# Fender hangers...too many choices!



## Kiltmadoc (Nov 10, 2009)

My fellow boat-owners (the admiral and my co-owner's admiral) want some way to hang fenders off the lifelines that does NOT require any type of knot. In addition, the device must withstand nasty weather (we seem to have the misfortune of only docking when bad weather arrives). Finally, it must be easily adjustable.

Does Anyone have any experience with the following devices, and have some feedback as to their efficacy?

So far I have seen many ideas:

Amazon.com: Taylor Made Products Hook and Loop Boat Fender Strap (Pair) (36 - Inch): Sports & Outdoors

HARDLINE PRODUCTS\ EZ-Adjuster Fender Hangers at West Marine

TAYLOR No-Knot Fender Hanger at West Marine

Loop Cleats

Tidy-Ups™ Fender Adjuster Kits - iboats.com


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

A few years ago, I was searching for a better solution just like you. All were just waste the money when the novelty died. I found you can beat a Clove Hitch Knot.






Sorry, please don't shoot the messager.  This is so easy, even the caveman can do it. It becomes a second nature


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## Kiltmadoc (Nov 10, 2009)

your point on the clove hitch is well made. If it were up to me alone, I would mostly agree. However: the clove hitch around a life line that's a much smaller diameter slips alot. So, I have been doing 2 1/2 hitches. The problem arises from some of the other people involved: too many variations occur and it makes a mess to untie. 

Believe it or not (knot), it took us the whole season to decide that all lines would be flaked instead of coiled from now on. And that a single loop would be backed through the top of the flake to keep it from uncoiling. 

This type of discussion would be one of the small disadvantages to co-owning a boat. However, for our purposes, the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm firmly with RockDAWG on this. There is no substitute for a clove hitch. All the doodads are expensive ways to lose fenders.


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## dhays (Jul 9, 2010)

Kiltmadoc said:


> your point on the clove hitch is well made. If it were up to me alone, I would mostly agree. However: the clove hitch around a life line that's a much smaller diameter slips alot. So, I have been doing 2 1/2 hitches. The problem arises from some of the other people involved: too many variations occur and it makes a mess to untie.


A clove hitch is wonderful, quick, easy, cheap, flexible, and my wife doesn't want to use it.

Hence these. They are easy to put on and easy to take off. The fender is easy to adjust as well. They are also very strong. I use two of them on my FenderStep and clip them to the base of the stanchions in the boarding gate.

I picked up a couple at the Seattle boat show and my wife ended up loving them so much that I got enough for all my fenders. It makes the wife very happy, which is turn makes me very happy.

Dave


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## Jaitt (Mar 24, 2011)

*Hanging Fenders*

Hi,

just regarding the slipping, tie the loops of the clove hitch to the life line either side of a stanchion where the lifeline passes through, low down to reduce leverage.

If you need a fender between stanchions, double up the lines and hang the fender between two stanchions

Works for us..


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Here # 5 for the clove hitch,,,simple is better


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

Of course, Kiltmadoc wasn't asking for everyone's favorite hitch for hanging a fender. He explained why a hitch wasn't going to do it for his situation. Hopefully, they'll be some more users of the gizmos to provide some firsthand advice--but those fender clips look pretty good to me.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Davis Fender Tenders II

Works on both 7/8" - 1" SS tubing and Lifelines


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

If you don't like clove hitches, how about some double-sided velcro? Buy it in 36" long strips in Home Depot, hang the fenders from it. Pull it up over the lifelines and one side sticks to the other, so you can just "stick it" instead of tying a knot at whatever point you want.

Or you could just do the proper seamanlike thing, replace those defective admirals.


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Dhays- my wife feels the same way. How do you adjust those, the pics show a stopper knot behind the grommet or an eye splice. So you have to "set" these to a specific spot either with a splice or stopper and then use them in the same location on the boat each time? A clove hitch is so easy I have been resisting this (irrational) decision for years but she ends up usually being the one to hang the fenders when we go in to a slip so maybe it's time I found something that works for her.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Defective Admirals make wonderful fenders and if you hang them upside down, you get the added option of curb feelers


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

$10 and $15 a crack... are you nutz? $30/pair comes out to more than I paid for a cam cleat. It seems to me there's a dummy tax applied.

If it we me, I would pool the money you were about to spend, and hire someone to spend a few hours and help you sort out your lines. Agree beforehand to abide by his recommendations for, say, two months before discarding them for a store-bought doodad.

