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12-07-2022, 10:28 AM
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#1
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Member
City: NYC
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 23
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Winter Fender Recommendations? Rough Marina
Hi all—
I’m blowing out fenders again as the temps get cooler. (Even the oversized ones).
Same thing happened with my old sailboat in the past.
Any brands/inflation recs you have can help!
Mainship 40DC
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12-07-2022, 10:55 AM
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#2
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Guru
City: Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Vessel Name: Island Pride
Vessel Model: Palmer 32'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,409
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If the load is high enough the fenders will give up.
How many fenders are you using and what size fender for what size and weight of boat are you using.
Best plan to me is more fenders to spread the load more among them. Do you have any used marine parts shops nearby or boatyards that sell used fenders?
My moorage is not rough but I have tied up in places that are rough, to me. The best fender for those tie ups, to me, are the round beach balls. They contact the boat as the boat lurches sooner than the tubular units so start to slow the boat sooner than the tubular design. The fender, I think, sees less of a pressure spike as the boat is slowed sooner.
They are awkward to store sometimes but I still carry three. If you don't need them in the boating season they can be stored at home.
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12-07-2022, 10:57 AM
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#3
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Guru
City: Owings, Md
Vessel Name: Graceland
Vessel Model: Mainship 34 MK1
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,380
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How are they blowing out?, where is the split? I would pump it full of spray foam and see how that holds up, starting with a ruined one. It wouldn't be anywhere near as cushioning but would may last longer. I assume you would have repositioned the boat to decrease relying on fenders it that was an option in your space.
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12-07-2022, 11:05 AM
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#4
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Member
City: NYC
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 23
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Ferry wakes are pretty bad, these all happened when the temps came down. Down to 4 good ones, the orange ball is 24” for scale.
Free electric and I work with them here so cheap for NYC, not moving soon.
The boat is 24k lbs & 40’
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12-07-2022, 11:13 AM
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#5
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Guru
City: Vermont
Vessel Name: Luna C.
Vessel Model: 1977 Marine Trader 34DC
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 1,497
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I'd get a bunch of the round ones and maybe bring the boat a little closer to the dock. I made the mistake of buying cheap ones online and they all blew apart the first storm that came through the marina, went back to the old Polyforms that came with the boat.
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12-07-2022, 11:25 AM
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#6
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Member
City: NYC
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by C lectric
If the load is high enough the fenders will give up.
How many fenders are you using and what size fender for what size and weight of boat are you using.
Best plan to me is more fenders to spread the load more among them. Do you have any used marine parts shops nearby or boatyards that sell used fenders?
My moorage is not rough but I have tied up in places that are rough, to me. The best fender for those tie ups, to me, are the round beach balls. They contact the boat as the boat lurches sooner than the tubular units so start to slow the boat sooner than the tubular design. The fender, I think, sees less of a pressure spike as the boat is slowed sooner.
They are awkward to store sometimes but I still carry three. If you don't need them in the boating season they can be stored at home.
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I hear you about the round ones. Big thing I have is a rolling shear when the wakes come through. It’s gorgeous at night but rush hour is hurricane strength.
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12-07-2022, 11:59 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: SoCal and Vancouver Island
Vessel Name: Tortuga
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 63
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 748
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IdleHour
Hi all—
I’m blowing out fenders again as the temps get cooler. (Even the oversized ones).
Same thing happened with my old sailboat in the past.
Any brands/inflation recs you have can help!
Mainship 40DC
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Look up Polyform F series. They are expensive and fairly heavy, but serious commercial grade. We use F-8s and a large Polyform ball on our 70 ton boat and they hold up. Choose what fits the space but don’t undersize them. We had multiple Taylor mades before and they couldn’t handle a surge at the dock.
Lot of fenders in use out there are undersized for surge conditions. Smaller ones work fine for sheltered marinas but a swell or surge requires serious fenders.
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12-07-2022, 12:15 PM
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#8
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Member
City: NYC
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guy with a boat
Look up Polyform F series. They are expensive and fairly heavy, but serious commercial grade. We use F-8s and a large Polyform ball on our 70 ton boat and they hold up. Choose what fits the space but don’t undersize them. We had multiple Taylor mades before and they couldn’t handle a surge at the dock.
Lot of fenders in use out there are undersized for surge conditions. Smaller ones work fine for sheltered marinas but a swell or surge requires serious fenders.
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Thanks! It’s tidal (up to 4 kts) plus the wakes.
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12-07-2022, 12:24 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Coupeville Wa.
Vessel Name: Pacific Myst
Vessel Model: West Bay 4500
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,402
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How tolerant is your marina of user changes? Small rubber tires fastened to the dock won't roll up when your boat rolls. They are much tougher than fenders but need to be covered with something to keep the boat from getting black streaks.
Also, as mentioned up thread, keep the boat tighter to the dock. The more it can move the harder it hits the fenders.
