Automatic Fender System

Sorry, even IF they were practical, I would not hang those things off my bowrail.

I agree...not for everyone, but certainly not for no one.

Hi Guys,
Let me provide few replies, I am the guy who developed them. I will just provide replies, no sales speech We NEVER expected them on every boat but they are definitely helping boaters. Answers:
No wasps can get in, it is made of PolyCarbonate and sealed.
They adjust hight automatically and remember hight per each different dock.
They come now in 2 sizes 6x15" and 9x20" we will add additional sizes in future. The video is the smaller size, I am experienced enough to go with the smaller fenders.
We see 4 main categories of boaters who ask for them:
1. Cruisers with difficult bow access, in that category all age groups are getting them. This is the category I am in and most of my friends are in. We are all around 50 years old and very experienced boaters. We like the smaller/faster cruisers that come with difficult bow access. It is also a perfect solution for smaller cruisers 24' and 28' that have a horrible bow access.
2. There are some sales to cruisers that already have convenient bow access - in that case it is cruisers that have some injury or other issue that is making their trip to the bow less convenient (at least during recovery).
3. Cruisers who go on their own. They love them even if they have good bow access.
4. Younger adults buying them as a present for their parents who are getting older.
They swing in therefore they look beautiful on the boat.
I love boating and I love helping boaters. We had a guy that called us from a hospital purchasing them as he broke his leg at work. That was his way of continuing to cruise while recovering. We had a guy with some bad illness who hugged me saying "you gave me 5 more years of boating".
They are definitely not for everyone but they are a viable product for few cruiser categories. My believe is that in future boats will have the fenders integrated in production. No one can claim that fenders are not a hassle ....
Thanks, Sam

sarditi said:

Hi Guys,
Let me provide few replies, I am the guy who developed them. I will just provide replies, no sales speech We NEVER expected them on every boat but they are definitely helping boaters. Answers:
No wasps can get in, it is made of PolyCarbonate and sealed.
They adjust hight automatically and remember hight per each different dock.
They come now in 2 sizes 6x15" and 9x20" we will add additional sizes in future. The video is the smaller size, I am experienced enough to go with the smaller fenders.
We see 4 main categories of boaters who ask for them:
1. Cruisers with difficult bow access, in that category all age groups are getting them. This is the category I am in and most of my friends are in. We are all around 50 years old and very experienced boaters. We like the smaller/faster cruisers that come with difficult bow access. It is also a perfect solution for smaller cruisers 24' and 28' that have a horrible bow access.
2. There are some sales to cruisers that already have convenient bow access - in that case it is cruisers that have some injury or other issue that is making their trip to the bow less convenient (at least during recovery).
3. Cruisers who go on their own. They love them even if they have good bow access.
4. Younger adults buying them as a present for their parents who are getting older.
They swing in therefore they look beautiful on the boat.
I love boating and I love helping boaters. We had a guy that called us from a hospital purchasing them as he broke his leg at work. That was his way of continuing to cruise while recovering. We had a guy with some bad illness who hugged me saying "you gave me 5 more years of boating".
They are definitely not for everyone but they are a viable product for few cruiser categories. My believe is that in future boats will have the fenders integrated in production. No one can claim that fenders are not a hassle ....
Thanks, Sam

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I can !

We design and build them in the California Delta. You are welcome to stop in our production facility and see them. We are a very friendly team.

I would rather not lose the opportunity to see my wife bending over on the foredeck!

gaston said:

I can !

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Me to.

A boat that had difficult access to put out fenders is in my eyes poor design and built for aesthetics, not function.

But, others would think differently I guess.

menzies said:

I would rather not lose the opportunity to see my wife bending over on the foredeck!

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Pictures or it didn't happen.

Sarditi:

I would guess most of your buyers are inland boaters like you are?

The smaller model may be fine for areas with minimal tidal shifts, but I can't imagine it in an area with major tidal changes and areas with a lot of waves and exposure.

Just as to your reason 1. I really didn't realize how far back the helm was in the Bayliner Ciera. Even on Riva's the helm is considerably more forward plus the boat narrows enough that you'd only need a fender where you can't reach if you were using it as an arrival bumper, not really a fender. What are some of the other boats you've seen that fit this description and need?

As to looking beautiful, that's in the eye of the beholder. I would think on many boats they would look nice, even classy. With your white deck, with boats that are really trawler like. On the other hand, I wouldn't like their appearance on a boat with a sleek and fairly empty bow. I'm sure though that people initially thought bow pulpits were ugly distractions so some is just seeing them the first time.

Imagine how slick it would look if it was incorporated into the design from the get go! We're looking at an aftermarket model but in a big enough boat, a built-in could be almost invisible.

You are correct, we went to two shows for now: in Discovery Bay (inland) many got excited about the smaller fender and in Los Angeles (LA) almost everyone requested our bigger fender (9").
Regarding your question: most of our orders are from cruiser 24 to 45'. We have orders coming from sail or fishing boats but in much smaller numbers. We didn't accept orders for larger boats as we don't have the product to support larger than 45' boats. We don't have 12" fenders now and can't start working on them in the coming months as we have to focus on shipping the orders we received.
Thanks, Sam

Hi Al,
I fully agree. We are starting discussion with boat manufacturers on integration. The long term vision is having them part of the boat, exactly as you said. I will be very grateful if any of you can help with introductions.