Could the problem be something as simple as using the wrong kind of rope? I can see how a stiff, braided line can slip a clove hitch, but the soft-handed lines I've seen on all fenders snug up very securely on lifelines. A clove hitch is easy and fast to tie, even more so if you tuck a loop rather than the entire end. Sung it up tight so it bites into itself and won't go anywhere; the loop makes it easy to undo (just like your shoelace).


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

If you cant stand the clove hitch, I am rather fond of these: Fender Adjusters [3333] - $9.95 : Seafaring Ship's Store, Latitudes & Attitudes&


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

This is how I tie my fenders to the lifelines. Never slips and easy to adjust. Not sure what it might be called though. 

It's late so the pic shows the front of my stove.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Larks Head


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

I wouldn't tie the fenders to the life lines to begin with. If you don't have any other options, tie them to the bottom of the stanchions. On my dock, I've eliminated hanging them off the boat altogether by mounting them horizontally on the dock. I don't have to put them away on the way out, or take them out and hang them on the way in. They can't ride up on the dock, thereby becoming worthless. 100% of the fender contacts the hull and therefore cushions the boat. Vertically, it's 25% max. I find old fenders floating or laying around and use them, and keep the nice ones below. The only downside is that I'm out of the habit of getting fenders out when approaching a guest dock. I can live with that!


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## captflood (Jan 1, 2011)

GREETINGS EARTHLING; You can pad what your bumpping it will save the knots and cost the earth GO SAFE


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

We typically tie off to a stanchion base, but that does rub the line over the varnished toe rail, so it isn't ideal. The knot isn't an issue, we've always used a round turn and two half hitches. Its just natural to us.

Dragging the four 12"x34" fenders up the side decks after a long day of sailing gets tougher each time. Those things weigh as much as a small child and its very awkward to hold them over the side, while you tie them off to a stanchion base. When dropping them underway and the base catches a bow wake and gets kicked up, that can be a lot of weight to hold onto.

We look at every doohicky, but haven't seen one we think it either secure enough or will do the job well.

Ideally, I would like something that mounts to the stanchion and might be stainless itself, so that it blended in a bit. The attachment doesn't need to be adjustable, I would like something knotted to the fender line that just slipped in to the stanchion gizmo at an exact predetermined length. If we could just haul them up the side deck in order, plug them in and walk away, that might make the Admiral less cranky about it. 

The downside to having something fixed on the fender line, is that you might have to remove it or be able to adjust it for a foreign port or fuel dock.

Unfortunately, our new marina is frowning upon permanently attaching fenders horizontally to the slip. If I were the Marina Manager, I would avoid my wife this weekend. She's not happy.


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## LinekinBayCD (Oct 19, 2009)

chef2sail said:


> Here # 5 for the clove hitch,,,simple is better


+6 on the clove hitch. The hangers are a mistake. To divide the load I take a turn around the middle life line before tieing off on the upper line. Takes some of the weight off of the upper line while tieing.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I don't love tying to the lifelines, as they are naturally on the same side as the open gate and sag. Can't be good for the lifeline either, but that's not an educated opinion, just gut. Don't like the look, but it is much easier to tie off at your knees than at your feet.


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## pgiorda (Nov 16, 2009)

Last year was our first year with our boat and I had the same concern trying to make it easier for my wife and family to hang fenders. I chose these from Seadog ( Manuf. # 327200-1 ) available at west marine. The product photo on west marines site shows them connected to the pulpit but there is an insert for connecting to life lines. 

All you do is open the lever, place on life line, pull cord to adjust height of fender and close lever. Never had an issue using them, and the easy height adjustment was great for setting different heights for docks or rafting up.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Tie them on, find a knot that works for you. Seamanship is slowly fading away.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Kiltmadoc said:


> Believe it or not (knot), it took us the whole season to decide that all lines would be flaked instead of coiled from now on. And that a single loop would be backed through the top of the flake to keep it from uncoiling.
> 
> This type of discussion would be one of the small disadvantages to co-owning a boat. However, for our purposes, the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks.


Totally understand your situation. Yes, it is a small price to pay.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

zz4gta said:


> Tie them on, find a knot that works for you. Seamanship is slowly fading away.


I get your point, but unless you are flying square sails with block and tackle, we've all evolved a bit.


