Dock Bumper/liners or fenders

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

paul1938

.
May 17, 2010
99
hunter 33 marina del rey
I have a 34 footer[sail] and I am currently in a slip which is about 2 to 3 foot wider than my beam at dock level. As I enter my slip I have what my wife calls "training wheels"[ as she starts giggling], I'm using 12" fenders from the PO in good condition.
However it's getting to be a pain to remove and refasten them each sail.
I was on a boat Sunday that had 3" by 4" by36" bumper/fenders attached to the sides of their slip. I wandered around the slips near them, and they all have them and very few of the boats are using hanging fenders. The docks are all less than two years old with larger, high-end boats.
I'm thinking about doing something simular in my slip which has older wood docks[still work]
I'd keep my fenders for out of area cruising.
Any and all comments would be appreciated.
Paul :confused:
 
Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

.
Sep 25, 2008
7,341
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Largely personal preference. If you choose to use fenders, buy some fender clips to expedite fastening and just lay them on deck against a stanchion when sailing if you don't want to stow them.
Depending on bumper strips on a dock leads to lots of white rub marks which are a pain to get off.
 
Warren Milberg

Warren Milberg

.
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
I've got fenders (larger the better)on all the pilings in my slip and a huge one tied to the finger pier. Really helps when alone and entering the slip in a strong cross wind. I buy these fenders used from consignment stores and they are really cheap insurance. Only time I tie other fenders to the rail of the boat is when I'm rafting up or pulling up to the pump out station or gas dock.
 
DougM

DougM

.
Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
I have strips of dock bumper secured to the upright posts along my seawall, and use large centerhole fenders suspended between them. Its just cheap insurance in the sense that the fender rub marks are easier to buff off the hull than wood gouges or scrapes from the steel sheet pilings would be. I keep ample fenders aboard for use elsewhere.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Simple clips on the end of the fender lines make it easy to attach and relocate the fenders. We just flip 'em over the lifelines and sail. When we raft up it's easier to reclip them on another lifeline and raise them up. No muss, no fuss. I've considered doing something with our dock's white stripe material, but figure it'd get a lot dirtier than the sides of my fenders a lot sooner, and I'd be cleaning the marina's stuff, not my own fenders. There's really no reason to buy expensive "marine oriented" fender clips when a few clips from Ace Hardware will do the trick. We've only formally stowed the fenders when we were racing.
 
Patrick S/V Shangra-La

Patrick S/V Shangra-La

.
Sep 6, 2007
324
Catalina 320 Gulfport, Fl
Adjust your lines.

If you cross your stern line so they work as spring lines to keep the stern from moving from side to side too much, and adjust your bow lines just right...You will need no fenders. Most of us in my marina have our lines set to make sure we don't touch either side. We placed tape on the bow lines so we know where to place the line before we cleat them.

Before this...I used fender boards, and you are right it was a pain in the "a" to remove them each time we went out. I love the freedom of doing nothing now, and knowing my boat is safe.
 
Les

Les

.
May 8, 2004
375
Hunter 27 Bellingham, WA
I have my slip pretty much covered with Nomar bumpers which leave no marks on my Hunter 27. I can enter the slip going front or back and not scratch the boat. I've had them for three years and see no wear on them and no marks on my boat.

Can be see at: http://holmesms.com/
[I don't have any ties to the company--just like them]
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Bottom