FENDERS!!!! .... for those of you that asked

[woobs]

Well, we're nothing here if not accommodating so, as was asked on the dock line thread
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?71131-Dock-Line-Size
here is a thread for fenders! I'm not too proud to post it. (not sure if it belongs in the Donzi performance section... but that's where the dock line thread is)

I suppose we can talk about type, material, shape, size, colour, inflation, covers, method of hanging, storage of, and anything else you want to discuss. But, as was pointed out... it's a good idea to hang your fenders with bungee cord :)

Will the big question be: Mermaids or skulls?

Have at er'....

[woobs]

I'll even start!

My woody generally uses 3 (sometimes 4) inflatable fenders of the cylindrical type, hung with pre set nylon hangers on dedicated fender cleats. Pretty standard stuff really given the vintage of the boat and the application. I have not used covers but, have thought about it.... Some of my peers like the rope fenders however, I feel they are for "older" boat designs and not the fabulous "plastic" 1970's. Storage is not an issue in this boat.


My 18 2+3 was a different kettle of fish with its low freeboard. I was always looking for "bent" fenders to fold over the gunwale. Also with no dedicated fender cleat it was always a different solution to find a place to hang them (grab rail, tow bar and deck eye). I like the single plunge pin for cleat hangers but did not have them installed on this boat. Storage... in an 18. really?

Another issue when you use a waterway with a lock system is the fending off during lock through. It seems you need to be all-over at once and whatever motionless passenger in the boat beside you will be happy to watch things bump. scrape and rub while they silently feign ignorance. I sometimes wonder if a couple of those big orange ball type fenders would do the trick.... but, then storage would really be an issue!

[Morgan's Cloud]

I love it when people are so proud of their fenders that they run around all day with them dangling over the side ! :banghead:

[yeller]

Damn you Woobs. I was trying to stay out of the dock line thread....then tow line thread....now you had to start a fender thread. A man can only take so much.

I use to use the ones in your 3rd pic, then I switched to the flat ones in your 5th pic. One of those types is necessary to properly protect a boat with low freeboard, like the Classic. I highly recommend the flat ones. I have a pair of the small ones for the back and the larger ones for the front. They stay in place, are easy to store, are noticeably lighter than a standard fender and are the lowest cost fenders you'll find. The only thing I don't like is that they don't seal the seams, so I have to drain some water out after using them, if they've been hitting the water....which they always do. .....and don't buy the white ones. Get dirty fast and impossible to fully clean.


I'm so ashamed I posted.....I'm so weak. :garfield:

[yeller]

I love it when people are so proud of their fenders that they run around all day with them dangling over the side ! :banghead:That and leaving the bow line attached to the front lifting ring.


........Oh, oh...........now I've just pissed off a bunch of Classic owners..... :cistineb:

[woobs]

I love it when people are so proud of their fenders that they run around all day with them dangling over the side ! :banghead:

As much as this may at first glance to be "slovenly seamanship", you must remember that many boats are designed to leave the fenders dangling.... and only slightly retracted when underweigh by means of tightening a line inside the cockpit. From a previous discussion on the subject, This may not have been a popular design throughout the U.S.A however, they still came from the factories that way. (and not just wooden boats)

My boat had this feature when new but, I don't like the look (and the sneers of salty sailors) so, I removed all traces of the system when I did my restoration.

Below: a Century (made in USA) and a Greavette (made in Canada) sporting "perma-fenders". :)

[Morgan's Cloud]

As much as this may at first glance to be "slovenly seamanship", you must remember that many boats are designed to leave the fenders dangling.... and only slightly retracted when underweigh by means of tightening a line inside the cockpit. From a previous discussion on the subject, This may not have been a popular design throughout the U.S.A however, they still came from the factories that way. (and not just wooden boats)

My boat had this feature when new but, I don't like the look (and the sneers of salty sailors) so, I removed all traces of the system when I did my restoration.

Below: a Century (made in USA) and a Greavette (made in Canada) sporting "perma-fenders". :)

Of course , that wasn't quite the arrangement I was talking about :biggrin.:

[CHACHI]

Type in the third pic.

Ken

[Carl C]

A Donzi Classic has almost no deck height. This creates a dilemma when it comes to hanging fenders for rafting up or for protection at the dock. I am familiar with the low freeboard fender designs such as my first pic. This design still won't prevent a larger boat from riding up over it or prevent the boat from slipping under a dock intended for larger boats. My second pic shows what would be a more desirable solution but as pictured it is not practical. Is there a way to make this work? Is there a low freeboard fender that rises higher than the usual ones. What are you guys using for raft-ups etc.?

[gcarter]

I found these bungees at Home Depot.
Very clever design and is very easy to adjust.
And, Yeller and Carl may both like them.