Thanks, Sam

How hard is it to get the fender out if it doesnt deploy?

sarditi said:

They come now in 2 sizes 6x15" and 9x20" we will add additional sizes in future.

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First, thank you for posting here and answering our questions!!!

The video is the smaller size, I am experienced enough to go with the smaller fenders.

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Good idea offering a bigger one.

For the record, *I* am experienced enough to go with LARGER fenders.

I guess if there are no waves, no wakes, no winds, no tides and no chance of the fenders "riding up" over the edge of the dock, you could set a tiny finder exactly where you needed it. Not sure I'd enjoy boating anyplace that would work.

They swing in therefore they look beautiful on the boat.

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Let's leave that to the eye of the beholder. Especially the larger sizes most people around here would need.

While you're answering questions, what's all this about "automatic" settings? Does it come with a smart phone app? Internal GPS so it knows which dock you're at? Just curious.

Hi CaptTom,
Thanks for the feedback!!
Yes, it comes with an application that runs on your phone, tablet or a panel we provide. The applications uses GPS and map data to determine when and if to deploy. The applications is running pattern recognition to decide if you are cruising towards a dock and slowing down. In future we plan to run it on plotters but we are not there yet. You can override any decision the application makes. Your decisions are being saved for future deployments. You can specify in advance which areas to deploy at and in which not to deploy.
We cruise in areas with tides, winds and alike but have a smaller cruiser than yours. For your 36' cruiser we will definitely recommend the larger fender.
Have a great weekend, thanks, Sam

psneeld said:

How hard is it to get the fender out if it doesnt deploy?

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Any answers?

Hi Psneeld,
Thanks for your question, it is not hard.
With one push of a button on the application you can force it out. If this doesn't work which is very unlikely you can pop the fender out using a screw driver.
Have a great weekend, thanks, Sam

I have seen some pretty unusual boating items in my day, but this one has to take the cake. I guess it takes a lot of work to hand maneuver a fender that small. interesting.

Could you make a smaller version that could deploy a Bud Light while I'm scrubbing the boot stripe?

CDreamer said:

Could you make a smaller version that could deploy a Bud Light while I'm scrubbing the boot stripe?

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They probably wouldn't be able to design one that could do that due to the abrasive nature of piss.

Now a nice Guinness...

CDreamer said:

Could you make a smaller version that could deploy a Bud Light while I'm scrubbing the boot stripe?

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Id say it would be quicker to just hand you one

Ya know...I've been thinking about the safety aspect of this fancy fender system. Doesn't anybody still go up on the bow to tie the boat up?

CDreamer said:

Ya know...I've been thinking about the safety aspect of this fancy fender system. Doesn't anybody still go up on the bow to tie the boat up?

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Don't be silly they use there lazer guided auto rope docker app

CDreamer said:

Ya know...I've been thinking about the safety aspect of this fancy fender system. Doesn't anybody still go up on the bow to tie the boat up?

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No. They can tie the bow from the dock.

gaston said:

Don't be silly they use there lazer guided auto rope docker app

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I think you are confusing that with the interfaced optional finger function drone which will resolve any issues at the dock.

gaston said:

Don't be silly they use there lazer guided auto rope docker app

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I keep my bow lines tied to an amidship rail that makes them available from deck or dock. My stbd line is there for me right out the stbd helm door. I can't remember ever having to access my bow after docking with the fenders deployed. To me, it's midship and stern that secure the boat first.

The bow line comes at a relatively leisurely and...ahem...genteel rate.

FlyWright said:

Most of our style of boats allow easy access to the bow. On boats without comfortable bow access or for an elderly couple when one lacks the agility required to access the bow safely, this could be a great.

Besides, how much is a boat buck in the big scheme of things. I think many elderly gentlemen will want to add this to their vessels to make it safer and more convenient for the Admiral while docking. Especially those who like gadgets like Codger2.

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So let me see if I understand the safety aspect.

I'm looking at the video - the one that shows a little fender lowering like the Itzy Bitzy Spider coming down from its lair. (I can only assume that there's an option where the machine plays a tune during deployment...maybe The Entertainer. And Anchors Aweigh when retracting. If not, well, my royalty fee is 10%. And I have some other ideas if you want 'em.)

Anyway, this boat's coming in to a distant marina - say, 3 nm from home. Gramps is at the helm with his headset and a fresh prune juice. The "drop lengths" are already perfectly input.

You're saying there's no eventuality where Granny has to grab her walker and head to the bow? The bow lines are on their cleats and handily led amidships to be secured in a leisurely fashion? Ok...I'll buy that. Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

So is there a Dock Dangler system for deploying the snubber? In case their Social Security checks are late and they have to anchor out?

I can certainly see a market for these, but I would say that it is probably a tiny tiny fraction of the boating public. That said, and not to pigeon-hole a specific portion of the boating population, there are a lot of “show offs” in boating. These are the same people that never anchor out and buy the latest fad anchor in polished stainless steel to bling-up their bow. Will it be a large enough segment to keep them building these for years? Who knows. I suspect that once one gets bought and deployed, owners MAY (remember may) find out that it really isn’t “all that”. I could be wrong. Still, there will always be some people that do find a practical use for this as advertised.

Not for me either, but Im sure we will see some Sea Rays sporting some soon. I would just get the person working the forward dock lines to hang the fenders.

The man saw what he felt was a need and developed a product to fill that need. I do not need it but perhaps other boaters do. I wish him luck.