Fender Selection Help

I have purchased a 36' Marine Trader. Although it is fairly well equipped it did not come with fenders. I could use some help on the size and number to buy.

Since I bought the boat for the great loop I will encounter a wide variety of docks and locks over the next couple of years

.



Thanks,
Arch

Four 8-10" dia cylindricals and for locks a couple of big ball types? Maybe also a couple of fender boards.

8.5" or 10"..... We purchased 8.5" off eBay and they fit our fender holders perfectly.

I like hole through the middle type fenders. The sizes suggested are about right for your boat.
Big B Inflatable Vinyl Fenders

Buoys

Dwhattys suggestion on fender boards is a good one. I've used 2 X 6's to make them.

An advantage of round or ball fenders is that under compression (wind pushing you onto the dock) you have the diameter of the ball between you and the dock. A cylindrical fender can in some cases partly fold over the edge of a dock leaving only a few inches of air between your hull and the dock as protection.

But...... if your boat is going to be pushed against a dock for a long time--- over a winter season, for example--- by the prevailing winds, the area of contact between the ball fender and the hull is fairly small. So a lot of pressure concentrated in a small spot. This can cause excess wear on the gelcoat or paint on the hull.

We found this out the hard way this past winter when we were assigned temporary moorage on the guest dock in our marina while our "home" dock was being replaced. Because our temporary moorage would have our boat pushed hard against the dock by the prevailing storm winds we were concerned about having enough cushioning against the dock. This is when we were told about the advantage of ball fenders, so we added a couple to our lineup and they did a good job of keeping us well off the dock through the winter storms. But when we had the boat hauled for bottom paint in the spring we noticed that where the ball fenders had been, particularly the forward one, the gel coat had been worn down some.

Not an issue with shorter-term use or use in situations where the boat is not shoved and worked against the side of a dock for a season by storm winds. But something to be aware of nevertheless.

I have an assortment of ball and tubular type, most Taylor Made and a couple of Polyform. whichever you buy keep your reciepts the Taylor Made, it think the Polyform too have lifertime warranties, unconditional, if you snag a a bolt or nail in a lock or pier bring it back to the store and they (should) take it and give you a new one. I changed one several years ago no problem at W. Marine.
Steve w

What do you guys think about fender covers?

HopCar said:

What do you guys think about fender covers?

Click to expand...

They can help keep the fenders clean. Of course you then have to keep the covers clean. They can make a boat look dressy if that's important to you. Personally I'd just go with dark fenders if keeping them clean is an issue.

By the way, the best tip I ever got from TF is from Keith who suggested using GoJo to clean groundpower cords and fenders. We tried it and it works a treat.

Our theory is that the fenders are there to get beat up and dirty so our hull won't. Not sure we'd gain anything from putting covers on the fenders other than it would be adding more things to take care of.

Have ten fenders: five to a side. They are of four different diameters to help compensate for the varying distances between hull and dock. Have round ones toward bow and stern and cylindrical between. The bow fenders are primarily used for docking and aren't necessary after completing docking.

My boat originally came with four tires for fenders.

HopCar said:

I like hole through the middle type fenders. The sizes suggested are about right for your boat.
Big B Inflatable Vinyl Fenders

Buoys

Dwhattys suggestion on fender boards is a good one. I've used 2 X 6's to make them.

Click to expand...

Hopcar, our boat came with a fender board that was assembled with a short 2 x 6, and then formed rubber pads at the ends. I want a second set up but have failed to find the rubber ends anywhere. Have you ever seen them? Possibly they have gone out of business?

If you do any portion of the Rideau or Richelu the fender situation becomes unique .

The boat will float to within a few inches to the top of the lock .

You will need fenders that are set to simply float alongside. And fenders for when you are down 7 ft.

The tubes seem to work best.Probably 1/2 dozen to lay next to the hull, and help up higher.

In the huge locks for commercial vessels , by far the best technique is to ride the pipe with a center cleat and a fairly short line.Seconds after coming alongside , your ready.

This works best with really large fenders , the big balls do great , esp if the hull has much flair like a sport fish.

Happily the big fenders have a plug that can be removed , so after the trip they can be kept aboard ,stowed flat.

These are expensive , but 3 or 4 would be grand.

Used fenders work fine on the rough concrete walls.

Marin said:

.

Our theory is that the fenders are there to get beat up and dirty so our hull won't. Not sure we'd gain anything from putting covers on the fenders other than it would be adding more things to take care of.

Click to expand...

Moonstruck has 10" dia. with hole through the center black colored fenders. The fenders have covers----not to protect the fender, but protect the hull from chaffing. Since we have mostly pilings here on the East Coast, the covers can get really beat up over a season. I would love to have a set of the heavy velour type covers, but it is hard to justify the expense. Fender covers are a small price to pay to protect a polished hull.

Used fenders work fine on the rough concrete walls.

Click to expand...

Yes I agree. We just spent allsummer in the erie and Canadian locks and used fenders found via dumpster diving almost exclusively.