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## PaulfromNWOnt (Aug 20, 2010)

Let them tie whatever they want, then just go around afterwards and re-position/re-tie them.

Free.

Free is good.


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## DwayneSpeer (Oct 12, 2003)

rockDAWG said:


> A few years ago, I was searching for a better solution just like you. All were just waste the money when the novelty died. I found you can beat a Clove Hitch Knot.
> 
> YouTube - ‪How To Tie a Clove Hitch Knot‬‏
> 
> Sorry, please don't shoot the messager.  This is so easy, even the caveman can do it. It becomes a second nature


Forget the plastic and go with the clove hitch. I've never had one come loose.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

Minnewaska said:


> Unfortunately, our new marina is frowning upon permanently attaching fenders horizontally to the slip. If I were the Marina Manager, I would avoid my wife this weekend. She's not happy.


I assume the marina's reasoning is that they don't want people putting holes in their docks willy nilly? I can understand that. Be grateful you have a marina that cares. My marina doesn't care what you do, as long as they don't have to do it! I've seen professional fender systems that mount to the dock. Don't know how pricey they are, but maybe your marina would let you install one of those if you promise to leave it when you leave, thereby improving the slip. It would be worth a few hundred dollars to me not to hassle with fenders!


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

I get your point, but unless you are flying square sails with block and tackle, we've all evolved a bit.​
Yeahbut... investing in injection molded complex hydrocarbon clips because you can't be bothered to learn to tie a simple knot seems to be the wrong direction to evolve. Next thing you know, we'll be burning said hydrocarbons in heat engines when the wind fails us.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

How about having your wife drive the boat and YOU tie the clove hitches?


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

The height of the docks you dock at and the freeboard of the boats you raft with may vary, but the shape of YOUR boat's hull doesn't, and that is what you are protecting, so I have never understood the need for adjustability. What we did was hang out fenders from stainless snap hooks or carabiners, with a large enough mouth to fit around our stanchion bases. set the fender height, knot it, and it's done forever. Hanging fenders is as simple as snapping the shackle around the stanchion, and no pressure on the lifelines. 

To solve the rubrail chafe problem, wrap the lines in leather chafe guards.


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

The tidal range in the Great Lakes amounts to fractional inches normally, and overwhelmed even by calm wind wavelets. I don't recall if that's the OP context.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

MikeWhy said:


> The tidal range in the Great Lakes amounts to fractional inches normally, and overwhelmed even by calm wind wavelets. I don't recall if that's the OP context.


Tidal range doesn't change freeboard or hull shape.


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## CaptKermie (Nov 24, 2006)

bljones said:


> The height of the docks you dock at and the freeboard of the boats you raft with may vary, but the shape of YOUR boat's hull doesn't, and that is what you are protecting, so I have never understood the need for adjustability. What we did was hang out fenders from stainless snap hooks or carabiners, with a large enough mouth to fit around our stanchion bases. set the fender height, knot it, and it's done forever. Hanging fenders is as simple as snapping the shackle around the stanchion, and no pressure on the lifelines.
> 
> To solve the rubrail chafe problem, wrap the lines in leather chafe guards.


I took this idea one step further into the cheap zone. I bought those cheapo large aluminum carabiners 3 for a buck from the Dollar store and put two on each fender. One at the end of the fender line to clip onto the stantion base for fenders down and another carabiner right at the fender line knot to raise the fenders up and clip them high up on the life lines when sailing. When time comes to dock I just unclip from the life line and the fenders fall to the pre-determined hieght for the dock.


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## dhays (Jul 9, 2010)

jrd22 said:


> Dhays- my wife feels the same way. How do you adjust those, the pics show a stopper knot behind the grommet or an eye splice. So you have to "set" these to a specific spot either with a splice or stopper and then use them in the same location on the boat each time? A clove hitch is so easy I have been resisting this (irrational) decision for years but she ends up usually being the one to hang the fenders when we go in to a slip so maybe it's time I found something that works for her.


I simply use a double half hitch. Even my wife can adjust it up or down a bit using that. (at this point all of you are wondering if she can do that, why does she want a clip to begin with? Very good question. You don't really expect a rational answer though do you?) In practice, once the fender height is set, it rarely needs to be adjusted. We use four fenders on a side. Three of the four are at the same height. It makes it really easy for her and any other crew to carry them forward, clip them on the base of the stanchion and lay them on deck, and as we get very close to the dock just kick them over the side.

