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Bow Fenders

Sea Dog

By Sea Dog
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X Alan W Rising Star

X Alan W

Posted
Posted

As the front end of a boat tends to be pointy, something that wraps around it is likely to stay where you want it.

A button will try and flop either side of the stem post.

 

Whichever you choose, don't forget the weak link.

If the boat runs into the lock cill going uphill a couple of times the button fender will conform to the boats stem shape. a piece of car tyre ( old with fabric casing rater than steel radial if possible) bead cut off,turned inside out & fixed around the fender will help with wear & stop it catching on lock bits ( bolts, bits of steel plate etc.) 2 lengths of rope 1 stronger than the other from the fender chains to the eyes on the boat was the working boaters way of fixing but modern thinking seems toward sawing through one side of one of the chain links. I preferred the rope method

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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If the boat runs into the lock cill going uphill a couple of times the button fender will conform to the boats stem shape. a piece of car tyre ( old with fabric casing rater than steel radial if possible) bead cut off,turned inside out & fixed around the fender will help with wear & stop it catching on lock bits ( bolts, bits of steel plate etc.) 2 lengths of rope 1 stronger than the other from the fender chains to the eyes on the boat was the working boaters way of fixing but modern thinking seems toward sawing through one side of one of the chain links. I preferred the rope method

It is a fender. Why do you need to fender your fenders?

 

If it wears out buy a new one!

 

Or stop running into things bow first.

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Barry Veteran

Barry

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I'm guessing it's to make the expensive rope fenders last longer NC.

 

By having a thin, tough, cheap, sacrificial layer protecting the rope shock absorbing fender, that fender need not be replaced anywhere near as often

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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I'm guessing it's to make the expensive rope fenders last longer NC.

 

By having a thin, tough, cheap, sacrificial layer protecting the rope shock absorbing fender, that fender need not be replaced anywhere near as often

Why not just use the tyre and forego the rope fender altogether?

 

IMO a fender is there to do a job. If/when it needs replacing it gets replaced. Fendering fenders to make them last longer is IMO just plain silly.

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Barry Veteran

Barry

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Fair enough NC

 

I think a large part of it might be tradition.

 

A lot of boat owners, concerned with how their boats look would prefer a rope fender and would faint at the prospect of replacing a rope fender with a tyre. I can't see see you hanging tyres on your boat, for instance.

 

Some (a few) boaters are happy to use a tyre as a fender

 

Using a rubber strip, especially if done neatly might be a happy compromise - especially if you consider that the smooth inner surface of a tyre is much less likely to snag on small protuberances on a lock gate than a rope fender

 

I can see the sense in it

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Why not just use the tyre and forego the rope fender altogether?

 

IMO a fender is there to do a job. If/when it needs replacing it gets replaced. Fendering fenders to make them last longer is IMO just plain silly.

We are only talking about the bow fender. A tyre alone would not give the cushioning required when a steel narrowboat moves forward from the cill to the gate but rope does really have the wear resistance for long life. An ideal bow fender would be a composite of the two but I don't think such an item exists

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Chertsey Veteran

Chertsey

Posted
Posted (edited)

Why not just use the tyre and forego the rope fender altogether?

 

IMO a fender is there to do a job. If/when it needs replacing it gets replaced. Fendering fenders to make them last longer is IMO just plain silly.

It's not 'fendering' the fenders, it's covering them - it's part of the fender. If it both makes them last longer and slide up lock gates better, what's not to like?

A traditional rope front fender will start to fray and wear out quite quickly; a covered one will last years, even decades. Why wear things out and replace them for the sake of it? A fender is there to do a job, yes, but it's not meant to be sacrificial.

 

 

Some people do just use a tyre (or two - wasn't there a photo on the forum recently?) but they don't give the same protection, and it's a devil of a job to get them to stay in the right place.. If something has been tried and tested and used for decades, then there's probably something going for it.

We are only talking about the bow fender. A tyre alone would not give the cushioning required when a steel narrowboat moves forward from the cill to the gate but rope does really have the wear resistance for long life. An ideal bow fender would be a composite of the two but I don't think such an item exists

But surely that's exactly what a traditional rope fender covered with a section of tyre is. (Apologies if that was deliberate irony)

We use tyres at High Marnham.

 

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The pontoon is already festooned with them for the ski boats so we don't bother deploying our own. No point when the pontoon is already fendered up for us.

That's not Naughty Cal in the photo then...

Edited by Chertsey
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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

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Posted

 

But surely that's exactly what a traditional rope fender covered with a section of tyre is. (Apologies if that was deliberate irony)

 

Not quite, If you could buy a fender off the shelf that had the absorbency of rope and the wear resistance of a tyre it would be ideal, the next best thing is to buy a rope one and then attach a lump of tyre (something I have yet to do successfully so I just keep wearing them out

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X Alan W Rising Star

X Alan W

Posted
Posted (edited)

It may have escaped your notice but this is a discussion forum. Anyone can comment.

 

So I will ask my question again. Why have fenders for your fenders?

It was done for at least 2 reasons #1 the tyre stopped the knotted rope fender getting caught up on poorly maintained lock structures protruding bolts bits of bent metal plate & before you say don't let the boat touch the cill/ top gate it's some times in fact most times not possible with a 70ft boat in a lock only designed to take a max dimension 70 ft boat. #2 Do you like to spend money when not necessary? If putting a piece of tyre that is not fit for it's proper task around a rope fender will extend the coir fenders lifespan I'm all for it. If your "hubbie & yourself are in work that pays well (good for you to enjoy your hobby & replace a fender that wears out quickly, your call ) when it was your job that didn't pay very well & in cases where you had to pay for replacements making kit last as long as possible would not be classed as silly. I didn't do any pleasure/leisure boating, my boating on the canal 1958/72 was spent load carrying or Hotel boating both of which meant I had to make a living at it As an example the last load I carried for BW was a 12/14 hr day 5 day round trip which payed £23 I had to buy my own engine lubricating oil around £1 10 shillings? a replacement fender at around 1963 cost between £7 to £10 dependent on if it was made from used or new rope. So extending it's length of life was a must. A fender question from me why have fenders dangling down the side when under way when the boat has 2 or more full length welded guard irons Each to his/her own

Edited by X Alan W
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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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It's not 'fendering' the fenders, it's covering them - it's part of the fender. If it both makes them last longer and slide up lock gates better, what's not to like?

A traditional rope front fender will start to fray and wear out quite quickly; a covered one will last years, even decades. Why wear things out and replace them for the sake of it? A fender is there to do a job, yes, but it's not meant to be sacrificial.

 

 

Some people do just use a tyre (or two - wasn't there a photo on the forum recently?) but they don't give the same protection, and it's a devil of a job to get them to stay in the right place.. If something has been tried and tested and used for decades, then there's probably something going for it.

But surely that's exactly what a traditional rope fender covered with a section of tyre is. (Apologies if that was deliberate irony)

That's not Naughty Cal in the photo then...

Yes. The far boat.

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