What's the Problem with fenders down while cruising?

[Naughty Cal]

i meant those who are moaning, not those of us us who already have proper sized boats, also wide lock =14' odd, not thundering great river locks, it is a canal forum after all

 

i guess so, it makes you wonder how some manage to be brave enough to untie the ropes

We still share in those, well ours are slightly over that at 15'.

 

It doesn't matter what size the lock is if the fender comes off. It can get stuck on a cill preventing a gate from opening or closing fully; it can get stuck in a paddle or sluice; the rope can get round someone's prop.

So can mooring ropes. Best stop using them.....

Edited August 23, 2016 by Naughty Cal

[Daz555]

We still share in those, well ours are slightly over that at 15'.

So can mooring ropes. Best stop using them.....

Yes but stopping use of ropes does not seem viable whereas pulling up fenders does.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Daz555

[adam1uk]

So can mooring ropes. Best stop using them.....

 

How often does a rope end up in the water, without one end or the other being attached to something (boat, person, bollard)? And they're pretty easy to get back (especially if you're sensible and have floating ones). Pipe fenders sink without trace, until they spoil someone else's day possibly weeks later.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

How often does a rope end up in the water, without one end or the other being attached to something (boat, person, bollard)? And they're pretty easy to get back (especially if you're sensible and have floating ones). Pipe fenders sink without trace, until they spoil someone else's day possibly weeks later.

 

Maybe an alternative 'answer' is not to skimp by buying a bit of old 1" thick rubber tubing and buy 'proper' floating fenders instead.

[RLWP]

 

Maybe an alternative 'answer' is not to skimp by buying a bit of old 1" thick rubber tubing and buy 'proper' floating fenders instead.

 

I hate those things. Every time I go to the effort of retrieving one, it has been torn off a boat and the eye is split. So they no longer bounce

 

I've stopped fishing them out

 

Richard

[Naughty Cal]

 

How often does a rope end up in the water, without one end or the other being attached to something (boat, person, bollard)? And they're pretty easy to get back (especially if you're sensible and have floating ones). Pipe fenders sink without trace, until they spoil someone else's day possibly weeks later.

Given the amount of ropes our props have retrieved I would say quite often.

 

Proper fenders float so they are easy to fish back out when the fall off.

[adam1uk]

 

Maybe an alternative 'answer' is not to skimp by buying a bit of old 1" thick rubber tubing and buy 'proper' floating fenders instead.

 

How do you get a floating fender to go below the waterline to cope with an underwater shelf?

 

The answer is to have different fenders for different types of moorings -- and to not have them deployed when moving.

[PaulG]

 

How do you get a floating fender to go below the waterline to cope with an underwater shelf?

 

The answer is to have different fenders for different types of moorings -- and to not have them deployed when moving.

You don't. You use something like a floating wheelbarrow wheel to hold you far enough off to be clear of the underwater shelf.

 

"De rigeur" on many parts of the Shroppie, Rodney...

[Alan de Enfield]

 

How do you get a floating fender to go below the waterline to cope with an underwater shelf?

 

 

 

The answer in fact is "to have fat enough ones that hold you away from the shelf".

 

I have never used 'submersible' fenders on either the Shroppie Shelf, or the shelf alongside some of the Trent Locks.

Wheel barrow wheels do the job nicely, you only need a couple.

[nb Innisfree]

 

The answer in fact is "to have fat enough ones that hold you away from the shelf".

 

I have never used 'submersible' fenders on either the Shroppie Shelf, or the shelf alongside some of the Trent Locks.

Wheel barrow wheels do the job nicely, you only need a couple.

Depends on the boat's draught, ours was 22-24" and car wheels didn't stop the occasional contact.

 

ETA: On the Shroppie that is.

Edited August 23, 2016 by nb Innisfree

[adam1uk]

You don't. You use something like a floating wheelbarrow wheel to hold you far enough off to be clear of the underwater shelf.