I've tired a bunch of different clips. I suggest buying one set of two and giving them a try. If your wife likes them, get some more. If she doesn't, keep looking.

Dave


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## dhays (Jul 9, 2010)

L124C said:


> I wouldn't tie the fenders to the life lines to begin with. If you don't have any other options, tie them to the bottom of the stanchions. On my dock, I've eliminated hanging them off the boat altogether by mounting them horizontally on the dock. I don't have to put them away on the way out, or take them out and hang them on the way in. They can't ride up on the dock, thereby becoming worthless. 100% of the fender contacts the hull and therefore cushions the boat. Vertically, it's 25% max. I find old fenders floating or laying around and use them, and keep the nice ones below. The only downside is that I'm out of the habit of getting fenders out when approaching a guest dock. I can live with that!


Wonderful idea, when and where it is allowed. Many (most?) marina's won't allow you to permanently attached anything to wooden docks as they feel it accelerates their deterioration. Also, it doesn't solve the OPs original question/problem unless he never docked anywhere but home and never rafted to another vessel.

Dave


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## dhays (Jul 9, 2010)

Minnewaska said:


> I don't love tying to the lifelines, as they are naturally on the same side as the open gate and sag. Can't be good for the lifeline either, but that's not an educated opinion, just gut. Don't like the look, but it is much easier to tie off at your knees than at your feet.


I have the same "gut" reaction to tying anything to the lifelines. I prefer to save wear and tear on the lifelines so they may actually hold if I end up starting to go overboard. With any wave action, it is possible for the dock to place a lot of downforce on a fender. I don't like that much force on the lifelines. For this reason, I always tie off fenders from the base of a stanchion or if I can't for some reason, the middle lifeline. The clips we found, clip to the base of the stanchion easily.
Dave


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## bacampbe (Mar 17, 2009)

poopdeckpappy said:


> Davis Fender Tenders II
> 
> Works on both 7/8" - 1" SS tubing and Lifelines


I used to use those on my old boat. They may be okay for occasional use, but I found that if I left them on the lifeline for any length of time, they would get brittle and break. I assume from UV damage.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

bacampbe said:


> I used to use those on my old boat. They may be okay for occasional use, but I found that if I left them on the lifeline for any length of time, they would get brittle and break. I assume from UV damage.


Yeah, my first set lasted about a year and a half but, they're cheap ( 10 bucks/pr ), very simple to use and with the wife being in charge of such things as docking, stowing fenders & lines while getting underway, hell, whatever makes her happy.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

dhays said:


> Wonderful idea, when and where it is allowed. Many (most?) marina's won't allow you to permanently attached anything to wooden docks as they feel it accelerates their deterioration. Also, it doesn't solve the OPs original question/problem unless he never docked anywhere but home and never rafted to another vessel.Dave


Didn't read the whole post (or my subsequent one in which I addressed the marina issue) did ya? I suggested tying to the bottom of the stanchion if no other options are available. I eliminated my death lines years ago (a whole other thread), and therefore, have no stanchions. I go to guest docks all the time. So I assure you, other options are available. I run one fender line through a jib sheet car with a stopper knot, tie another to a shroud base, etc.. IMO, tying fenders off on lifelines is bad form. It creates unnecessary wear and tear on the life lines and stanchion/deck connection. I have to agree with a previous post which said it much more tactfully than I can. If you are trying to tie your fenders at knee height to avoid tying them off at ankle height, it might be time for a power boat!


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

MikeWhy said:


> ... investing in injection molded complex hydrocarbon clips because you can't be bothered to learn to tie a simple knot seems to be the wrong direction to evolve. Next thing you know, we'll be burning said hydrocarbons in heat engines when the wind fails us.


Suggesting that evolution is akin to becoming a stinkpotter requires some defense.

To set the record straight, no one on my boat is having any trouble tying the knot itself and we use a round turn and two half hitches. A clove hitch does not change anything for us.

Holding a 12 inch fender at ankle height, while it gets kicked around by the bow wake is tough, period. Every man, woman or child that has done it has commented. It isn't impossible, it just stinks, particularly after a long day.

As I've said, although the chest pounders ignored it, we have not yet found an acceptable alternative. However, if I do, I'm on it.


