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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Fender Blanket

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offshoreaccount
1st Mate

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USA
71 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/09/2016 : 18:21:35

hello,
the issue I am trying to solve is dirty hull caused by fender rolling along the edge of the dock. Unfortunately, my slip lacks a pylon and is a double, so I am forced to dock against the side. I remember seeing a product that is essentially a flat fender roughly 8' long, but it was only sold in the UK. My line of thought is that I could place such a fender mattress between the boat and the fenders.

Has anyone seen such product in the US or have another solution for preventing fender rub rash?

Offshore Account, 1977 Hull #243. SR, SK

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3368 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 03:50:38

There is another option. You say that the issue is caused by the rolling of the fender along the dock edge.

In my case, I came to my present setup for a different reason. I was not satisfied when leaving my finger slip, with then wedging my fenders, topside, between the stays and the cabin. I asked on the forum if any had better ideas for storing the fenders, easily, when going out sailing. The response was to attach the fenders onto the finger slip and not bring them onboard when sailing, that way they are already in place when returning to the slip. Okay, maybe you already are doing that but you probably have your fenders hanging vertically and that is why you get the fenders rolling and picking up contaminants from the dock edge onto the hull. You will always get some chafing, anyway, unless you do as you are considering, putting a flat fender, etc between the vertical fender and the hull.

What I did was somewhat elaborate. I attached SS cable with loops around the ends and onto the forward and aft cleats of my finger slip. I have a turnbuckle in-between to take up the slack in the cable, make it taut. I then put a velcro insulated sleeve around the turnbuckle, so that it would not mar the hull if it came in contact with it. My Taylor fenders have attachment points on both ends. I then attached each end of the fender with a very short line and attached the lines to the SS cable, so the fenders hang horizontally along the finger slip sidewall. I attached several fenders that way and also have the fenders attached to each other so that they do not slide forward or aft along the finger slip. The fenders cannot roll/slide with movement of the boat since the fenders are hung horizontally and I utilize a spring line and keep my boat tight to the finger slip, so the boat does not move in position. By the way, I first tried using a line between the finger slip cleats and hung my fenders off the line. But the long horizontal line between the forward and aft cleats of the slip would constantly stretch and then the fenders would droop lower below the finger slip sidewall and so that is why I then went to a SS cable with a turnbuckle to make it taut and maintain tension - which works out well...never have to retighten the turnbuckle.

By the end of the season, I will have some chafe marks on the hull from the chafe marks probably because I keep my boat tied up tight to the finger slip using the forward and aft cleats. My boat is in the slip year-round - In the spring, I re-apply 2 coats of PolyGlow after first removing any contaminants, oxidation and chafe marks by boat washing and spot use of cleaning agents (oxidation cleaner to remove excess Poly Glow coatings and/or contaminants and the chafe marks come out when some of the Polyglow coating is removed with the oxidation cleaner or PolyPrep and then use black streak cleaner on the hull below the deck rain runoffs.)

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - OLarryR on 05/10/2016 04:08:57

hewebb
Admiral

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USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 04:45:06

http://search.defender.com/?expression=fender%20covers&s=1&Trigger=ac

1988 WK/SR w/inboard diesel Joe Pool Lake
Hobie 18 Lake Worth

Life is not a dress rehearsal. You will not get another chance.

offshoreaccount
1st Mate

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USA
71 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 08:35:40

I'm having trouble picturing the setup you described Larry.

hewebb, those are fender socks. they trap dirt and worsen the problem. I'm looking for a long flat piece to rest along the hull.

Offshore Account, 1977 Hull #243. SR, SK

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 08:46:28

What about a piece of 1x6 or 1x8 covered in indoor/outdoor carpeting? Your local hardware box store should have them in suitable lengths. You might want a couple of shorter ones instead of one longer one to accommodate the curve in the hull, but I'd join them with a piece line to keep them from getting pushed apart with a fender wedged in between.

You could do a bit of upholstery by gluing some 1-2" closed cell foam to them before stapling the carpet around the boards (use SS staples), that way you'd get both abrasion resistance and a bit of a bumper as well.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 09:14:45

Something like this?

Called a rafting fender or Hull Hugr.....

Something like this might help, at least it wouldn't roll the dirt onto the hull:

Called "fender cushions"

Davy J

2005 Gemini 105Mc
PO 1987 C25 #5509 SR/SK
Tampa Bay

offshoreaccount
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
71 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 17:06:21

Ah that's exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you.
I'm thinking the Hugr + regular fenders beyond that should get the job done. Anyone see issues with that?

Offshore Account, 1977 Hull #243. SR, SK

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3368 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2016 : 20:26:07

Looks like you have found what you need. Anyway, my description of my setup maybe confusing. Sorry I do not have a photo. I have 2 SS cables with loops on both ends. One loop is placed over the finger slip forward cleat. The other end is attached to a turnbuckle. The other cable, I place it's end/loop over the finger slip aft cleat and attach the other end of the cable to the remaining end of the turnbuckle. I then twist the turnbuckle until the SS cables have considerable tension. I then attach a short line to one end of the fender and tie the line to the SS cable on the finger slip around where the mid point of the finger slip. I then tie another short line to the other end of the fender and tie that also to the SS cable. The lines basically hold the fender horizontal/Parallel to the finger slip and the fender horizontally is adjacent to the finger slip side and to my boat's hull. I then have at least 3 addl fenders also along the finger slip side held horizontally by short lines attached to the SS cable. That's basically it. I go sailing and when I come back pulling alongside the slip, the fenders are already in place.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

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