 

"De rigeur" on many parts of the Shroppie, Rodney...

 

And do you travel with them deployed?

[nb Innisfree]

 

And do you travel with them deployed?

I have on the odd occasion when I forgot to raise them.

[Paul C]

Depends on the boat's draught, ours was 22-24" and car wheels didn't stop the occasional contact.

 

ETA: On the Shroppie that is.

 

Similar experience here - the required diameter is something like a car wheel+tyre - a tyre alone wouldn't do it, it would squash up. Also the tyre needs to be kept inflated, otherwise it can sink. Storing such large fenders/car wheels and tyres is problematical. So, a non-floating fender which can obviously be positioned precisely is a very good idea.

[Guest]

We have found that the hateful Shroppie shelf varies. Some places our wheelbarrow wheels do the trick, some they don't. We used to carry car size wheels but they are a real pain.

[MtB]

 

Similar experience here - the required diameter is something like a car wheel+tyre - a tyre alone wouldn't do it, it would squash up. Also the tyre needs to be kept inflated, otherwise it can sink. Storing such large fenders/car wheels and tyres is problematical. So, a non-floating fender which can obviously be positioned precisely is a very good idea.

 

 

Not if you keep them down all the time...

[Paul C]

 

 

Not if you keep them down all the time...

 

But then they'd snag when doing narrow locks.........

[MtB]

 

But then they'd snag when doing narrow locks.........

 

 

Just like pipe fenders then!

[Guest]

Boat safety man knocked my tyre fenders back for being below the 1.6 mm limit.

[MtB]

Lol very good!

[johnmck]

You can buy fender mounting hooks that you tie your fender to, the hook fits over the handrail, or you could use carabiners to clip to your boat fender eyes.

Phil

Now they are really the work of the Devil. Our pipe fenders are attached via rope shackles to the eyes below the gunwale. No lenghs of lanyard to snag. In the past, those attached via the handrail have caused us to have a prop foul and once, one was ingested by the bow thruster!(I know, another sin to the purists)

 

Like everything in boating, heed good advice, but don't let the snobs spoil your fun.

[ditchcrawler]

 

The answer in fact is "to have fat enough ones that hold you away from the shelf".

 

I have never used 'submersible' fenders on either the Shroppie Shelf, or the shelf alongside some of the Trent Locks.

Wheel barrow wheels do the job nicely, you only need a couple.

[Bunny]

We don't travel with fenders down , I tend to snag then on the narrow locks , now just in the habit of lifting them . Have three fat fenders for the Shropshire shelf . Over the years we Have found fenders around the prop on at least four occasions. Bunny

[Phil Ambrose]

We don't travel with fenders down , I tend to snag then on the narrow locks , now just in the habit of lifting them . Have three fat fenders for the Shropshire shelf . Over the years we Have found fenders around the prop on at least four occasions. Bunny

All this talk about fenders around props has reminded me about coal sacks, I've had several of these round my prop at different times, should we consider coal sacks in the same way as fenders? May have to start a thread demanding nobody uses coal sacks and start mocking those that do.

Phil

[magpie patrick]

All this talk about fenders around props has reminded me about coal sacks, I've had several of these round my prop at different times, should we consider coal sacks in the same way as fenders? May have to start a thread demanding nobody uses coal sacks and start mocking those that do.

Phil

 

I know you like to be obtuse Phil but isn't the point that travelling (on a canal) with fenders down offers virtually no benefit and a lot of possible drawbacks, whereas having bags on anthracite handy does help one keep warm (even if only by having to lift 'em when filling the coal scuttle)

[Phil Ambrose]

 

I know you like to be obtuse Phil but isn't the point that travelling (on a canal) with fenders down offers virtually no benefit and a lot of possible drawbacks, whereas having bags on anthracite handy does help one keep warm (even if only by having to lift 'em when filling the coal scuttle)

Guess it's my way of saying it's an individuals choice.

Phil