Homemade fender socks
You don't need to be an expert to make fender socks. It's probably the easiest sewing project to do on a sailboat. You need: fenders to cover, some fabric, thread, elastic and a sewing machine (or not, but then it takes longer).
For the fabric, we opted for terry cloth like the one used for towels. This type of fabric is very forgiving, even if you cut it wrong or sew it in a zigzag pattern, it won't show, and it's a little stretchy, or you can use a thinner jersey fabric that dries more quickly. You can also find online specific fabric for fenders, treated anti-UV, which will extend their duration in time, but will be inevitably less economic.
How to carry out its protection of defense
To begin, you need to measure the length and diameter of your fender. In our case, it is 60 cm in perimeter and 52 cm in length. To measure your piece of fabric, you will need to add 2 cm to the perimeter and 4 cm for the length. So we cut a piece of 62 cm by 56 cm.
At the top and bottom, plan to sew a 2 cm flap. This will allow you to pass an elastic thread to tighten the ends.
Next, fold your fabric in half, right sides together, widthwise (perimeter) and sew 1 cm from the edge. Be sure to start after the top flap and end before the bottom flap. If you sew from top to bottom, you will close the elastic opening. Be generous, double your seams, it costs nothing and will last longer.
Once sewn, you can turn your sock right side out and put it on your fender. All that's left to do is to pass an elastic thread through the top and bottom hems, tighten and tie a knot!
If you have fabric scraps, you can convert them into washcloths, towels, wipes or even reusable paper towels. And for a totally green DIY, fender socks can totally be made out of recycled towels!
