Fenderhooks

I attempted to get opinions on a fender cover discussion thread. For those who read it I apologize.
Does anyone use these fenderhook hangers? Do they protect the varnish on the handrails?

My opinion is... They look expensive ;-)

Roger that Gonzo, i think I can make my own version for 25% of retail.

Wouldn't be hard for any saddle shop to replicate.

First glance, I thought it was a hip flask. Nice piece of gear but just tying the fender rope around a stanchion seems to work.

fryedaze said:

I attempted to get opinions on a fender cover discussion thread. For those who read it I apologize.
Does anyone use these fenderhook hangers? Do they protect the varnish on the handrails?

Click to expand...

the short answer is yes...

but short answers never seem to answer the real question for me....

I think Marin pointed out in the other thread the fleece will hold moisture and I can't imagine the leather lasting too long in wet climates. So I'm guessing these are like classic cars and classic boats....they are more for when it's "showtime".

psneeld said:

the short answer is yes...

but short answers never seem to answer the real question for me....

I think Marin pointed out in the other thread the fleece will hold moisture and I can't imagine the leather lasting too long in wet climates. So I'm guessing these are like classic cars and classic boats....they are more for when it's "showtime".

Click to expand...

Hmm normally I'd agree with you P but in this case I don't. (No offence)

Leather is fine in wet climates provided it is good quality and you look after it. Like anything really. Leather needs to be moist to avoid drying out and cracking. All of our saddles are leather and we've had them on working horses on our cattle station for many many years, not to mention the reins and bridles etc. Some saddles we have are over 50 years old and the leather is fine.

If you really wanted them, I wouldn't buy these units from a shop. I'd get a saddlery to make them using top grade leather. They will last for years!

I do agree with the woollen fleece comment not to mention the salt water drying out to a salty crust.

For me, they Look great but would be more drama than they're worth IMHO.

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I am familiar with these, knowing several owners of same. They work great for protecting varnish and hold up extremely well to the elements. Very well made. To accomplish this, they are breath-takingly expensive. I should get some, but just can't bring myself to pony up.

leather requires maintenance to last sitting out in the weather...not that everything doesn't....good leather or not...so if your boat is that pretty you need these...then I doubt replacing them or maintaining them is an issue.

At around a 2-3 hundred or more bucks each at www.fenderhooks.au , I just ty a half hitch to a stantion, thats alot of fuel.

I have cam cleats similar to the one on top in the photo. Mine are mounted on the inside of the hull just below the rail. There is a stainless thru-hull installed just above it. The fender line passes through the thru-hull and is locked by the cleat.

Pros: Quick to set up and adjust and no rubbing of the varnish

Con: Because of the permanent nature of the setup, the fenders end up in fixed positions along the sides which are OK 95% of the time with the rest generally at fixed docks requiring the fenders to be rigged sideways anyway.

Dave

I checked these online....wow $300+ for a fender guard! We have a Grand Banks with lots of nice brightwork, and we just use simple foam pipe insulation to protect the finish. Lots cheaper. Not as classy, but much cheaper.

A must have with your SS Ultra anchor.

Here's a more affordable alternative, but they're still too rich for my blood.







Click the Fender Hooks link on the left margin.

Another thing to consider with these different fender hangars, some of which like the first one in FlyWright's post seem fairly practical, is the rip-off factor.

Unless someone actually wants the fender itself, the chances are that a knot around a stanchion will go totally ignored. But something like the fender hanger in post #1 of this thread could entice its disappearance simply because it looks expensive and "cool."

One reason, but not the main reason, we rejected the idea of using the fender covers we were given was the boat's name embroidered on each cover. Besides being over-the-top pretentious in our view, the name would have made them stand out. As such, they would be that much more susceptible to being "disappeared at."

We don't have much of a theft problem in our marina, which is surprising considering how big it is. But dinghy motors and boathooks and this, that, and the other thing go walkabout on enough of a regular basis for most everyone to take precautions about this kind of casual or opportunistic thievery. So most marina tenants avoid leaving attention-getting stuff on the outsides of their boats.

Putting fancy fender holders like the ones pictured on one's boat might be a bit like putting a shiny piece of tin foil on the lawn with the crows looking on.

Tying with a simple knot to the railing works well for me. They are semi-permanently tied, meaning I haven't recently had the need to adjust them, but then it's simply a matter of tying and untying. It helps having wide decks and high bulwarks to place the fenders while underway, eliminating the need to untie the fenders from the rails to keep them hidden from the public.

We use a clove hitch. Simple and easily adjustable. The weight of the fender keeps it "hitched".

Simple knots on a rail work great if you have a rail. I do that forward, but the aft half of our boat has a varnished rail (which the OP mentioned being concerned about scratching).

Dave

If a fender has to be deployed between two vertical stanchions and you have a varnished cap rail...you can always tie a line between two stanchions then tie the line to that or tie a bridle to the top of the fender to adjust it in the right spot.

Not quite sure what situation would call for the fender vertically and yet it be in a specific spot...sure there's a few I suppose...just can't think of one right now.

There is a fellow here in our marina that has those...but he also has his rails covered with sunbrella....I have no idea how his rails look....haven't seen them without the covers on them.....

We tie our fenders to the stainless rail where we can...and have permanent hangers mounted on the outside of the weatherboards...

I use a rolling hitch on a stanchion easy to tie or adjust.
Steve W

I decided to try my hand at a homemade version. The stitching takes some time and bending the 1/8" stainless plate using the "heat it and beat it " method was tough. Only five more to go.

Test fit was nice and snug

Nice job, Dave! That looks great. The lengths to which we'll go to pamper out teak rails. Beautiful!

Got a question, which pertains to the store-bought hangers of the same style.

What's to prevent the hangers from being flipped off the rail? It's not uncommon to have a fender "roll" aft (or forward if your backing out) and put a lot of sideways load on the line holding it. If the fender line is tied to a stanchion or rail, no problem. But on these padded holders I can see them being easily flipped up and coming off the rail if the pull from the trapped fender angles fore or aft.

"What's to prevent the hangers from being flipped off the rail?"

I imagine that it could happen, hope it doesnt. The one I put together has an inch of stainless plate bent to fit under the rail. The leather and wool probably make it another 1/4" which is almost half the rail width. These pictures shows it.

What did it all cost per unit?

Greetings,
Mr. fryedaze. Nice job. Now is the lambswool from organically raised sheep?

"Now is the lambswool from organically raised sheep? "
No clue, does it matter?

"What did it all cost per unit?"

$50