Pumpin up those fenders!

Sep 24, 2018
3,275
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
In a week or two I will need to inflate a bunch of fenders. One of them is very large. Would I better off using a high volume pump such as one for a dinghy/air mattress/etc or one that's high pressure for bicycles/balls/etc?
 
Sep 24, 2018
3,275
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
Most of them are probably 12"x24-30". The big one is like 36-40"x16". If I go to the yard tomorrow I can grab a pic
 

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,136
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Bike pump does just fine……. Unless you have a 5 footer. Then use a compressor.

greg
 
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Likes: ggrizzard
May 7, 2012
1,522
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Would I better off using a high volume pump such as one for a dinghy/air mattress/etc or one that's high pressure for bicycles/balls/etc?
A high volume pump would be preferable as you only want to inflate to a very low pressure. This is a quote from the Polyform US website:
“Our buoys and boat fenders should be inflated to 2.1 lbs/0,15 bar of pressure. When inflating without a pressure gauge, fill the buoy or fender until the walls are fully expanded, but make certain you can depress the wall at least 1/4 inch with light hand pressure, or measure the circumference and compare it with the inflation chart for proper pressure. Over inflation will reduce the performance of the product and may cause premature failure.”
Polyform US Fender Inflation
 
Sep 24, 2018
3,275
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
It looks like @Hello Below got it right according to the internet. I'll be deflating these, tying them to my slip and then re-inflating them to help take up the slack. I used turnbuckles last year and it still wasn't quite enough
 
Aug 17, 2013
929
Pearson P30 202 Ottawa/Gatineau
I don’t get the part about turnbuckles taking up the slack??? What do turnbuckles have to do with fenders?
 
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Likes: LloydB
Sep 24, 2018
3,275
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
No, I mean the deflating then installing then pumping them back up, and the turnbuckles - def not standard.....
It's difficult to get all of the slack out of them by simply pulling on the line and attempting to tie them off while maintaining tension. They end up a few inches lower than where I want them. Since they're at an angle they are prone to one end dipping into the water. If they were parallel with the deck of the dock they run the risk of rolling up on top. The dock will cause damage if something isn't done. I've seen 3ft rollers in this end of the marina. They were quite fun in a motorized dinghy :biggrin:
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,906
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Our fender lanyard remains fixed length with a carabiner to clip onto the toe rail. Always the right height for most any dock and never in the water.

Belle-Vie4.JPG
 
Sep 24, 2018
3,275
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
My boat is constantly being pushed into the dock from incoming waves. The docks feature some lovely heavy rubber bumpers that you'd expect to see at a truck dock. They took off about 5ft of the deck/hull joint of an abandoned boat left in the water over the winter. Even with all of these fenders in place, we still get marks on the boat from the bumpers once or twice a season. These docks suck and the next best option is double the price