Fender Woe!

[BroadScot]

Come on Admin.....Swapafender.com 

Iain

P.s. I thought I would bounce that idea to the members!

[LondonRascal]

I rather like the idea of personalised items for boats and know you can get fender suppliers who will put the name of your boat on the fenders – while this may appear vein to some, it does at least mean your fenders are less attractive to someone who might like to pinch them.

As to berth fendering, you can get ‘dock fenders’ which attach to the wood/quay and stop the rubbing of boat and quay causing damaged and scuffs which because are not cylindrical don’t move about as much as a standard ‘boat’ fender would if used for this application.

Another nice idea personalised life rings – but you can of course go as far as you wish – personalised towels with the name of the boat embroidered in, or bedding tailored to fit the berth shape exactly and why not have the boat name on the pillows for good measure? 

Finally, I love the idea of twin screw boats – at low speed little if any rudder input is needed being able to manoeuvre the boat on the engines, spin around and with thrusters fore and aft you’d have absolute control to place the boat wherever you wished. 

I sometimes think it would be an idea for new hire boats to have a single engine but either used to generate electrical power that runs two motors (and propellers) or splits power to two hydraulic motors.  This would not make the boat go any faster, but would me so much more control afforded to the hirer.

 

[BroadScot]

Try and get to a RNLI open day when you have the opportunity  to go out on the boat, watch the Coxwain spin it round on the twin props! Great fun! 

Iain

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

I sometimes think it would be an idea for new hire boats to have a single engine but either used to generate electrical power that runs two motors (and propellers) or splits power to two hydraulic motors.  This would not make the boat go any faster, but would me so much more control afforded to the hirer.

Yes indeed. I've always been surprised that this simple idea hasn't been as popular as bow and stern thrusters.

No large tunnels to let into the hull, no high electric currents, no noise, and perfect maneuverability, and even able to be powered mechanically by the existing diesel single engine.

It would be so much easier to just fit the four fairly small skin fittings and associated pipework.

http://www.hollandmarineparts.nl/?/jetthruster

[Timbo]

4 hours ago, grendel said:

Did it have a name on it - like Dunlop or Michelin??

 

3 hours ago, Polly said:

Or Adnams?

Old Peculier  But that was the beer!

[marshman]

Well boys you will be pleased to learn that is exactly what Ferry's new Whisper Emblem has fitted - it will make manoeuvering a doddle - or it should!!

As for fenders i agree with JM its a retrograde step although i guerss a bit like me most of you have a garage full! What is it that everyones picks up fenders they don't need " just in case" but you hardly ever need one, hence my collection!

[BroadScot]

With all these garages full of fenders, there is no chance of car doors being damaged......is there?

Iain

[ranworthbreeze]

Use fender socks then most of these fenders will look the same, you may get a quieter night without all the creaks, if only we could make the warps quieter

Regards

Alan

[jeffbroadslover]

When I first started coming down to the Broads just over 50 years ago we would always find things that had been "lost" from boats, fenders, mops, boat hooks etc.

We would collect these items and hand them in to the boatyard at the end of our holiday.

I remember being told at one boatyard that at the end of the season all the boatyards would get together at a large empty warehouse-type building and take all "found" items

The boatyard owners would have a look around at everything and claim back anything that they could recognise as theirs

Does anyone know if this sort of arrangement still exists?

 

Jeff.

.

 

[JennyMorgan]

2 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Use fender socks then most of these fenders will look the same, you may get a quieter night without all the creaks, if only we could make the warps quieter

Regards

Alan

In my experience those fender sock things are next to useless, holding grit & sand in the weave thus chaffing the hull. Not my idea of a good purchase.

[marshman]

And thats twice in the same post i have had to agree with PW !!!!

Fender sox - a definite no no for me who has seen the damage they can do on a coloured hull!!!

[BroadAmbition]

That makes three of us then, we originally had them on 'B.A' - caused no end of cleaning problems - they soon became expensive rags

Griff

[Guest]

Fender socks have always been a big topic on the YBW forums, and although they have some devotees, the consensus is indeed that they're more trouble than they're worth.

I was tempted to try them several years ago, but the wealth of experience on there put me off them completely.

http://forums.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?439072-Fenders-socks-or-not

[ranworthbreeze]

We like them and have seen no marks on the hull even after over 14 years of continued use (not the same socks). 

Like everything on a boat they need constant maintenance, on the two large round fenders on the bow we have to use pre-made socks on the other fenders we use the 5 meter stockinette and cut them to length.

I tend to fit the socks at the season start and maintain them during my allocations on the boat. The socks are cleaned as part of the cleaning routine and fully replaced when they get holes in them or are looking tatty.

If we had encountered any problems other than maintenance we would of course have ditched the use of them.

Regards

Alan 

[Poppy]

13 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Use fender socks then most of these fenders will look the same, you may get a quieter night without all the creaks, if only we could make the warps quieter

Regards

Alan

Fender creak - nothing wrong with that.... it's my excuse

[Viking23]

1 hour ago, Poppy said:

Fender creak - nothing wrong with that.... it's my excuse

It's when it's been creaking all night and suddenly it stops creaking but you can still hear the wind, is when you have to worry, are we still moored up, are we drifting? I knew we shouldn't have moored outside this pub lol...

I doubt there are many that wouldn't  have a brief look through the window, it's why you keep that torch out, isn't it. lol

Often the wind has veered, and the wind is now pushing the boat off the bank.

 

On night we were on Barton, on the weight, and then the wind got up, boat was fairing well until a while later, the boat was bobbing side to side, as if someone was trying to wake a person in deep sleep, we were now broadside to the wind, taking the deep swell on our narrow beam, not at all comfortable.

Out comes "That Torch" aghhh... I can see reeds, I can touch reeds, we are in the reed bed....We had dragged the mud weight over a hundred metres as the wind had veered overnight.

We have what appears to be, a "Qualcast" outboard, well on starting, it cut through the reeds like wet grass, and in reverse it pulled us off the reed bed, the useless mudweight, held the bow out as we reversed, dragging it into deeper water, and more to the windward side for shelter, after a few minutes... that'll do, engine off, back to bed.

The bottom of Barton is quite flat, and a mudweight will drag in all but the lightest breeze, you normally estimate just how far and moor to suit lol. That night I got it wrong. 

[Guest]

17 hours ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Use fender socks then most of these fenders will look the same, you may get a quieter night without all the creaks, if only we could make the warps quieter

I found an easy solution to creaking mooring warps.

An old spray bottle filled with a very weak solution of washing up liquid and water.

A quick spray on the ropes where they're rubbing the cleats and fairleads, and the silence lasts for several hours, bliss......

[JennyMorgan]

Use plaited mooring ropes, old main sheets off a sailing boat, and creaking mooring ropes cease to be an issue.