Docking with Rubber Tires

[mglonnro]

Cheers,

Do you have any patented methods of docking with (terrible) black rubber tires without getting rubber on the boat -> fenders -> fender socks?

Best regards from over here in Finland where we just returned from a wonderful sailing vacation to Norway and back

[Franziska]

Try a fender board in between.
Essentially you put your fenders on the boat and hang a plank on the outside of them.
That plank could have a secondary use as gangway/passarelle on other occasions.
Alternatively a board with thick soft foam on the inside.

Last alternative a thick tarp in between, but, I'm afraid, that won't last long. Possibly someone makes a white rubber mat you could hang between? I've never seen that though.

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Try a fender board in between.
Essentially you put your fenders on the boat and hang a plank on the outside of them.
That plank could have a secondary use as gangway/passarelle on other occasions.
Alternatively a board with thick soft foam on the inside.

Last alternative a thick tarp in between, but, I'm afraid, that won't last long. Possibly someone makes a white rubber mat you could hang between? I've never seen that though.

Yes, true, thank you, and the plank version seems the most common. I've thought about that but hesitated re the storage of it.

On the previous boat, we had a couple of fender mats. They store nicely but are more expensive and a bit complicated to set up.

[Tin Tin]

I take it you mean the dock has the tires and you have normal inflatable white/blue boat fenders on your boat? If so what we used to do was have several fenders tied end to end and then dropped horizontally alongside the boat, works for docks with protruding posts too.

[GordMay]

A Fender Board is a plank, or pipe, suspended horizontally, from the side of a boat. It has a pair of vertical standoffs (fenders), to keep the plank away from the topsides.

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Tin Tin

I take it you mean the dock has the tires and you have normal inflatable white/blue boat fenders on your boat? If so what we used to do was have several fenders tied end to end and then dropped horizontally alongside the boat, works for docks with protruding posts too.

Yes, and how to best solve the problem of keeping the black rubber off of the fenders!

A fender plank seems the "standard" solution, but it needs to be quite long for our boat... or maybe a couple of them..

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by mglonnro

Yes, and how to best solve the problem of keeping the black rubber off of the fenders!

A fender plank seems the "standard" solution, but it needs to be quite long for our boat... or maybe a couple of them..

OK fair enough, fender boards seem way to go then.

[JBP]

You could make what Don Casey calls "Fender Skirts" pretty easy. Just a large sheet of canvas hung between the tires and your boat. You can find instructions in his book or on that other Sail Net work forum which shall remain nameless.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A Fender Board is a plank, or pipe, suspended horizontally, from the side of a boat. It has a pair of vertical standoffs (fenders), to keep the plank away from the topsides.

I believe Taylor Made makes (or used to at least) vinyl blocks that fit on a regular 2x4 or 2x6. They stay on the board all the time so you don't have to lash up your regular fenders. They take up just a little bit more storage space than the bare boards.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

I believe Taylor Made makes (or used to at least) vinyl blocks that fit on a regular 2x4 or 2x6. They stay on the board all the time so you don't have to lash up your regular fenders. They take up just a little bit more storage space than the bare boards.

And, when stored, tied horizontally to stanchions, they're a good place to secure [on deck] jerry cans.
➥ https://www.amazon.ca/Products-96011.../dp/B000XBD3U0

[HeinSdL]

Piece of sturdy cloth? Does wonders for the gelcoat under other circumstances too

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by HeinSdL

Piece of sturdy cloth? Does wonders for the gelcoat under other circumstances too

Thank you @JBP and @HeinSdl for the cloth idea. I've never seen that!

[Franziska]

A last thought on that cloth idea.
A lot of people use flexible bladder tanks for their water.
Every few years they need replacement.
It's usually the seams and connectors and some minor holes that make a replacement necessary.
Those damaged tanks should be easy to find on a forum or by a note in a marina.

The material of some of those is often a very sturdy coated fiberglass cloth and would likely make a superb fender cloth.

We have two damaged ones which we use as tarps when working on engines or the like.
Should also work well in an emergency when drapped over a hole from the outside to reduce the large amount of water that rushes in.

[notoldbilbo]

A single fender board is good to have. I recall a friend had one with several 'D-shaped' slots so it could be used as a temporary stern ladder.
A much longer fender board is more usually needed, against piles at a commercial fishing wharf. This can be made from two shorter boards, tied end-to-end, which is much easier to store. The best way to tie then is to drill 3-4 holes in each and lace them loosely together. Carve shallow grooves from each hole towards the nearby edge, for the cord to sit in, thus avoiding fraying.

Some will recognise this idea is filched from James Wharram's use, securing the rudders to the sterns of his catamarans. Works just fine.


Of course, a third inflated fender is needed across the join.

[Epikur]

In the british navy they were very concerned to look smart and avoid black tire marks. They had a very well engineerd solution to the tire mark problem.