[Rob M]

For my old 16 and my Corsican - both low profile with grab bars - I found the best setup is mooring style buoys used as fenders and attached to bumper buddy plastic clips that slide over the grab rail. They keep the boat well off the dock and are small enough that they don't float up over the freeboard like standard Fenders do. Watch out for plastic clips scuffing the gel - tips can be covered to prevent this. I use the same buoys for my Baby but because I didn't put cleats on the boat, I attach them to temporary mooring rings that fit between dock boards. Storage is a bit of a pain in all those boats.

For my Hornet, I use larger scale standard fenders. One on a bumper buddy clip for the rail, the other with a permanent looped end to hang of the front fender cleat.

For all the above I keep a set of two in each boat and attach as I come in to dock. For longer docking periods, I will add a small standard fender to the stern cleat of the Corsican.

[Ghost]

Damn you Woobs. I was trying to stay out of the dock line thread....then tow line thread....now you had to start a fender thread. A man can only take so much...

...I'm so ashamed I posted.....I'm so weak. :garfield:

Step 1 is admitting you have a problem. :)

[Ghost]

18s and smaller Classics present a real challenge with the low freeboard. 22s aren't exactly easy either. I'd hate it, but I might actually have to go for the bent style (from Woobs's wonderful world of fenders above). Not sure. But something like those, or the flat ones, so there's something above as well as below the rubrail.

I'm generally a fan of the Taylor Made hollow cylinders due to their versatility. I buy 3/8" shock cord by the foot and make my own hangers. My boat is rack stored and fork-lifted from a floating pier, so 99% of the time I know exactly how the fenders should be set up. USUALLY works for rafting up as well, depending on the neighboring boat.

I've had good luck hanging one vertically from the midship cleat, and one horizontally from the stern cleat. (That layout might work on the Classics as well. Hanging the aft one horizontally keeps it from being dragged around the corner of the transom, leaving the hullside unprotected at the stern.)

I keep the fenders with the custom hangers in all the time. Can just deploy them on the cleats in a couple seconds. They normally go over any dock lines that are on the cleats, but can go under as well. Mooring cover can be on or off. In a given season, I might never need to do anything different, leaving the shock-cord hangers on the whole time.

84465

But when I need to set them up differently, like to hang the fenders on pilings instead of on the boat, the dedicated shock-cord hangers come right out without untying anything, and the fenders are back to a blank slate again. (The first one is easy to figure out. The shock cord just slides right out. The second one...good luck guessing how it comes apart and goes back together without ever untying/tying any knots. :) But it does. Which makes it fast to take apart or put together, and the lengths stay the same, so it doesn't need adjustment. Comes apart in less than 10 seconds. Goes together in under 20. But I rarely ever have to change it up anyway.)

84466

[yeller]

A Donzi Classic has almost no deck height. This creates a dilemma when it comes to hanging fenders for rafting up or for protection at the dock. I am familiar with the low freeboard fender designs such as my first pic. This design still won't prevent a larger boat from riding up over it or prevent the boat from slipping under a dock intended for larger boats. My second pic shows what would be a more desirable solution but as pictured it is not practical. Is there a way to make this work? Is there a low freeboard fender that rises higher than the usual ones. What are you guys using for raft-ups etc.?I've never had a problem with the low freeboard fenders when rafting, provided they are hung in the right location. I carry a couple of suction mounts so I can place the fenders where needed.

http://www.harborfreight.com/suction-cup-with-quick-release-46900.html

I do find the flat fenders help protect the deck better than the ones you showed. The flat ones don't move as much.

Slipping "under" the dock use to be a constant problem with the 16; not so much with the 22. Never could find a solution to that.

[jl1962]

Finally a Fender thread!
84468

L-R '58 Jazzmaster, '54 Strat, '59 Custom Esquire

Oh wait:
84469

I tend to hang them off the dock, rather than from the boat whenever possible.
And I like overkill. These are really big. I'll bring two to a Donzi event and extra dock lines.

I also have two of the smaller L-shaped ones which I would use for rafting (which I hardly ever do).

[TBroccoli]

I'll even start!

My woody generally uses 3 (sometimes 4) inflatable fenders of the cylindrical type, hung with pre set nylon hangers on dedicated fender cleats. Pretty standard stuff really given the vintage of the boat and the application. I have not used covers but, have thought about it.... Some of my peers like the rope fenders however, I feel they are for "older" boat designs and not the fabulous "plastic" 1970's. Storage is not an issue in this boat.


My 18 2+3 was a different kettle of fish with its low freeboard. I was always looking for "bent" fenders to fold over the gunwale. Also with no dedicated fender cleat it was always a different solution to find a place to hang them (grab rail, tow bar and deck eye). I like the single plunge pin for cleat hangers but did not have them installed on this boat. Storage... in an 18. really?

Another issue when you use a waterway with a lock system is the fending off during lock through. It seems you need to be all-over at once and whatever motionless passenger in the boat beside you will be happy to watch things bump. scrape and rub while they silently feign ignorance. I sometimes wonder if a couple of those big orange ball type fenders would do the trick.... but, then storage would really be an issue!

