cleats,fenders and tying up

[BaseCampAnne]

I have been experimenting with my 22' and wonder where others place the fender lines on the middle (widest) section of our boats? It seems to me that the cleat is too low to be of use with many docks so I am guessing that most folks tie off from the grab rails on top of the boat, correct?
Thanks, Anne

 

[Wayne McCown]

Most of the time I am able to use the cleats. A couple of times--at a high dock--I have had to tie off the grab rail.

 

[Doryman]

I found a fender line and plastic clip at West Marine that allows me to open the window and reach up and clip the line to the cabin handrail, all without having to go forward or outside. Works well for me and gets the fender right where it needs to be without cluttering up my cleats.

Warren

 

[colobear]

Anne,

I installed small brackets just outside the forward sliding windows on C-Cakes and at the rear of the outside cabin wall (See C-Cakes album photo #10). With these Patti and I can just open the window and put the fender out onto the forward bracket and the stern fender is easily attached to the rear bracket. I made the fender lines (whips) the right length so they are interchangeable and added a loop so we can put a third fender over the aft cleat when we feel the need. This has been very satisfactory, quick and easy.

 

[thataway]

We put in the fold down pad eyes where necessary. Since these are thru bolted, they are strong enough for temporary mooring as well as fenders.

 

[lloyds]

I think tying off to the grabrails is just tempting fate. I use the cleats, no matter what. You never know when someone will throw a huge wake at you or the wind might come up while you are away a short distance.

 

[Doryman]

I think tying off to the grabrails is just tempting fate. I use the cleats, no matter what. You never know when someone will throw a huge wake at you or the wind might come up while you are away a short distance.

Not sure I understand the issue you are concerned about. A wake could throw the fender on the deck, regardless of where it was tied off. Or are you envisioning a different scenario?

Thanks,
Warren

 

[dotnmarty]

These little Perko fender hooks about armslength outside the window (part#1246DP0CHR0)

 

[hardee]

I just don't like to carry the fender, which may be damp, or dripping wet, through the window, over the electronics, and out the aft cabin door. Thought I had it figured out, with a small diameter line running from the bottom of the fender, I could pull it up from the cockpit onto the deck/step alongside the cabin, and loop the end of the pull line over the rod holder, and it was quick and easy to deploy or haul. Worked great all last season. then we put the boat name on, and wallaah, the fender comes up right where the boat name is, and 1. hides it on the stbd side; 2. rubs on the vinyl lettering while under way, threatening to eventually wear through the letters ; and now needs another place to live when it isn't hanging down and protecting SleepyC or dragging in the water and making a big splash.

I tried swinging it forward, and can do, but then it impedes the starbd running lite. Not an issue in the daytime, but if it gets a new home I want it to work every time.

I'm open to ideas, and thanks,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[lloyds]

There are a lot of docks that have shallow overhangs and a lot of us use the taylor fenders. They can hang up under the overhangs if the timing is right. When it happens something has to give. The newer docks that are concrete and such don't have those but there are a lot of docks around puget sound that are old and wood and have overhangs to varying degrees. Even if the boat is tossed against a vertical float and pinches the fender on the way up it would be hard on a handhold.

 

[Doryman]

There are a lot of docks that have shallow overhangs and a lot of us use the taylor fenders. They can hang up under the overhangs if the timing is right. When it happens something has to give. The newer docks that are concrete and such don't have those but there are a lot of docks around puget sound that are old and wood and have overhangs to varying degrees. Even if the boat is tossed against a vertical float and pinches the fender on the way up it would be hard on a handhold.

Gotcha. Definitely a concern.

Dunno if this is relevant to that issue at all, but the trainer I hired to help me get started with the TC suggested that I put stainless steel washers on the fender whip above and below the fender itself. Supposed to provide more weight to help keep it in place. Anyone doing this?

Warren

 

[Frogpawg]

This fender clip has worked very well for me and as stated in some above posts, this type can be accessed from the window which is extremely handy.

 

[Doryman]

This fender clip has worked very well for me and as stated in some above posts, this type can be accessed from the window which is extremely handy.

Is THIS the fender clip you use?

