What fenders work best on our boats? I have some fancy color matched flat ones from my previous Donzi, but they don't fit right on the rub rail and either flatten under it, or flip up and out of the way. I want to have a pair that I can hang from the stern and mid cleats.
What fenders do you use?
- Thread starter zimm
- Start date
I use Taylor Made round mooring balls as bumpers..they work great...bit of a pain to stow..I also have a pair that are cleated to the dock that are there perminently so when I come in I dont have to mess with them.
I was reading about the tyler made ones that the rope goes through the center so you can mount it verticle or horizontally easily and it "rolls" with the boat to reduce marring. I might try that. I trailer the boat, so there's all kinds of different wooden docks I encounter. Here's my boat overnighting at a friend's house on the water. My "fancy" fender is on the back, it flips out of the way too easily being right on the rub rail.
I also currently have two blue fenders that are conventional. They work ok, but I was wondering if there was something better...
I also currently have two blue fenders that are conventional. They work ok, but I was wondering if there was something better...
In the first picture, the fender is tied off with the rope too short. Let it hang down a bit more. Now, if your intent is to protect the rubrail (which doesn't really need it) then you'll want to get a "low freeboard" fender. Find one as long as possible. There are also "flat style" fenders that are sectioned, to allow them to drape nicely over an edge.
The traditional style fender (round) should work just fine on your boat = there's no real reason to reinvent the wheel when the 'ol standby will do the job. Just make sure you're using the right size. I'd go one size bigger than your blue one (in the second picture).
The Taylor "Big B" (hole in the middle) are nice, but it won't really "roll" any better than the kind with the two "eyes" since the rope, itself, will rotate/roll. In theory, it sounds like it would work better - but in reality it makes no difference.
Two nice-sized, traditional fenders will do the trick. But it never hurts to go bigger... other than the storage issue as mentioned above.
The traditional style fender (round) should work just fine on your boat = there's no real reason to reinvent the wheel when the 'ol standby will do the job. Just make sure you're using the right size. I'd go one size bigger than your blue one (in the second picture).
The Taylor "Big B" (hole in the middle) are nice, but it won't really "roll" any better than the kind with the two "eyes" since the rope, itself, will rotate/roll. In theory, it sounds like it would work better - but in reality it makes no difference.
Two nice-sized, traditional fenders will do the trick. But it never hurts to go bigger... other than the storage issue as mentioned above.
I use the Taylor Made guards just like the white ones tied to the dock in the second photo. They inflate and are shaped like a long cylinder (or fat sausage 
). I have a 20 foot Grady and use 3 of them, which is probably overkill. One at the stern cleat, 1 tied mid ship to my toe rail (connected to a rope I just toss over the side when docking) and a third tied up kind of towards the bow. If set right, they should not roll around much. Dennis is spot on. The one at the stern in the photo is not low enough. They should be below the rub rail. Good luck!
). I have a 20 foot Grady and use 3 of them, which is probably overkill. One at the stern cleat, 1 tied mid ship to my toe rail (connected to a rope I just toss over the side when docking) and a third tied up kind of towards the bow. If set right, they should not roll around much. Dennis is spot on. The one at the stern in the photo is not low enough. They should be below the rub rail. Good luck!I like a red anchor ball for stern and 2-3 Taylor boat fenders along side. This picture shows that. The large red ball can handle the weight of stern well.
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I have the Taylor made brand oblong ones. They inflate and work fairly well. We have essentially the same hull.
I didn't like West Marine's prices on the 8x20s so I bought a set of 4 on EBAY for $100 with free shipping. They lasted the first year without any problems:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-NEW-RIBBED-BO ... 9a&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-NEW-RIBBED-BO ... 9a&vxp=mtr
We also use the fabric covers. Our fenders are~15 years old and stained. The covers keep them nice looking and also prevent any scuff marks on the hull, which will occur if you're docked in the same place for a while
River Rat said:
I do the same. I use the line through fenders usually one at the stern then another midship. This is for normal docking in my slip. I have a big orange ball and additional line through fenders that I can use if needed for different docking situations, storms, rafting etc.
I put covers on my 8x20s as well to reduce hull scuffing. They are not hard to make and you can save some $$ if you can talk your wife into sewing them. I'm trying to get proficient with a heavy-duty sewing machine I picked up on Craigslist so I can someday tackle the more difficult tasks like cushions and canvas. This winter's projects included 4 fleece fender covers, 6 vinyl rod covers, 6 neoprene reel covers and a marine canvas cover for my canoe. The rod covers were good practice for sewing long, straight lines.
For the fender covers, I just cut the fleece material to size and pinned it around the fender to get the diameter right. At each end, I folded over the material and stitched it so I could insert a piece of parachute cord as a drawstring. This time I just used black material but there are all sorts of fleece patterns to choose from at a fabric store. Maybe next time I will use this: 8)
http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/445572
For the fender covers, I just cut the fleece material to size and pinned it around the fender to get the diameter right. At each end, I folded over the material and stitched it so I could insert a piece of parachute cord as a drawstring. This time I just used black material but there are all sorts of fleece patterns to choose from at a fabric store. Maybe next time I will use this: 8)
http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/445572
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