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## jfdubu (Jul 18, 2002)

Folks, knotting to the life lines is fine but it should be around the stantion. Otherwise the normal movement of the boat can "walk" the fender out of place. Listen to Bjones, I use a brass snap clip attached to my toe rail at the dock. Perfect fit every time and the fenders don't move even when I have a sometimes "unseaman like" dock landing (it happens). When I raft I clip the same fender to the lower life line around the stantion, hull protected, no problem. I use cheap alumium caribiners for my spare fenders, $.99 at HD. In fact I have a bunch of them on board and use them for all sorts of things.

John


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

I can see the advantage of clipping on low to a stanchion, where the leverage is low or nil compared to tying off on the top lifeline. I do like the 'biner idea; that's almost worth a look to see if it'll work. (Although metal to metal doesn't seem such a great idea.) It hardly seemed worth a second thought. Just walk the fender to where it needs to go; toss it over; spin, spin, tuck, and tug it tight; done. I dunno. Maybe if I tripped and fell over a box full of 'biners someday.


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## LinekinBayCD (Oct 19, 2009)

bljones said:


> The height of the docks you dock at and the freeboard of the boats you raft with may vary, but the shape of YOUR boat's hull doesn't, and that is what you are protecting, so I have never understood the need for adjustability. What we did was hang out fenders from stainless snap hooks or carabiners, with a large enough mouth to fit around our stanchion bases. set the fender height, knot it, and it's done forever. Hanging fenders is as simple as snapping the shackle around the stanchion, and no pressure on the lifelines.
> 
> To solve the rubrail chafe problem, wrap the lines in leather chafe guards.


From what I've seen in Maine, the Chesapeake, Jersy shore and the Carribean, the need for adjustability is more common in areas where you have a moderate tidal range vs. a large tidal range or very little.

In Maine with a large tidal range there is almot no fixed docks. It's all floating docks which are at consistent hight in reference to the water level. A 12 in. fender set at the waterline will work in most instances.

On the Chesapeake and Jersey shore with the moderate tidal range you get more of a mixture of fixed level docks and floating docks. With a fixed dock and a 3-4 ft tidal range you likely will need to adjust your fenders.

In the Carribbean with a small tidal range if you at the same fixed dock all the time you may not need any adjustments. However the distance between the water level and the fixed level of all docks you might visit could vary requiring an adjustment in fender position.


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## LinekinBayCD (Oct 19, 2009)

Minnewaska said:


> Suggesting that evolution is akin to becoming a stinkpotter requires some defense.
> 
> To set the record straight, no one on my boat is having any trouble tying the knot itself and we use a round turn and two half hitches. A clove hitch does not change anything for us.
> 
> ...


I guess I'm not understanding your issue with tieing off the fender at ankle height and having a problem holding the fender. When you are approaching most docks you are usually in a no wake zone, no? How fast are you going? At 6 knots I'm just not understanding how it could be too hard to hold a fender, man or woman.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

LinekinBayCD said:


> .....A 12 in. fender set at the waterline ....


That's the problem right there. If you are using a 12" fender on a boat with 36-40" of freeboard, no wonder you are having to adjust them.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

LinekinBayCD said:


> I guess I'm not understanding your issue with tieing off the fender at ankle height and having a problem holding the fender. When you are approaching most docks you are usually in a no wake zone, no? How fast are you going? At 6 knots I'm just not understanding how it could be too hard to hold a fender, man or woman.


This year will be easier in that regard and probably can be set inside the no wake zone. Where we were last year was open to the bay, so you had no choice but to set them in the chop and while underway. By the time you were inside the no wake zone, which did not stop any wakes from the bay, we were too busy turning the boat around to back into the slip to be messing with fenders.

Do you or have you had 12x34 fenders? I didn't say it was impossible, but it's a real hassle when you're tired. They weigh about 2.5 times what an 8in fender weighs.


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## Oldsoul (Mar 2, 2011)

Something you may want to bring up with the others on your boat is the potential for these devices to damage your boat. Hear me out. I used to use the white plastic clips that you thread the fender whip through. At the end of the sail, I'd just pull them out and hang them on the lifelines. Easy right?

The problem was that over time I noticed that they seemed to loosen my stanchions. A handful of times, I had dock lines either wear through or stolen and the boat ended up against the fenders and dock. The movement of the boat and water put quite a strain on the fenders, thus the lifelines and stanchion tops. Over time I noticed most of the stanchions near where I had been attaching my fender clips had become loose and leaked. Unfortunately my headliner had no access panels so I got to cut out parts of the head liner getting to the hardware so I could rebed the stanchions. 

