Rigging attachment question

Apr 8, 2010
2,139
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
So just to be sure we are not confusing an apple for an orange.... I did say I hang bumpers from my rail cleats. I would never attach a dock line to anything other than a true cleat. Seems kind of obvious but maybe it needed to be said. The stress against the bumper is still transfered to the gunwale in exactly the same way as if you attached your bumper to any other area on the rail.
I thought that's what you meant, but best to clarify. I have been managing a small marina for a couple decades and have seen boats tied up in a variety of ways... some (significantly) better than others! :)
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
While they are "handy" caution in their use might be a consideration. You are attaching lines to a stanchion. The primary purpose of the stanchion is to suspend a lifeline in the air, the last hope of staying on the boat in an emergency. By design a stanchion is not a strong point on a boat. Most are weakly attached to the deck without strong backing plates.

Attaching a line to a cleat attached to the stanchion positioned a fair distance from the deck, gives the opportunity for a small bit of force on the line to demonstrate the effects of leverage on the stanchion base and fasteners in the deck. A flailing jib sheet in a 15knot breeze, hooking onto the ear of a cleat might not be pretty.
But I have never understood why people would hang fenders off the lifelines…that seems like the worst place to hang a heavy fender.
If I have to hang a fender, I usually hang it on my toe rail. Having a cleat on the stanchion seems better than hanging it on the lifeline…. What am I missing?

Greg
 
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Apr 5, 2009
3,144
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
I use the Davis Fender Tender II to hang my fenders from the lifeline and it is very convenient and easy to position. They clip on and off in seconds and stay where you put them. I figure that if my lifelines are not strong enough to support a couple or three fenders, then I might as well remove them because in that case they would be completely useless as safety equipment.
 
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dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
4,440
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
I've hung fenders from my lifelines forever. Never understood why some say it's a bad thing. I've never had a problem doing that. I've heard people say "the lifeline can sag" - sure, so you adjust to compensate....

There's a lot of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes...

dj
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,629
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I was on a (Power Boat) recently and the owner had an innovative way to secure a bumper. He cut a length of PCV pipe of about a foot. The diameter of the pipe fit into his fishing pole holders. He drilled a stop - a bolt or piece of metal so the pipe wouldn't go down too much in the fishing pole holder and to hold the fender at the right height. And he tied the fender line to the pipe. So it was an easy matter to pick the fender with pipe out of the bilge and slide it into the fishing pole holder. Perfect position. Done!
 

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,360
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Since getting a pair of “Fastfender Boat fender clips” I have been hanging my fenders on the base of my stanchions. Simple. Secure. Located in the correct place on my boat. No chafe. Quick to apply or remove. Fender height adjustable.

8F69635F-FB4C-4DC1-80CE-93740EDE817F.jpeg
 
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Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,792
Catalina 30 Mk II Cedar Creek, Bayville NJ
I use the fender clips John shows when hanging fenders from horizontal railings. I use their life line version, which has a smaller opening, for when I need fenders positioned where they have to hang from life lines.
 
Apr 8, 2010
2,139
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
Regarding the tying of fender whips to the lifelines....
The fender weight is not a problem, but what happens is that the fender jams tight between boat and dock or between boat and boat, and when the boat rolls a LOT of strain goes to the lifeline. You can use turn buckles to take up slack, but it's better not to create the problem in the first place.
As someone here once said: "your boat your rules", so you can certainly secure them as you wish.
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,629
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
From to OPs..."...wondering what these are ..." to tic tack etiquette.... I find drift so interesting.:beer::cool:
I have a wandering mind. And I don't mind it a bit. Some threads run out of gas. But get new life out of a comment that is related but not on topic. I don't think it's a bad thing.
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
4,440
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
Regarding the tying of fender whips to the lifelines....
The fender weight is not a problem, but what happens is that the fender jams tight between boat and dock or between boat and boat, and when the boat rolls a LOT of strain goes to the lifeline. You can use turn buckles to take up slack, but it's better not to create the problem in the first place.
As someone here once said: "your boat your rules", so you can certainly secure them as you wish.
I hear you, but I spent 10 years sailing in an area with ~9 meter tides (for those that are metric challenged, that's about 30 feet of tidal shift) - fenders going up and down against walls and boats was well known. In fact, I used to use that tidal shift to clean my hull. Take the boat into the port, tie up against a rock wall, put fenders on the wall side (tied to my life lines), let the tide go out (making sure the boat leaned against the wall so it didn't fall over), and then proceed to pressure wash and do the bottom paint. I could usually do it all in one tidal shift, but a couple times it took two shifts.

Never had a problem with my fenders tied to my lifelines...

dj
 
Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Not all boats have toe rails?
Ok…that is true, but I see lots of boats with toe rails hanging fenders on the lifelines…
B33A4653-0145-4731-AAB3-65FA238B1A11.png6BA97DC7-0AB7-4A49-A9C5-B95D6A853851.png

as @FastOlson said, a rocking motion can put a lot of strain on the lifelines and stanchion.

one of my marina neighbors was making fiberglass repairs to his deck under several of his stanchions last year…I asked what happened…he had fenders tied to the lifeline and tied up to a wall in a pretty busy “play pen” in Chicago.
lots of big boats move in and out of there on a nice day, and enough wake to tear his stanchion bases out of the deck glass.

i would use the base of the stanchion if if I didnt have a slotted toe rail.

But “Your boat, your rules”.

Greg
 
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Jan 19, 2010
1,299
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
My wive and I were on the island of Curacao. The hotel had a man made cove with direct access in the Caribbean. The first morning I went up the Concierge to inquire about a tide chart. The way he looked at me told me he knew not of what I'd asked. After a few moments, he asked me what I was talking about.. " You know, when the water goes out before it comes back?" ..... "Oh dhat, da water doesn't go nowhere mista, it jus stay dhere all da time, ya know"... Sure enough, about a 6" tide. Coupled with the light surf is impossible to really measure....~~(\__~~
 
Dec 10, 2021
4
Watkins Seawolf Marathon
How is life in Marathon? I have always enjoyed staying there. I found the safety and convenience of the moorings to be better than the chaos of the old anchorage.
I love it here. Moored right off the outer dingy dock. Very very nice community and yes, a very calm and protected area.
 
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Dec 10, 2021
4
Watkins Seawolf Marathon
Usually the spreader attachment point is much further out on the spreader. Take a photo showing one whole side of your spreader.

dj
Hard to see the ends, but there is one “hole” not used on the end of each side of my spreader. So there are two at the tips and I only have one stay going through on each side. Would I add a block to the others for this line?
 

Attachments

Apr 5, 2009
3,144
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
to add blocks to the spreaders, I decide where I want the block and drill mounting hole to fit the block. I use aluminum pop rivets to attach.
 
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Oct 6, 2007
1,145
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
Get rid of those if you have no immediate use for them. Sheet lines and others tend to snag on them.
Had that happen a couple times. Made a soft shackle of spliced 3/16” line, put it on one of the shroud turnbuckles and now attach the burgee halyard to that loop with a snap shackle.