Couldn't find prior wisdom on fender count and size

[centerisland]

We have the same round fender as does Wild Blue. It just fits through the sliding side window on our 22'.

The A1 teardrop is 11.5" diameter, the A2 is 15.5". I think the one in the photo above is at least that size, and maybe even an A3 at 18.5". I'm not near my boat but if anyone can verify the opening on the CD22 windows (same as the CD25?) I'd appreciate it.

 

[colobear]

My "teardrop" fenders are the 11.5 size. The window is just under 15" top to bottom so that is the critical dimension. These fenders are quite adequate for us. They give us a lot of extra protection when we use them.

 

[JamesTXSD]

We carry...a larger round fender that comes in real handy if there is a tight fit coming in or leaving the dock. With the round one where the hull curves in (on our boat, right where the bow rail ends), I can come in to the dock and rotate on that fender.

How do you manage this fender for docking? It looks like the line comes off of a bow cleat - so I'm guessing that you either go forward on the side deck or possibly up through the bow hatch. I'd really like to get a teardrop in that location but I'm often single-handed so I'm reluctant to use the side decks and I think using the bow hatch would be a PITA. A retrieval line rigged to the bottom to throw it up on the side deck would obscure the sidelight.

Yes, we use the bow cleat. Depending on the dock, the fender may need to be at the waterline or higher. If the Blonde and I are together (most of the time), she goes to the bow to put that fender on. When docking, she is generally on the bow. If I am by myself, I go to the bow... I put the boat in neutral, step on out the side coaming, tie the round fender to the bow cleat, and come back in to dock. The other fenders are ready at a moment's notice: two are tied to our side rails in the cockpit, easily flipped over. The other two have a line pre-tied to a length that puts them above the waterline that fits on the center cleat - we deploy those out the window. If the wind/current isn't howling or the space at the dock isn't tight, the round one may not be necessary... but, when it is necessary, it takes the concern out.

To tie off to the dock, when it's the two of us, Joan does the bow while I tie off the stern. If I am by myself, I run one line from the center cleat to the stern cleat, step off the boat with that line in my hand and I can handle the boat fore/aft with that one line.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[centerisland]

My "teardrop" fenders are the 11.5 size. The window is just under 15" top to bottom so that is the critical dimension. These fenders are quite adequate for us. They give us a lot of extra protection when we use them.

Thanks for the info! I bought an A1 yesterday and will start playing around with rigging options. What I'm thinking of is an attachment point on the cabin side that's near the forward end of my reach, and a cleat aft of that several feet - I'm thinking that I can reach out and grab the fender line, and hook it on the aft cleat to secure the fender on the side deck. <fingers crossed>

 

[centerisland]

If I am by myself, I go to the bow... I put the boat in neutral, step on out the side coaming, tie the round fender to the bow cleat, and come back in to dock.

The water up here is pretty darned cold, and I haven't verified that I could clamber back aboard if I fell over, so I'm rather reluctant to do that in anything other than benign conditions. I only really need this fender when there's a stiff breeze off the dock (necessitating the sharper approach to keep the bow from getting blown off) which - with the weather up here - seems to happen in all but summer.

 

[colobear]

We installed two pad eyes on each side of C-Cakes. One is forward under the front part of the sliding window. I chose that location to have a fender close to the widest part of the hull and to be able to reach out the window to deploy and retrieve the fender. The other two are just forward of the junction between the cabin back and the cockpit and a few inches above the small "walk-around". Each fender has a strong clip at the end of the fender whip, I just clip the fenders into the pad eyes and we're good to go. On two of the 8" fenders and on the larger spherical ones I use a longer fender whip and tie a loop in the line so I can loop the fender over a cleat at the stern or bow as is needed. I never have to tie a fender to a rail or a cleat, getting them on and off is a matter of just a few seconds. We use the loop on the longer fender whips quite a lot and the way it is set up allows me to move a fender up or down a few inches with ease.

 

[Adeline]

Adeline started out with "sausage" fenders and then I went to the round style size A-2.

I finally upgraded to the largest round fenders that West Marine carried, way back when.

Norfloat A-3.

These big globules just BARELY fit through the sliding window.

One hangs from the forward cleat and the other attaches to a "Fish-On" rod holder mount that I installed midway back on the cockpit gunwale.

Best money spent, by far.

I boat alone quite a bit so there's no-one to assist in a difficult docking situation.

If I need to dock upwind I can safely carry a bit more speed to ensure that I land at the dock parallel.

If I'm docking downwind sometimes the wind will unexpectedly pick up and carry me into the dock faster than expected.

Either way, those big, fat, squishy fenders absorb all that energy...and not my gelcoat.

When I think of all the effort and expense to keep Adeline looking good a few bucks spent on top-flight fenders seems like cheap insurance.

And really, that's what they are.

Big, soft, "catcher's mitts" that bring me safely home even when I screw up a landing.