I don't know if others have had similar experiences, but I stopped using them a few years back. I tie to the base of the stanchions now and haven't had a problem since. Just food for thought.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

Oldsoul said:


> The problem was that over time I noticed that they seemed to loosen my stanchions. A handful of times, I had dock lines either wear through or stolen and the boat ended up against the fenders and dock. The movement of the boat and water put quite a strain on the fenders, thus the lifelines and stanchion tops. Over time I noticed most of the stanchions near where I had been attaching my fender clips had become loose and leaked. Unfortunately my headliner had no access panels so I got to cut out parts of the head liner getting to the hardware so I could rebed the stanchions. I don't know if others have had similar experiences, but I stopped using them a few years back. I tie to the base of the stanchions now and haven't had a problem since. Just food for thought.


Amen!
BTW, I'm not "beating my chest" when I suggest people who don't want to tie off at ankle height might want to get a power boat. It's simply that given the list of challenging duties and conditions we face when sailing, kneeling down to tie a fender off while approaching a dock, is fairly far down the list (IMHO).


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i love the fender clips used by those who enjoy spending wads of money on useless items--lol--is how i found my fenders as the boats,err, yotts, with them in use lost them in weather... i use a knot in a line tied to boat.....LOL remember to change line occasionally as they tend to chafe thru in time..... but, if yu are ddtermined to use the pretty and useless items presented on platters in wm stores,please lose your fenders etc within reach of my boat.....


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

L124C said:


> Amen!
> BTW, I'm not "beating my chest" when I suggest people who don't want to tie off at ankle height might want to get a power boat. It's simply that given the list of challenging duties and conditions we face when sailing, kneeling down to tie a fender off while approaching a dock, is fairly far down the list (IMHO).


I'm betting you have a small fender.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

...i place my fenders AFTER i hit the dock. but then i do not have a cored hull and is allll goood--- nor do i hit dock hard...skim it then place fenders as needed. just let me know where it is you guys with fancy holders land so i can retrieve your lost fenders......only the huge ones, please.....LOL
i tie mine to whatever strong part of my boat is necessary to keep my teak cap intact and avoid the mayhem of "crash - bang" all night.


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

Minnewaska said:


> I'm betting you have a small fender.


Show me yours, I'll show you mine!
Actually, it's funny. The PO must have had issues, because the fenders on my boat are twice the size they need to be. I actually ran an ad on CL attempting to swap or sell them to someone with a bigger boat. Now that I only use them when rafting up or at guest docks it's not such a big deal (no pun intended). Though, I do see other skippers eying the boat with obvious fender envy!


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## Rangernewell (Oct 23, 2010)

here the ones I believe I bought from West marine ...on sale for $4.99 a pair.......real quick and easy


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

How about both?

A couple of fenders for the wife to clip on when docking and then you go ahead and tidy up the lines and fenders after the boat is stopped.

I would propose a compromise;
She hangs a couple of fenders with some fancy schmancy clip on things
You guide the boat into the slip
She ties off a couple of lines
You make things ship shape while she makes the first round

Those of you who freak out over spending 20 bucks on plastic thingies must spend way too much time mulling over prices on the wine list  or worse... how to split the check... eek!


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## tap (Apr 1, 2009)

$20 for a plastic thing is more than I pay for a fender!


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## RyanAmes (Sep 8, 2013)

My wife struggles to tie knots due to an injury in her hand. We bought fastfenders from the Minneapolis Boat show. This is probably the best fender hanger investment we did. She can preset the fender length and it takes less than a second to put fenders in place. Very happy with the quality of the product. You can check out Youtube videos on fastfenders. There are quite a few of those. Some of the websites where you can check videos and see if it will help your fender hanging issues.


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

bljones said:


> What we did was hang out fenders from stainless snap hooks or carabiners, with a large enough mouth to fit around our stanchion bases. set the fender height, knot it, and it's done forever. Hanging fenders is as simple as snapping the shackle around the stanchion, and no pressure on the lifelines.


This is so simple I can't imagine why most folks don't do it. For those of you who raft up, either using the higher lifeline or simply flipping the fenders over the top line moves them up higher for rafting. Simple, no knots required.

SUNCOR Stainless-Steel Swivel Eye Snaps at West Marine

There are many things similar to these.

BTW, I know knots, but choose not to use them for this purpose.