Warren

 

[Frogpawg]

Yes Warren, that's it. You can see the pic much better/up close in my photo album.

Soapy Joe
22' Cruiser

 

[Doryman]

These little Perko fender hooks about armslength outside the window (part#1246DP0CHR0)

Do you tie a loop in your fender whip for this hook?

Thanks,
Warren

 

[Frogpawg]

Warren,
Yes, just on the upper end to keep it from sliding down. It is VERY difficult to slide the line, but for safety sake I do a loop. I have them in the cockpit mounted just on the inside of the gunnel "upside down". They have worked wonderful in both locations

Soapy Joe
22' Cruiser

 

[Doryman]

Soapy Joe -- so you don''t use the chrome "button with loop" provided to fit into the clip that is mounted on the boat? My question about the loop was in reference to the other type of clip that was mentioned, so now I am confused about whether you utilize both parts of the clip.

Thanks,
Warren

 

[Frogpawg]

Warren,
Yes, I use both parts. when I say "loop" I meant after I run the line thru the metal "loop" (I'll call that a ring) I then tie a loop in the line just above it in order to hold the line from slipping out of place. Go to my album and click on the pic showing it holding the bumper and it should be big enough to see. Sorry about the confusion. I will email you some close up pics in a minute. They really do work great.

Joe

Soapy Joe
22' Cruiser

 

[m4boots]

Soapy Joe,

I've recently purchased similar fender clips and rings and would like to mount them about where yours are. My question is did you use screws, bolts, how long, and did you use epoxy first or just a bedding compound?
I'm also curious if the whips are chafing at the corner.

 

[rogerbum]

I didn't see this thread until recently so I missed replying earlier. I've gone through a number of different fender configurations on my 22.

1) I started out with the fender clips that Soapy Joe is using. I had those on both corners at the stern (mounted outside). I would clip my fenders to them and for forward protection would tie off to the mid ship cleats. I put nylon D-rings on the bottom of the fenders and when they weren't in use I attached them forward to the bow rails. There was a little kit I bought for this at West Marine - a small solid nylon rod was attached to the bow rail using light stainless wire. This rod would get slipped into the D-ring and then when turned sideways would retain the fender. There were two problems with this approach. a) I had to go forward to put the fenders up so it wasn't fast and b) mounting fenders on the midships cleats requires a fairly large fender to be of any use since the bow starts to curve in there.

2) Same as above but without the D-ring retaining clips. I would reach out the window to tie and untie the fender and then haul the wet thing in through the cabin and toss it in the cockpit for stowage later. The big fenders on the midships cleats wouldn't stow under the gunnels so I usually had them in the motor wells. Never lost one but on more than one occasion they interfered with raising the engines when I forgot they were there and they could damage cabling to the engines. The stern fenders would be stored hanging the the aft corners of the cockpit. Also, with the stern mounted fender clips, one go broken off when we were waiting for the locks to open and were hit by a large wake. Overall I wasn't happy with this arrangement since the fender storage took up cockpit space and I didn't like dragging a fender in and out of the front windows.

3) At some point along the way I also added a 3rd fender that was attached to aft end of the handrail using Davis Fender Tenders



4) After awhile, I realized I could get by with just two fenders on a side if I had one mounted near the bulk head and another mounted a little aft of the midship cleat. So at present what I do is to use the Fender Tenders to mount two Taylor Hull Guard Fenders just forward of the cabin bulkhead (one on each side). I can reach out and just pull these back into the cockpit where they hang out of the way. I then tied two more Taylor Hull Guard Fenders to the handrail farther forward (one on each side) and they hang down at an appropriate height. On the bottom end of each of these I tied several feet of 1/8 nylon line. When the fenders are deployed, the tag end of nylon line is passes inside the outer rails of my radar arch and is tied off to the handholds in the cockpit (it forms a small loop from there to the bottom of the fender). To stow the forward fenders, I simply pull on the line that is attached to the bottom and flip them up onto the roof just inside of the radar arch. I then tie off the tag end to the hand rails again. This system allows me to quickly and easily deploy or stow the fenders and keeping 2 of the 4 on the roof frees up space in the cockpit.