Fender locations

C

capt. meares

New member
Very simple, yet somewhat complex topic. I am not new to launching boats, but I have been scratching my head on the best places to put fenders when launching a 22 cruiser. I just bought 2 24 incher BIG fenders, along with 4 sets of seadog mountable fender clips. Before drilling the holes to mount the clips, I was wondering what is the ideal place to put two fenders. I would like to get it zeroed in to the exact millimeter (haha).

Seems strange to come to this site now without first checking the classifieds.
 
We just hang them off the cleats and a third one in a rod holder at the stern. If there is pilings we hang them side ways with second line tied to the bottom of the bumper both lines tied to the roof rail.
D.D.
 
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The fender has a rope loop so the fender is not visible but you can get the idea. Different docks will require you to adapt different measures at least that has be my experience.
D.D.
 
This isn't exactly what you are asking, as I mount mine slightly differently, but I thought you might like any input possible. Fun when you can go from shopping to tweaking your own, isn't it? :thup

At the stern, fenders at the after cleats can "roll around" to the transom. My boat came to me with a pair of rod holders recessed in the gunwales port and starboard a foot or so ahead of the fuel fills. I made some hardwood "sticks" (used an ash tool handle, but PVC would work too) that slot into those and then my fender whips go through a hole near the top and secure with a figure 8 knot. The sticks are long enough that the fender whip doesn't touch the gelcoat of the gunwale. Works well and utilizes something that was already there (I plug my flag into one as well).

Forward, I use the 'midships cleat. As built, this was slightly cramped on the cleat, but I have now installed slightly beefier cleats (will write up on my Sunbeam thread) and last week I had a fender whip, 'midships line, and two springs on them and it was still workable.

In these spots I use two "largish" cylinder-shaped fenders.... forget the exact size... maybe 8" x 24"? They are the size that is slightly too large to stow in the gunwale pockets but were left over from a larger boat.

I also have a "ball" shaped fender I can use forward, but don't typically seem to need it (keep it aboard anyway though).

Prior to setting things up this way I was thinking I would get dedicated folding D-rings for fenders, but will now wait on that as I'm pretty happy so far.
 
Didn't see Will-C's reply -- must have been typing. At any rate, it is his idea I copied (thanks!), with the only difference being that instead of having metal hardware, I just have a hole through the dowel, and then pull the fender whip through the hole and tie a Figure-8 knot.
 
We use 6 1/2 x 22, Taylor "super fenders". We hand them off the mid ships cleat (by the forward window on the pilot house), the hand hold by the cockpit, aft bulkhead of the cabin, and aft cleat. We use smaller lines on the fender--1/4" x 6 feet. We put an eye spice in one end, and take the eye thru the fender eye, then double back and pass the end of the fender line thru the loop. This leaves about 5' line for tying the fender off. If we rarely need a second line to hang the fender horizontal, we have several extra 1/4" lines handy.

We take the double braid 3/8" mooring lines (mostly 15 feet, and color coded--red, blue, black, gold and white) with an eye splice thru the cleat, then doubling back over the horns of the cleat. Next we put the fender on top of this line--if we want to bring the mooring line back to the boat, there is still plenty of room on the cleat for the dock line to be cleated on the boat.

On our fishing boat (18 foot Caracal) we use a PVC pipe such as Wil-C uses, and it is a great idea where you have fishing rod holders.

I have never used fender clips on all of the boats I have owned--either a cleat, stanchion post, turnbuckle (sail) or hand rail to tied the fender too.

One thing to remember that you have to store fenders. We have several inflatable large fenders, and a pump, if we need a 36" fender--and if we are going to be tying up to pilings or concrete cay, we use a fender board.
 
On my 22 I took 6.5" x 22" Taylor fenders and hung two off the aft and forward portions of the hand rail using Fender Tender clips. The aft most fender would just get flipped inside the cockpit and hang in the forward corner. For the fender that was forward, I attached about 6-8' of 1/8" nylon line to the bottom of the fender (it hung down from 3/8" diameter nylon line attached at the top of the fender). When deployed, the lower line was left slack and tied off to the vertical handrail on the bulkhead that the fender just hung from the hand rail. To stow, I'd grab the 1/8 line and use that to flip the fender onto the roof between the handrail and the raised portion of the roof. I'd then tie the 1/8" line off tight to the handrail in the cockpit (actually to a rod holder I had on that hand rail). This arrangement allowed me to rapidly deploy both fenders from the cockpit.

I started off by tying on to the midship cleat, one to the aft cleat and having an even larger fender on the bow cleat. I rapidly found that the bow cleat fender served no useful purpose and was a PITA to deploy. The midship cleat fender could be deployed from inside the boat by reaching out the window but bringing it back in would bring in a little water. Also, I found that if I hung one off the midships cleat, I'd need a slightly larger fender than the aft most fender as the boat starts to get narrower by the time you get to the midship cleat. The handrail position was just aft of the midship cleat and the boat is straight by that point. In practice on floating docks (all we have out here in the salt), two fenders on the dock side are all you need. On the side away from the dock, additional fender may be handy to fend off other boaters.
 
Yikes, don't drill holes in your boat unless you really really have to. Most C-Dorys come with enough places along the sides to wrap fender lines around. Also, different docks often require different placements. And if you are tying up to another boat, then locations will be quite different. Maybe if you are keeping your boat in the water in one slip most of the year, then you could drill the mounts just for those locations that work best in that slip, but even then, don't drill your boat unless you deem it really necessary.

Did I say don't...:):)
 
I have three fenders each side always in place. Two are tied to the roof grab rail port and stbd and the third, to the aft cleat. Four are 'thrown up' into the dink when under way and are out of sight. The aft ones into the splashwell out of the way. Does not matter when I come along side, port or stbd, the fenders are always ready and in place in a nano-second. It can not get any easier.

Obviously my dink is carried right way up on the roof with the drain open so rain water can escape. Why would anyone carry their dink upside down losing all that storeage space and making it harder to launch?

Martin.
 
Oh me, I'm with "Don't drill holes"

My fenders are generally always in place. 2 forward, hang between the aft bow rail support and the midship cleat, one on each side. These are raised or lowered for use depending on side and height, with a line from the fender, forward to the aft bowrail support, and then run alongside, aft to the cockpit. They are easily deployed from the cockpit, in seconds.

The stern fenders are hung from the aft cleat, as Bob does, through the cleat then the loop is placed around the horns. Sometimes re hooking the forward horn to hold the fend more forward.

The midship fender hangs permanently from the hand rail on the aft cabin bulkhead. Either inside the gunnel or deployed outside when needed.

Full deployment for either side takes about 30 seconds.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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