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## manatee (Feb 27, 2013)

Toggle and becket:
the line at bottom of 1st photo, with loop(becket) to left & wooden pin(toggle) to right:

Toggles and Ditty Bags « Full Chisel Blog

No knots, no moving parts, no cost. (Everyone has old line lying around, right?)

Learn how to make them and lots other useful boat gear here:


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i love it when folks use plastic fender holders on their lovely new fenders then leave em up in a good storm..... that is how i got all my fenders---no names on em and no id---lost at sea--all for me..thankyou so much --it is appreciated greatly.
i use rope and knots and i am not able to use my thumbs--there are many knots monkeys like me can use that securely hold fenders to boat ...lol thankyou all so much .

dont expect to find fenders lost from my boat, as i already know how it is done. i have to affix mine securely and with lines..not flimsy plastic holders--so if you use fender holders, make sure they do not have any potential of falling apart in a storm or in sun. also please checkto make sure i am down wind and down current from ye...

have a great day . happy sails!!


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

Fenders on lifelines....Not for me..... 

IMHO lifelines are there to save your life not be to hang fenders off and abuse your lifelines & stanchions year round. I have watched lifeline hung fenders is storms too many times to ever even think of it.. 

I much prefer mine down low at the base of a stanchion, toe rail, genny track or on dedicated pad eyes... It is easy to create a cheap system where the same fender goes in the same spot each time. Simple carbiners can even work..


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

lifelines are not for saving lives--they are only for showing you where the edge is---they do not stop your fall nor save you. if they were intended to save your life they would be a lot burlier.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

zeehag said:


> lifelines are not for saving lives--they are only for showing you where the edge is---they do not stop your fall nor save you. if they were intended to save your life they would be a lot burlier.


Considering they saved my butt a couple of times over the years, stopped me and kept me from having to use my tether, I do consider them lifelines... Also seen many slam into them racing and each and every time they did what they were supposed to do stop the bow guy or person on deck from going in the drink......


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

glad they worked for you. they do not always....


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## Chas H (Sep 6, 2013)

I run the fender line once around the stanchion base then tie two half hitches above the base. Have never had a problem with slipping. I don't want any more leverage on stanchions than occurs otherwise.
-CH


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Two options that I like:
1) A rolling hitch around the stanchion gives you a height adjustable fender. Great if you don't know if you'll be tying up to a dock or rafting up with another boat. Works best on single lifeline stanchions.
2) A caribinier-type device at the end of a fender line that is already set to the correct height for your boat and dock. Clip this to the lifeline stanchion bases. Any crew person can figure out "clip one of these to each stanchion" without having to know any knots.

When I first got into sailing I liked those plastic clips that Davis sells. Then I found out what happens in rough water: the plastic clip breaks and your fender ends up floating away. If you are unlikely they put a high load on your lifelines in the process.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

Maine Sail said:


> Fenders on lifelines....Not for me.....
> 
> IMHO lifelines are there to save your life not be to hang fenders off and abuse your lifelines & stanchions year round. I have watched lifeline hung fenders is storms too many times to ever even think of it..
> 
> I much prefer mine down low at the base of a stanchion, toe rail, genny track or on dedicated pad eyes... It is easy to create a cheap system where the same fender goes in the same spot each time. Simple carbiners can even work..


Yup, never ceases to amaze, how commonplace the practice of hanging fenders from lifelines is...

I think it would probably be easier to bring about an end to radio checks on 16, than to convince sailors to quit hanging fenders from lifelines 

"Hanging your fenders from the same spot each time", however, you Maineiacs are way too accustomed to floating docks... Fixed docks with pilings are one of the primary reasons god created the perforated aluminum toerail, after all


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## steve77 (Aug 5, 2010)

JonEisberg said:


> Yup, never ceases to amaze, how commonplace the practice of hanging fenders from lifelines is...
> 
> I think it would probably be easier to bring about an end to radio checks on 16, than to convince sailors to quit hanging fenders from lifelines
> 
> "Hanging your fenders from the same spot each time", however, you Maineiacs are way too accustomed to floating docks... Fixed docks with pilings are one of the primary reasons god created the perforated aluminum toerail, after all


I wish I had a perforated aluminum toerail. I've been using the round turn and two half hitches on the lifeline but I never felt good about it. The carabiners at the base of the stanchion idea sounds like a good one to me.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

a. Mainsail hit it on the head. I've seen many lifelines damaged when a fender got caught under a dock, and I'm sure many more are loosened. Your funeral. When I see fenders hung from lifelines it screams "unseaman like" to me. Tie them to the toe rail or equivalent.

