Fender Covers

[Trox]

I used Sailrite's Boat Blanket material. They look nice and are wearing very well.

[Toli3]

Originally Posted by swagman

In the UK one can buy a woven material by the metre - pulls over like a sausage skin and sew or cable tie ends inward. Must have similar stuff your side.
God luck
JOHN

You're right. But here knitted material by yard is available too... Have a look for "Roll-Neck" Fender Cover. I'm using them and it's acutally a great Idea.

[Wand]

Or, if you can find an old salt to teach you, weave magic fender covers like these pictured below...

[Sailing Mermaid]

Good afternoon,

One of my older fenders ( 26" x 10" - new cost $88+ USD ) has begun to leave marks on the gelcoat. These marks that are difficult to remove. Otherwise, the fender holds air properly and prefer to extend it's life with a cover.

Have some scrap sumbrella and thought I make a fender cover since this fabric is UV resistant and durable. I've just washed and dried a sample piece (12"x12") from the dryer to soften. As Sarafina mentioned, washing helps. It's softened considerably with one wash.

Elf: the re-purposed "sweat pants" idea is brilliant. The simplicity, expense (Goodwill for a practice pair) and the softer fabric is appealing while replacing will be a breeze.

Fender covers help keep the boat looking orderly since fender failure is random and identical replacements aren't always available.

SM

[JiffyLube]

My wife ordered fender covers from CapeHatterasMarine.com: Cape Hatteras Marine. Boat Mats, Fender Covers, Boarding Mats, Custom Embroidered Mats, Soft-Sided Coolers , and the material looks as good as the day we got them. Granted they are kind of fancy, but they work really good. I don't know what the material is, but they might tell you if you ask.

[Hudson Force]

Here's a look at our 38 year old original gel coat. Maybe some are better, but I'm doing what I can.....

My thought is to keep a clean uncovered fender. The cloth cover can be good at first application, but once it collects the grime and grit pollution coating it becomes an abrasive. I do use Elf's plan with covers made from sweat pants for some older fenders, but if I'm leaving a fender on my freeboard for days at a time. it's clean and uncovered.

[Pelagic]

I agree accumulated grime particles and sand embedded in the fender covers, can do far more damage than the plastic fenders themselves. That is why I got rid of the ones that came with the boat

However, if you did want to salvage a bunch of old faded and stained fenders, I wonder if you made up some tight covers using diving suit neoprene (skin out)…..if that might work?