It Pays To Buy American Made Products

Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Taylor Made brand fenders have been around for awhile. One that I have as spare was purchased last year at our annual Yacht Club garage sale for much less than new. Guess why it ended up there; the air valve leaked. Of course that I discovered after the purchase. Hrumph! This is their one that is about eight inches in diameter by 20 inches long with a hole through the center and the air valve just like the type found on a basket ball; small black and round.

The exterior of the fender remains in good condition and no sign of the sticky chemical leaching from the material. So I contacted Taylor Made, since they guarantee their product for life, explained my plight, along with the type of fender, to which she said she would gladly send me a replacement valve with instructions at no charge. Who knew!

Received three valves in the mail today and after reading, the replacement instructions seems quite easy. The old valve pops out with needle nose pliers, after warming the material around the valve with a hair dryer or sun, the new ones pop right in.

Sheesh! Here it was about to end up in the local land fill, but instead have a life anew. One thing is for sure; whenever I see a used one laying around the marina free pile, if it is Taylor Made, it now belonga to me, just like the one I picked up last week. Life is just full of surprises, eh?

I know, I know, but you have to realize just how hard it is for me to squeeze a nickel out of this heinie.
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I've wondered about that. Can not one use something like the stuff used to fix simple flats? The kind you spray inside the tire.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Can not one use something like the stuff used to fix simple flats? The kind you spray inside the tire.
Maybe, but I would expect the walls to be too thin to support that type of repair, especially with the kind of distortion bumpers go through.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Likes: Brian D
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
I wonder if they'd be so quick to send you a whole new fender if needed, valves are cheap and easy to ship.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,996
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Fact is valves fail and deflate more often than the fender bursting. So valve mailing an sending three rather inexpensive parts is a good move in a business sense.
Look how happy it made @Terry Cox. Granted the guarantee was made by the company to the original purchaser.
In this case Terry has taken the company’s gift and paid it forward. Win win.
Where else do you see such things happen. You got to love this country.
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Feb 11, 2017
108
Gulfstar 47 NC
I bought my Taylor Made fenders in 1991. Last year I had a valve leak. Their customer service is outstanding. They sent 4 new valves. I’ve repaired holes from piling splinters with 5200. The fenders are tough. Probably last forever. Great company.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,919
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I too had a fender completely replaced by Taylor. It got a cut or split on a piling and I just sent a picture. Got a new fender promptly. Great company; I won't buy any other brand.
 
Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
took an old leaky taylor made fender into west marine and they gave me a new one. no receipts, no questions
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
"Made In America", has and always remains my motto. If I need a quality product, American made is my first choice.

Garelick brand boat hooks another example. Belle-Vie has three on board. They guarantee their tips and thus far replaced two broken ones; one that was the older cast aluminum type they replaced with the new plastic version and another was a plastic tip broke. Both cases I sent pictures of the broken tip. They replaced free of charge.
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I have Polyform fenders. They are U.S. made, too. So far, so good.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,324
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I wonder if they'd be so quick to send you a whole new fender if needed, valves are cheap and easy to ship.
Some of their fenders offer a lifetime replacement if the vinyl splits. I"ve used it several times. I think the fenders are the Big B fenders, the ones with the hole through the middle.

As a NY resident, we appreciate the business. :)
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Of the two Taylor Made fenders that were leaking, one got a new valve, which did the trick; no more leaks. The other one was between my legs, readying to pop out the old valve, when I felt an air leak against my leg. As it turns out there is a crack across a molded rib where another air leak exists. So, I just sent another e-mail to Amanda at Taylor Made, sent her photos of the brand name and rib crack, whereby she said she would do what she could to replace it. What great company service.
 
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Likes: jssailem
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Guess what was delivered this afternoon, a brand new white Taylor Made Big B fender. Wow. Must send Amanda a big thank you for her support. Quality product from a great company.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
No body here has yet mentioned where their sails are from.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,996
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
My sails are made by North Sail. I was lead to believe, by the rep, that they are made in Maine. And when asked about mine, He thought that Maine was the site.

So I am taking him at his word.

I like the new American (reported) made sail.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
My sails are made by North Sail. I was lead to believe, by the rep, that they are made in Maine. And when asked about mine, He thought that Maine was the site.

So I am taking him at his word.

I like the new American (reported) made sail.
Maybe. But 90% of North’s Dacron sail are made in Vietnam.

Nothing wrong with that. It’s a global economy.
 

JRacer

.
Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
[QUOTE=". Got a new fender promptly. Great company; I won't buy any other brand".[/QUOTE]

And, that's why they do it!
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,324
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
No body here has yet mentioned where their sails are from.
Mainsail from Rochester, NY. However, the sailmaker retired and the loft is now a Quantum loft and they have gone into the custom canvas business.

Jib is from South Africa, made by the same loft that makes Ullman sails.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
Most of my sails are Doyle. Some are Hood. Some are Marblehead. One is from Super Sailmakers in Lauderdale.
 
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
I had a new North Sail made for my old San Juan, it was "assembled" in Arizona, had a new Neil Pryde sail made this year for my 351, it was made closer to home in Ontario, Canada.