It's funny in a thread about fenders that Woobs posted a picture of a boat on a trailer that has no fenders. "Things that make you go Hhmmm"

[woobs]

It's funny in a thread about fenders that Woobs posted a picture of a boat on a trailer that has no fenders. "Things that make you go Hhmmm"

The purpose of the "trailer" picture was to illustrate the very short freeboard of the 18 2+3... as seen best on a trailer.

[chip w]

84469

I tend to hang them off the dock, rather than from the boat whenever possible.
And I like overkill. .

Ditto, I do the same thing. Most of the places I dock have slips to pull into. I tie off to both sides and a bow line in the front tied straight ahead. It allows the boat to move with the waves and never comes close to the docks. The only drawback to that is I have to jump from the bow to the dock. I haven't missed yet but I know there can be a first. :eek: If that happens I'll post pictures for everyone's amusement! I'm sure my wife or a friend wouldn't miss a photo opp like that.

[Ghost]

Ditto, I do the same thing. Most of the places I dock have slips to pull into. I tie off to both sides and a bow line in the front tied straight ahead. It allows the boat to move with the waves and never comes close to the docks. The only drawback to that is I have to jump from the bow to the dock. I haven't missed yet but I know there can be a first. :eek: If that happens I'll post pictures for everyone's amusement! I'm sure my wife or a friend wouldn't miss a photo opp like that.

Hopefully no dental work if that happens. :)

[jl1962]

I always hop off BEFORE I spider-web the boat!

[chip w]

I always hop off BEFORE I spider-web the boat!

So far so good, I haven't missed yet in 12 years of Classics but there's always that chance. Now that I've said something it will probably happen this weekend.

Has anybody used something like this? I found them on Amazon.

84477

It's an Akua boat fender attachment and works with the Taylor made fender.

[Ghost]

Looks like it could push itself off, no?

[jl1962]

I don't think I'd trust suction cups.....

[Ghost]

I don't think I'd trust suction cups.....

Another reason to use shock cord. Some stretch gives cup mounts a much better chance of holding.

[yeller]

Has anybody used something like this? I found them on Amazon.

It's an Akua boat fender attachment and works with the Taylor made fender.
Those suction cups look similar to a type I used before. They are too weak to be reliable. If you want a suction cup type mount, use the one I posted earlier in this thread. Not sold as a fender mount, but they have great holding power.

[gcarter]

There was a former member here in Florida that carried fenders that actually strapped to dock pilings and presented a surface to the boat that resembles the flat fender above. Obviously a better solution for longer periods of time as the attachment takes longer than hanging a fender over the side.

[f_inscreenname]

I can never find the picture when I need it but... My boat like a 18 likes to get under anything it can then slam the deck into it. So a few years back I found those bass boat fenders,

http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=84477&d=1461870681

And then I attach them with these little locks from Attwood. You tie the fenders to the little rings and when needed you just slide the ring in the notch and drop it. You will shred the fender before it will come off. I've tried. lol They look big but really only an inch long. I even took a little left over ratchet strap and attached the rings to the fenders with it. Takes about 2 seconds a fender to put them on the boat and they stay where they are supposed to.

http://cdn3.volusion.com/uefg5.jzdz9/v/vspfiles/photos/ELLATTW115753-2.jpg?1461172753
http://www.wholesalemarine.com/attwood-stainless-steel-mooring-fender-lock-kit-1-pair.html?gclid=CI-b54uetMwCFQNkhgodSYQA1A

[Pismo]

Paint, so I never use bumpers..

[Carl C]

Ditto, I do the same thing. Most of the places I dock have slips to pull into. I tie off to both sides and a bow line in the front tied straight ahead. It allows the boat to move with the waves and never comes close to the docks. The only drawback to that is I have to jump from the bow to the dock. I haven't missed yet but I know there can be a first. :eek: If that happens I'll post pictures for everyone's amusement! I'm sure my wife or a friend wouldn't miss a photo opp like that.

I do a similar thing but keep one side close to the dock but so that it still can't hit. Unless a line breaks :bonk:. As you can see, most Great Lakes slips are made to handle much bigger boats!

http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx275/CARLC222/Pictures534Medium.jpg (http://s763.photobucket.com/user/CARLC222/media/Pictures534Medium.jpg.html)

[chip w]

I do a similar thing but keep one side close to the dock but so that it still can't hit. Unless a line breaks :bonk:. As you can see, most Great Lakes slips are made to handle much bigger boats!

http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx275/CARLC222/Pictures534Medium.jpg (http://s763.photobucket.com/user/CARLC222/media/Pictures534Medium.jpg.html)
Thanks for the pic Carl. That's exactly how I tie off. Likewise, on the intercoastal or at the places we stop around Tampa Bay the slips are like this for larger boats. It makes it pretty easy. But for the rare place where we have to tie up to a dock I like to put tie the fender to the dock. It has worked OK so far as long as there is not a lot of wave action.