Fenders

[Megabyte]

Proper fenders are something that is all too often overlooked.

I've pulled up to friends in much larger boats than mine, and they pull out their 5" West Marine specials. :shock:
Um... How about if we use mine?

Previously I used a set of those 18" orange balls (biggest ones that Worst Marine stocked), but they were a challenge to store.
Enter my neighbor who owns a yacht management business...
He had a customer who left behind a pair of fenders (because they were 'dirty' ) and he had no use for them, so he gave them to me.

I checked the web site for the company ( http://www.praktek.com/ ) and found that the fenders I had were the smallest ones the company sold!
Since one of the fenders was low on air, and I discovered the fenders could be deflated and stored, I emailed the company about buying a pump.

Holey moley! This foot pump could deflate or inflate these fenders in about 60 seconds! :shock:

These days the orange balls are sitting on my shelf while these fenders serve front line duty.
If you are looking for a set of real fenders, these things are the shiznit! :wink:

 

[tara11]

I have the orange, and they are a bummer to put away while we play .

 

[Megabyte]

Did you happen to see the sizes that they offer?
8' fenders? :shock:

http://www.praktek.com/products/fenders/fenders.html

 

[TheOtherLine]

Those are definitely sweet. I always seem to have issues with my fenders.

I have some big fenders. I think they are 10-12" around and about 3ft long.

Problem is setting them. Pretty easy if your tying up next to another boat but sometimes tying up to a dock can get downright tricky for me.

Biggest issue is when at a dock and the boat's gunwale is lower than the deck, how the heck do you secure a fender so you don't bang up your boat?? Can't tie it to the piling cuz the fender just "rolls" around it. Even if you secure the fender sideways, it still canters off to one side.

And....as you suggested storage is always a problem.

I saw some old posts where, I think, Dale had mounted them under the gunwales..

I bought some SS racks that you can attach to the bow rails but the clamp to secure them was too small. Diameter of the tubing on my 2520 is just a tad bigger than the clamp capacity, so I returned them.

Man,,, looks like I started a rant, just at the mention of "fenders".

Anything else you'd like to share Kev?

 

[Megabyte]

Anything else you'd like to share Kev?

Well... Something that I do, is to use about a 3' section of PVC pipe in a rod holder to hang my fenders on horizontally.
Not a big deal, and not rocket science, but it does work well for me.

 

[TheOtherLine]

Anything else you'd like to share Kev?

Well... Something that I do, is to use about a 3' section of PVC pipe in a rod holder to hang my fenders on horizontally.
Not a big deal, and not rocket science, but it does work well for me.

Whadyya mean? Can you illustrate ?

 

[Megabyte]

Anything else you'd like to share Kev?

Well... Something that I do, is to use about a 3' section of PVC pipe in a rod holder to hang my fenders on horizontally.
Not a big deal, and not rocket science, but it does work well for me.

Whadyya mean? Can you illustrate ?

I'll take a photo the next time I'm at the boat.

 

[Megabyte]

Photos as promised.

The PVC pipe is 1" diameter and 20" long and it fits right in the rear rod holder.
The forward fender just slips over top of the spring line cleat.
The fender lines are attached to both ends so that they hang horizontal just under the rub rail.

When I tie up next to my neighbors 34 SeaRay, I hang them vertical off of his hand rail.
Options!

 

[Bryan 2530]

Those fenders are too dirty for your boat, you should throw them away in my garbage.

I have been thinking of some inflatable fenders for rafting situation. the boats I hang with never have any so I fill up my fish cooler with spares when I know we will be at "party cove".

 

[Megabyte]

Those fenders are too dirty for your boat, you should throw them away in my garbage.

That's how I got em bro!
The original owner stored them next to something rusty, and he didn't want them anymore because they were 'dirty'.

I scrubbed them up and figured, what the heck?
Then I checked the website and saw what then went for.
Lordy... These things aren't cheap! 8)

We've had raft-up weigh-ins with my local fishing club and we always threaten the kayak fishing members with using their 'yaks as fenders. :lol: