Fenders, what size?

[James V]

The rubrail on the is about 2+ inches from the hull. When I put my 8" fenders under it, and the boat pushed next to the pole. The fender lets the boat rubrail touch the pole.

What size and type is best or at least better?

Should I just pump up the ones that I have?

[Sloop John B]

First thing, get rid of the pole.

Gees, fenders.

Things is to keep between the Mac and the hard things.

I would like to have those backyard propane tank size jobbies when I get into port; but, who can or wants to haul that much stuff around?

I have the grapefruit size longies.

Thing is to get them positioned correctly. Yeah, when you're coming in on a quarter tide to a hard ass fixed concrete pier.

I use a double hitch knot on the fender line that loops through a shackle that clips onto either the life line or a stantion eye. It can be slipped long or short (depending on the tide).

If this didn't make sense, call me at home. This is one of the night mares of recovery I suffer in my dreams. So little time, so little room.

If you come into a floating pier, you've got it made. Just below the black stripe and you're bouncing off the hard stuff.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

We carry 4ea G-4 fenders out ready to go. Medium sized, yet not to expensive. We also have 2 more stored below for spares and when we have to fender both sides for the locks.

In general we set 3 on a side. One off the aft pulpit, one off the mid pulpit, and one at the spreaders. It's rare to ever need one further forward.

I'd get the biggest you can easily store somewhere quickly accessible. I try to keep them in cockpit area because they can get too wet and dirty to store below. We ready like the fender bags I put on the mid pulpit. They are $2 mesh bags and do a great job of keeping them handy yet out of the way.

[Catigale]

Vertical poles (pilings, not people from Poland standing up) are a real PITA at dock - on the Erie we carry a fender board - which is a 2x6x 10 foot piece of lumber that goes outboard of the fenders and gives you something to push off the pilings. We burned our family info into it with a mag glass and then spar varnished it to make it nautical.

[Sloop John B]

10 feet. Wow. Where do you stash that thing?

I think it would work all right with a rising tide, but what about an ebb? Might it get hung up and let your boat get under it?

[Catigale]

You arent sailing too much on the Erie, so up top on the stanchions is good stowage for the fenderboard. In the final analysis, if its really in the way, it can be converted to jetsam at a cost of $16 at Home Depot.

No tides on the Erie until you hit Albany - but Sloop, you are correct about worrying about the board on tidal areas...it could hang up.

[Night Sailor]

I've met several cruisers that use small vehicle or utility trailer tire casings (used, gotten for free from tire shops) when they have to tie up at concrete piers, pililngs, or rusty bulkheads or wrecks. Tread area keeps them off and they don't care how much it gets abused. Will leave black rubber marks on the wood or topsides but that cleans off.

The only time I've had to tie up near pilings was in a tidal area that created rubrail hull at low tide with thousands of barnacles on the pilings. Concrete on one side, creosoted on the other. After a short panic. I tied two 8'x20' tubular fenders together end to end, then hung then horizontally over the side. On the dock side I tied up well with spring lines to limit boat movement as much as possible. Next I tied up two more fenders to act as replacements, just in case. Those fenders took a real beating, but didn't blow during two tide changes.

I keep on board 4 of the 8"x20", 3 of the 6"x18", and three 4" x16". All tubular. They all fit easily below next to the transom at the foot of the rear berth. Since they are already rigged with line, my boat hook retrieves the size and number I want when needed. The only reason I have different sizes is that all but two of them were free... given to me by a guy who collected ones he found while cruising and decorated his dock with them. Some were like new. I find the 8'x20' to be the most useful.

[Tom Spohn]

Fender Boards are the traditional solution for this problem. Another way to go is to get the fenders with the hole running entirely through the center of the fender so they can be deployed horizontally as well as vertically. Look for "Big B" fenders on this site:

http://www.taylormadeproducts.com/dockprod.html

[Sea Pony]

Stopped by my friendly neighborhood West Marine last week trying to set up my outfitting list. They had fenders in 3 packs on sale for $99. they were about 2 feet long and about as big around as a volleyball.

Am I thinking too big? Reason I ask is pics of Duanes' Allegro show fenders that are a lot smaller and presumbly less expensive.

My outfitting list indicates about 10% of purchase price in gear costs.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Wait until you buy a boat before you do any outfitting.
If you buy a used boat, it will probably have a lot of stuff included.
If you buy a new boat the dealer will probably give you a New Boat Owners card, as I do, good for an additional 10% off on a lot of purchases at West Marine.
Keep it simple initially. After you've used the boat for awhile, you'll have a better feel for what you want or need, based on the type of boating you do.

[Divecoz]

I have always liked the Stratocaster but owned and played Mustangs and Telecasters for the lack of real loot $$$

[Sea Pony]

Ummmkayyy. Ohh Ohh I get it

[James V]

Has anybody used the Rafting Cushions?


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... rtial/45/0

Looks like it would be easier to store than the fender board.