Fenders

[Starman]

What type of Fenders ( including brand ) do you use/prefer ?

For example do you prefer the type where the line goes through the fender and is tied at the bottom ?

How about fender covers?

Also , what method do you use to secure the lines to the boat ?

Is there a preferred color ?

Thanx

[garyd]

Morning Paul.


I used to use the fenders that had a tab at one end with a hole in it. Then as the boats got bigger the ones with a hole thru the center I really didn't like them at first but got used to them now prefer them. However I've found it better to not use fenders if possible. With of without covers they leave very tiny scratches.

The ones with a hole in the center can be tied so they roll that helps but I almost always try to dock or raft up where fenders are not needed. And if they are needed to try to keep them located right on the rub rail. So the fender does not rub on the paint. Sometimes your stuck and you have to use them but they should be avoided if possible. I've seen lots and lots of boats with large patterns in their hulls from fenders, paint wore completely thru.

garyd

[egaito]

I bet this turns into one of those 'religious' discussions......but they're always fun to a point!

Of course, like anything else, YMMV depending on the intended purpose of your fenders, your ability and willingness to store them, etc, etc....

With Misty, I don't fenders to stay off of my dock, and rarely for other docks that I visit, most of which have poles or skirting to keep the boat off. Mostly, they are used for rafting with other vessels or keeping the tender off the side.

I prefer the long, double ended fenders so they can be secured vertically, or horizontally. With lines on both ends, it's easier to keep them where you want them as well. It's a pain to run the line through the center of the hollow ones, so I tend to buy them with eyes on both ends. I also have a couple of ball fenders which are great for keeping hulls apart below the sheer line, but they're a pain to stow and don't look good sitting up on the deck.

For color, black seems to be "in" in my area, but I tend to buy white. A couple of years back, I had fender covers with line pockets made out of sunbrella to match the canvas on the boat. Love them. I tried the WM "socks", which wear and fray quickly.

For brand, it's hard to beat Taylor's warranty. I've brought some back with the center tube ripped out to receive new replacements from WM, but I'm told that level of responsiveness varies from store to store. As long as they are not cut, Taylor will replace them.

If I were doing the "loop" and locking a lot, I would probably have more, and bigger, ball fenders on deck.

[Nonchalant1]

We use 2 of the 24" diameter big fender balls by "Taylor Made" almost exclusively. We also have four 24" X 10" cylinder shaped Taylor Made fenders. The big balls are great because they'll allow use farther forward where the hull is flared and still keep the rub rail off of docks or lock walls and they give you lots of extra space between you and the dock or lock. Our cylinder shaped fenders have those cloth fender covers which helps stop the chirping noise of vinyl fenders moving against the hull at night, but that's rarley needed. Our ball fenders are white, which is hard to keep white and out cylinder fenders are black, which is hard to keep black. The dayglow orange fenders just look strange to me. That brown crud from docks, locks and water scum just builds up on anything. The white fenders can be cleaned back to gleaming white with acetone.

We do use the cylinder type fenders with a line through them out both ends to tie horizontally around pilings or tie on the boat next to pilings where a ball would just roll off the pile. We tie the fender ropes to anything that's where we want the fenders - cleats, railings, rail posts, etc. The line can abrade the finish on your rails some, but that's part of boating. Others have special railing protectors to prevent that, but that just adds hassle. We also sometimes tie the big balls onto the dock cleats instead of the boat when the tide movement is high, so the tide won't pull the fender off the dock when tieed to the boat.

Taylor Made guarantees their fenders to never break. People have found old broken ones at marina dumpsters and turned them in for new fenders. The only drawback to Taylor Made fenders is their inflating valve doesn't work well with a bike pump and ball needle. It needs higher pressure than that to work. You only have to blow them up once though and they're good for life, so I just removed the valve and inflated them when they're very cold on a 40 degree morning, and then they're tight at everything above 40 degrees.

Doug Shuman

[Trojan]

I like the fenders with the holes in through the center of them and still hold air. I also like the very big ones. I have the mounts that snap on the handrails and you can adjust the fender position with the line. The bigger the fender the less chance of damage or leaving marks. I have never seen a mark on my boat that didn't wash off. I have a minimum of 3 fenders out at all times. Then again I very seldom dock where I have any great amount of movement for any length of time. I mostly dock in protected harbors where the only movement is from the wind.

BILL

[SKYCHENEY]

Wow, I have the same hull as Doug and carry exactly the same fenders as he does. I have 2 of the white 24" balls and 4 of the black 10x24's with the hole through the center. Weird.

I prefer the ones with the line through the center. You do have to make sure you keep a knot in one end of the line to make sure you don't lose it. The fender balls are hard to store, but they do come in handy in many situations. Like others have said, there are only certain places that you need fenders. If you can tie the boat away from the dock, that is the preferred situation.

[luckydave215]

I have 6 of the line-through-the-hole Taylor Made's and use 4 at minimum at all times, but I have a floating dock (no pilings to tie to) and must tie the boat hard against my finger, because there's only 4' of extra space between my boat and the boat I share the slip with.
Check out the pic. Of course, it's a cross wind/tide slip. You guys from Florida talking about single handing with a spring line on a piling crack me up, try my slip sometime. BTW that's McKinna 57 I share the slip witth. If I ever hit that flimsy boat hard, I'm going to crush her like an eggshell.

[ThirdHatt]

Wow, I am surprised that so many of you with 53+' boats are only using the 10" fenders. I used those on my 36C and 41TC, but I got the 12"x30"? Taylormades for my 58YF. I have two of the 12" that I use as my main fenders and two of the 10" for rafting with smaller boats or supplemental use after the 12" are in place, all black with the rope through the middle. Relying on just the 10" fenders on boats over 50' seems a little "under-fendered" to me for some reason. Better safe than sorry (scratched)!

I agree with the Taylor-Made warranty though. No reason to EVER buy another brand. When they get too old and whooped, swing by a WM store and swap it out, no questions asked. I know people around here that had these fenders pop during Hurricane Kartina. They just brought them in to the local WM (after it re-opened) and had them replaced with brand new ones at no charge. That's hard to argue with!

[StratPlan61]

I use 18x40 MegaFenders (closed cell foam) with Sunbrella covers which match my other canvas. These are the cylinder style with a hole through the middle. They saved me during hurricane Francis and worked great on all 28 locks from Miami to northern Michigan. Truth be told, I wished I had the 14x32 size, but I purchased these 'used' for my trip north - a great investment. I have 2 extra I am willing to sell cheap if anyone is interested.
I also carry 4 12x28 white rubber cylinder type for fuel stops, short tie-ups, fendering the dinghy, etc.

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

[Trojan]

If you want to quite a noisy fender. Just squirt a little dish soap on it. Then just wash of the next day works great for sleeping.


BILL