__________________
Some things are worth doing simply because they are worth doing.
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12-07-2022, 12:30 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Owings, Md
Vessel Name: Graceland
Vessel Model: Mainship 34 MK1
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,380
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I can imagine the abuse. I took a ferry from Battery Park terminal to Liberty landing marina and the exposure those ferries had at the terminal while docking was unbelievable to me. Constant 2' chop with plenty of 3' and greater thrown in. Scared the hell out of me just imagining bringing a recreational vessel up to that pier.
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12-07-2022, 12:44 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Vessel Name: Island Pride
Vessel Model: Palmer 32'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,409
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Ouch, you do appear to have a problem.
The one round red one seems to be OK. But the ribbed yellow one next to it is blown.
Several others are blown, of course you know.
I am going to suggest that for these conditions you need a far larger orange/red beach ball type. THe larger the ball the more air there is to compress for the same load and the lower the pressure will be that is produced when the boat compresses it.
Think of a truck tire. Yes, they are heavily built but it is also the volume of air inside that really supports the load by supporting the casing. It takes both to support heavy loads, both a thick wall and lots of air and a big fender.
The fenders should be inflated more so they do not flatten out as much when the cold weather hits. Less air means less cushioning and higher pressure.
As suggested also ask about commercial fenders.
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12-07-2022, 01:44 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,871
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Think the round ones do better. I don’t make them super firm just firm enough to allow very small indent with a strong thumb. I also used to carry a fender board. Beyond using it for poles found if you set things up so it stays at the max diameter of three rounds and the board was resting exactly on the dock loading it did spread out the load on the fenders a bit. Don’t know exactly why that’s different than having the fenders touching the dock directly but think it is. Usually don’t want the fenders or board resting in the water but when having this concern didn’t worry about that.
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12-08-2022, 06:55 AM
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#13
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Guru
City: Olympia
Vessel Name: Rendezvous
Vessel Model: Blue water 40
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,810
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Think a mooring whip might help? These people say they have them for vessels larger than yours.
Mooring Products | Mooring Whips
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12-08-2022, 08:14 AM
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#14
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Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,040
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I have several round ones, here they are called buoys and used in commercial fishing. They are great for the forward part of the boat as the hull tapers toward the bow for docking and rafting. The biggest one is the only thing to use when springing off a dock.
Tom
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12-08-2022, 09:40 AM
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#15
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Guru
City: Oconto, WI
Vessel Name: Best Alternative
Vessel Model: 36 Albin Aft Cabin
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,145
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I brought my round fenders home this winter. I want to sew covers for them. I stored them in my unheated garage. It has gotten to 0 Centigrade a few times this week. Yesterday when I went to fetch one from the garage I noticed it was very low on pressure, probably from the cold. The vinyl (or whatever they are made of) was hard as a rock. It is easy to see that an underinflated, frozen fender would blow apart with impact.
I think I would check the pressure in the fenders and add air to make them more firm. You will probably need to release some pressure in the spring.
pete
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12-08-2022, 10:39 AM
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#16
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Guru
City: Gulf Islands, BC Canada
Vessel Name: Sea Sanctuary
Vessel Model: Bayliner 4588
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 4,993
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Two things.
Not enough fenders and tied way too loose.
The fenders have to cushion the boat before it builds up momentum.
Imagine this, a car can drive over your foot without serious injury, but drop that car from 2 feet high and it will crush your foot.
__________________
SteveK
You only need one working engine. That is why I have two.
Sea Sanctuary-new to me 1992 Bayliner 4588
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12-08-2022, 11:04 AM
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#17
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Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,131
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Maybe look at Nomar fenders, they might not collapse.
__________________
Boat Nut:
If you are one there is no explanation necessary.
If you aren’t one, there is no explanation possible.
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12-09-2022, 06:35 AM
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#18
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Guru
City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,077
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It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the fenders look way too small to me.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
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12-09-2022, 07:01 AM
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#19
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Guru
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,818
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I also use Polyform F8s and lay them horizontally. One issue that you may need to be careful of is boat roll. If the wakes are making the boat roll port to starboard, you may need to let the fenders touch the water to keep the mid point of the fender from coming above the dock.
This is an old picture, in preparation for a near pass hurricane. Three F8 fenders on a floating dock did a great job of protecting the boat. I now have polartech fender covers on all these fenders. It's easier on the paint and easier to clean up the fenders. Covers go in the washing machine annually.
Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
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12-09-2022, 08:39 AM
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#20
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Guru
City: Victoria TX
Vessel Name: Bijou
Vessel Model: 2008 Island Packet PY/SP
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 5,290
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Would a black polyform fender leave a black mark on whiteish gelcoat? I like black fenders generally so they don’t look so dirty. I have some black Taylormade and they don’t seem to leave marks.
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