The role of the fender is to protect the hull of our boats. Made mainly of PVC and inflated with air, they serve as shock absorbers when the boat leans on the dock or on its neighbor. It is therefore necessary to have a sufficient number of them and models adapted in size and shape to the hull.
How many fenders?
It is usually recommended to have at least 3 fenders per side (i.e. 6 for a boat) plus 2 others that can be arranged according to the specificities of the mooring.
What size fender?
Like shoes for his feet, the fenders come in different sizes. It is common to say that the fender should cover about 2/3 of the height of the freeboard.
What type of fender?
Fenders come in many forms:
- Cylindrical : This is the most common, the shape of the coil. It can be fixed with a ring or with a through rope. In both cases, you can choose to fix it vertically (the most common) or to install it horizontally (when you come to lean on a post for example).
- Spherical or ball : These are the large balloon-shaped fenders. They are valuable as flying fenders during a maneuver. But they are also very bulky to store during navigation. On powerboats where the bow can be very bulbous, these fenders are also well suited for this part of the hull.
- Flat fender: Looking a bit like cushions, they are easy to store flat. While they are light and provide good protection, beware of scratching. Because this type of fender can quickly turn into "sandpaper" when rubbed on the hull, dulling the shine of the gelcoat.
- Specific fenders : To defend very specific parts of the boats, some fenders have surprising shapes. There are bow fenders (boomerang shape or vertical protection), others have the shape of the stern... Some even have steps cut into them to facilitate access to the boat.
How to fix your fenders?
To secure your fender, use a capstan knot or a dead turn and two half keys. These knots can be tied to be released more easily (but this is to be avoided for a long mooring).
Always try to attach the fenders as close to the deck as possible (avoid using a wire) by using the stanchion feet or cleats. This way, the length of the rope is as short as possible, limiting the oscillation of the fenders, the friction and their wear.
Combine fenders
To protect the entire height of a hull, it can be interesting to arrange the fenders in a staggered pattern. Similarly, if a dock is badly damaged, you can choose to combine your fenders one above the other or form a cluster.
Which protection for its shell?
If the fender rubs too much, it will end up tarnishing the gelcoat. To limit this inconvenience, you can protect your hull with a PVC tarpaulin that you place between the fenders and the hull. You can also choose to equip your fenders with socks (sold by the meter that you cut to the size of the fender).
