Well. I have been away and it is fenders again. Sometimes I leave them up and sometimes I bring them in. I have to say I did get one hooked on Marsworth top lock and lost it, and a good friend of mine specially hand knitted a pair for me and I lost one at Pitstone and I was very sad. So, now I do try to not cruise with them down - especially now I have friends who are 'proper boaters'! My son, on the other hand, has them all dangling from every possible place and has yet to lose one. On a serious note, I do suspect that constant fender dangling does more harm to ones blacking by virtue of their constant rubbing, than by not having them down!

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Well. I have been away and it is fenders again. Sometimes I leave them up and sometimes I bring them in. I have to say I did get one hooked on Marsworth top lock and lost it, and a good friend of mine specially hand knitted a pair for me and I lost one at Pitstone and I was very sad. So, now I do try to not cruise with them down - especially now I have friends who are 'proper boaters'! My son, on the other hand, has them all dangling from every possible place and has yet to lose one. On a serious note, I do suspect that constant fender dangling does more harm to ones blacking by virtue of their constant rubbing, than by not having them down!

 

Not if you paint your hull with proper paint :-)

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