But in my opinion tubular fenders work the best. 8 to 10 inch dia. Never had an occasion to use a fender board.
I saw several on the loop who were using poly play balls inside of heavy reusable shopping bags that were hung by the handles. Talk about a cheap way to fender for locks. I plan on trying some next summer.

Forkliftt said:

Hopcar, our boat came with a fender board that was assembled with a short 2 x 6, and then formed rubber pads at the ends. I want a second set up but have failed to find the rubber ends anywhere. Have you ever seen them? Possibly they have gone out of business?

Click to expand...

Steve, I bought some rubber slip on end pads for a 2x4 fender board at West Marine early this year.
Taylor Made Products 2012 Catalog
I don't see them in the WM catalogue now, maybe discontinued?
Steve W

I think the Taylor Made fender board ends are still available. I'll check when I get to the store today. I remember the bigger ones as well. They were made by another company that will come to me later. (The mind is a terrible thing to lose.) I don't think the big ones are made anymore.

If you are going to move along a dock/lock that the ball fenders are best as they roll, where as the cylinder will tend roll up and maybe pop out. Therefore we have a combination of 3 balls and 4 cylinder per side and one 3 ft ball for the curve of the bow to protect when coming into the dock. and/or push the bow out/way. If the boat is going to be pushed up against a dock for a long period of time both the ball and cylinder will rub up against the hull. So you either have a round spot or a long strip.

A cylinder that can be tied at both ends, used horizontal if up against a piling. I keep the old deflated ones and hang them over the swim step when we have the dink/run about moored/tied to the stern, so even the old deflated can be used.

Buy fenders that are the length from the gunnels to the water line which will work for high docks/locks and low floating docks and a big ball that fits the curve of the bow. Better to have fenders to big then to small.

Greetings,
If I was to buy fenders the distance from the gunwale to the water line, I'd end up with fenders 4.5' long! As to fender boards, depending on length, 2x6 would be stronger than 2x4-no?

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
If I was to buy fenders the distance from the gunwale to the water line, I'd end up with fenders 4.5' long! As to fender boards, depending on length, 2x6 would be stronger than 2x4-no?

Click to expand...

I was looking at Arch's boat. For a boat his size 18 to 21 inches is recomended. They make fenders up to 77 inches so you could buy fenders that long. The largest we have are 34 inches.

HopCar said:

What do you guys think about fender covers?

Click to expand...

I paid a guy to compound and wax my boat shortly after I bought it and he recommended fender covers to keep the fenders from scuffing the gelcoat. I use covers and it seems to help.

Your replies are very helpful!! I will do much of the loop single handed so I'm looking for fender hanging and storage that will let me deploy quickly.

The boat has lived with pilings (in Melbourne, FL) for years. You can see the fender boards in this picture.



Thanks for all the help.

Arch

rwidman said:

I paid a guy to compound and wax my boat shortly after I bought it and he recommended fender covers to keep the fenders from scuffing the gelcoat. I use covers and it seems to help.

Click to expand...

If you can find them, So-Pac flat fenders are pretty hard to beat. They are only 3" thick, and came in lots of different sizes - for example 25" x 13". I used them on my sailboat because they were so much easier to store and could do double duty as seating or kneeling pads.

I have no idea why, but they seem to have been discontinued. The last I purchased I got on Ebay.

I belive those fenderboards have the wrong side against the hull?
Steve W

HopCar said:

I think the Taylor Made fender board ends are still available. I'll check when I get to the store today. I remember the bigger ones as well. They were made by another company that will come to me later. (The mind is a terrible thing to lose.) I don't think the big ones are made anymore.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I have seen the 2x4 style Steve mentioned but am looking for the 2x6 like I have now that stands off a few good inches. I may be able to get a picture this weekend.

markpierce said:

My boat originally came with four tires for fenders.

Click to expand...

New.......or recaps??

White walls?

Forklift, I'm pretty sure it was the W.H. Salisbury company that made the fenderboard ends for 2 X 6's. I think they are out of the marine business.

I like the So-Pak flat fenders as well. They store flat and I keep finding other uses for them. They were made in New Zeland and imported into the USA by Imtra Corp. I don't see them on Imtra's website anymore. I may have a couple left in stock if anyone is interested.

My wife made covers from Polartec 300 for our white 20" cylinder shaped fenders. Done on a home sewing machine. I put them on in jan and they have held up well. Cost $7 each for material. The blue color faded to light blue/purple but they look nice anyway.

Rambler said:

New.......or recaps??

White walls?

Click to expand...

Used.

No. T-shirts.

For a cruiser a pair of fender boards are required.

Sometimes the dock is pilings and its very easy to lay alongside with a pair of good boards, and a spring line set..

My favorite uses pre-cast bumpers that slip over a piece of dimensional lumber.

Std. tube fenders between the bumpers , and if it gets rough enough to spit out the tubes the boards at least wont eat a hole in the paint job or gel coat.

Fender covers are nice but require as much cleaning or more than the fenders themselves...any grit that gets on them turns them into sandpaper too...sometimes easier to just hose off the fender.

But one suggestion I heard was go to thrift stores and buy old sweat pants. The legs may fit and one end already has an elastic, finished end. At a $1.00 or so for 2 covers....hardly can argue the price.