Fender mounts

[sagablu]

Good day all,

I am looking for an easy to to work with fender mount that will attach to the lower part of the stanchions. I had some clip-on on ones that attached to the lifelines on my old boat, but other than myself everyone had problems with them. I am often sailing only with my girlfriend and she is not proficient with knots. Does anyone have a suggestion on a very simple to use and adjustable mount for fender lines? I was looking for just a cam cleat that would attach to the lower part of the stanchions, but I don't seem to see any good candidates.

Appreciate the help

[Wolfe10]

A rolling half-hitch is very easy and easily made, adjusted and unmade.


And, hanging it from the lower lifeline is what a lot of us do.

[sagablu]

Originally Posted by Wolfe10

A rolling half-hitch is very easy and easily made, adjusted and unmade.


And, hanging it from the lower lifeline is what a lot of us do.

Last time one of my "crew" tied a knot, i ended up climbing under a fixed dock to recover a fender. Looking for a fool-proof solution.

[Nekton73]

Maybe



or



or





You tie the knot, the crew just clips it on to the lifeline, or toerail, or stanchion ring (if yours has them), or whatever.

[sagablu]

Originally Posted by Nekton73

Maybe
Attachment 289680


or
Attachment 289681


or
Attachment 289679






You tie the knot, the crew just clips it on to the lifeline, or toerail, or stanchion ring (if yours has them), or whatever.

Looking for something easily adjustable if available. Appreciate the suggestions. I recall seeing a cam cleat that mounted to the station, but I am have not yet found it. Lifeline attachment is ok, but the only good one i found is extremely expensive

[Tupaia]

https://www.amazon.ca/Fenderclaet-CL.../dp/B0093LZKHU

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by sagablu

Last time one of my "crew" tied a knot, i ended up climbing under a fixed dock to recover a fender. Looking for a fool-proof solution.

Instruct your crew who's going to fetch it, if there's a next time.

A cow hitch is easy (although useful to back it up with a half hitch). A clove hitch is easy (ditto).

-Chris

[CaptTom]

A quick-release clove hitch is my go-to for hanging fenders.

There are lots of jam cleats available for fenders, but the problem always seems to be mounting them where they're needed. I've worked on boats with those, and nobody ever seems to use them. They're not always located where you want a fender, and once you get used to just tying a clove hitch, you start doing that everywhere, whether a jam cleat is available or not.

[ranger58sb]

We find our fendering changes with almost every docking situation... so semi-permanently mounted gizmos would be being moved all the time anyway.

For long distance traveling, we often carry 3 tubes vertically and one buoy all pre-mounted per side... brought up when underway and kicked overboard as we approach a dock.... once we know which side we'll use as primary. Augmented by another vertical tube with a cleat-loop at the stern and moved from one side to the other on demand.

But then when staying put for a while, we might move all 9 fenders to the dock side, as for when prepping for a storm or whatnot. Sometimes with the tubes hung horizontally.

And then height varies with fixed versus floating docks... and sometimes varies even between various floating docks.

Easier for us to just tie a hitch (or 9), adjust as needed, call it good...

-Chris

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by sagablu

I am often sailing only with my girlfriend and she is not proficient with knots.

No offense, but....seriously? IF she can tie her shoe, she can manage a turn and a half followed by 2 half-hitches.

You're not asking her for a double-fisherman's bend or to splice an eye loop in double braid.

[GordMay]

Tupaia directed [#6] us to the ‘Plastimo Fender Cleat’
➥ https://www.amazon.ca/Fenderclaet-CL...D/dp/B0093LZKH


And, there are many more options, for Fender Line Adjusters:
➥ https://www.thechandleryonline.com/i...ct=90&mode=row

[Jimbo2010]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Tupaia directed [#6] us to the ‘Plastimo Fender Cleat’
➥ https://www.amazon.ca/Fenderclaet-CL...D/dp/B0093LZKH

They slip, lost a fender with them

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Jimbo2010

They slip, lost a fender with them

Would a stopper knot, on running/tail end, of fender lanyard, have helped?

[ranger58sb]

OP, my apologies for probably seeming to unnecessarily bust your chops on the topic. Didn't mean to sound that way...

It IS true that we never seem to place or adjust fenders the same way twice, though, and that's one reason we just tie the thing... instead of futzing with additional attachment doo-dads.

It also IS true that I routinely instruct crew and guests "You break it, you fix it." Most often, comments about the heads: "You clog it, you fix it." Or in this case, I guess it'd be "You lose it, you retrieve it."

All that said, I'm not without fault. Lost a buoy fender a few weeks ago in storm conditions while stopping at a marina down near Belhaven. That was with a cow hitch, and one follow-on half-hitch, using a double-braid fender whip. The line is a bit slippery -- which makes for easier/faster height adjustments, compared to 3-strand -- and I guess the 36 hours of constant 25-30-40 kt winds and the weight of the buoy itself eventually just caused the hitches to eventually slide open.

IOW, even my suggestion to just use common hitches is not without some potential risk.

(Note to self: Use at least two locking hitches after a cow or clove hitch. And then check the whips more often -- or at least occasionally.)

-Chris

[mvweebles]

My wife struggled with knots too. Even simple knots are not intuitive to her as she was always a girly girl (part of her charm). We used to boat a lot but had a 15 year hiatus and that part of her muscle memory was lost. When we started cruising last year, we lost a fender overboard in close quarters early due to a poorly tied hitch. She quickly realized how important it was so spent some quality time practicing. She wanted to make sure her hitches were correct and asked that I inspect each hitch before it was needed so we setup well before entering a confined area. It didn't take long before she was fully up to speed.

Personally, I'd prefer if she drove and I was deck crew. We'll work on that later this year.....