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What They Do
Fenders act as a cushion between a
boat and a dock or another boat and prevent damage.
How They Work
Using either an inflated plastic
bladder or soft foam, fenders absorb the shock of vessel
movement so that neither the vessel nor what it is bumping
against are damaged. They both insulate the boat from
damage, and decelerate it as it moves about.
Boats that tie up to floating docks
commonly set fenders just above the waterline to maintain a
buffer zone between dock and boat. Boats that raft together
place the fenders at the point of contact-generally where
the beam is the greatest. Docking next to pilings presents a
special challenge: the pilings tend to push the fenders
aside, with damaging consequences. A solution is to use a
fender board that spans the distance between pilings. With
the fenders and pilings, a boat can ride reasonably
comfortably against a wharf.
Boats with permanent slips often
install dock guards or cushions so that the dock carries the
protection, not the boat. Since they can be placed right at
the point of contact, they won't swing out of the way. Dock
cushions can prevent damage when fenders are not lined up
precisely.
But what size do I buy?
Nice boats deserve generously sized
fenders. We recommend large fenders because large diameter
fenders are the best way to provide that protection. It is,
after all, only the width of the fender that separates the
boat from the dock. We like 1" of diameter for cylindrical
fenders or 2" of diameter for spherical fenders for every 5"
of boat length. We suggest using proper lines, or fender
whips, to suspend the fenders at the correct height.
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