b. Zeehag, your understanding of fall control systems is limited. They will absolutely catch folks that are smart enough to get low when it gets rough and they have saved many. More importantly, many sailors (landsmen) make poor use of lifelines, pressing down on them the way you would a railing; you PULL UP on them and to one side, to keep your feet on the deck. While you are welcome to practice what you like, spreading a gospel that is unsound could hurt someone. Instead, preach that standing tall in rough conditions is unseaman like.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

As we enter port, my wife usually deploys the fenders. Often, I will put them out on deck and get a loose round turn started, but she drops them over the side and adjusts the height. 

Recently, I've had to compromise on where they would be tied. They were always at the base of the stanchions and I refuse to allow them to be tied to the lifeline, other than an emergency or extremely short term. (btw, our marina only ties them to the lifelines when they launch her in the spring. Drives me nuts). However, we use 12"x36" fenders and they are quite awkward to hold in position while bending over or kneeling on deck to tie them off. We just started tying them to the stanchion, but right above the first life line. 

It doesn't pull down on the lifeline, but it is a little more leverage that I would like on the stanchion. However, its a compromise I need to live with.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise.

Perforated aluminum toe rails are convenient for all kinds of reasons. They're great for mounting snatch blocks just about anywhere. I do worry about tying anything directly to them on some boats as the hole edges are not always rounded over so chafe can be a problem.

My boat has short bulwarks (about 3") capped with teak. They are great for wedging a foot against but there is nowhere except stanchions and lifelines to tie finders. Tying to a stanchion abrades the teak toe rail. Accordingly on my boat I use a clove hitch on a lifeline at the stanchion to hang fenders.



pdqaltair said:


> Instead, preach that standing tall in rough conditions is unseaman like.


Never be too proud to crawl.



Minnewaska said:


> However, its a compromise I need to live with.


We all have to do the best we can. Ultimately, good decisions in the face of reality IS good seamanship.


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## manatee (Feb 27, 2013)

I'm curious: though they have been mentioned, nowhere has anyone said anything about *adding* deck fittings to support fenders. Could you add a few cleats, properly located, bedded, back-plated & through-bolted?

Making Cleats

 Cleat Specs Drawing 

Or even better, perforated toe-rail between lifeline stanchions:

Handrails and grab rails and toe rails.

Crest Aluminum Products Co, Inc

Cleats and toerails are not terribly difficult to make, and could be good projects for winter or foul-weather days. Toerails would also increase the safety of working near the edge of the deck, not to mention dressing up your ship.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

pdqaltair said:


> When I see fenders hung from lifelines it screams "unseaman like" to me.


And yet, it's amazing at how often I see it on high-end yachts, Hinckleys and the like...

Even the multi-million dollar Tag 60 is not immune to such abuse


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

And so... Maybe we're making too much out of nothing. When has that ever happened?


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

MikeWhy said:


> And so... Maybe we're making too much out of nothing. When has that ever happened?


Of course, this practice is not the end of the world, by any means... On the other hand, I wouldn't characterize it as "nothing", either...

Many of us here sail Good Old Boats, or might be in the market for one... One of the most common problems with such boats, is penetration/saturation of the deck core... And, I would guess, that one of the most common contributors to that issue, is the abuse of lifelines, and the working of stanchion bases against the deck that is created by stress from fenders, or pulling one's body weight against stanchions when boarding from a dock, or dinghy, and so on...


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

JonEisberg said:


> ........the abuse of lifelines, and the working of stanchion bases against the deck that is created by stress from fenders, or pulling one's body weight against stanchions when boarding from a dock, or dinghy, and so on...


Amen. This is why all stanchion deck penetrations should potted with epoxy, because one will never stop them from being abused somehow. Seriously, I've tried. The worst are marina employees when pulling or launching. You would think the boat was disposable.


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## MikeWhy (Apr 22, 2011)

Without disagreeing with anything that had already been said, and all of it is sound advice, I still want to point out that the worst case is trapping the fender under the dock. The forces are greatest then, obviously. And yet, the stanchion anchorage hardly seems to be such a great issue then. Or, rather, the much greater problem is the lack of fender-age when that happens. 

At the same time, the bit of give in the lifeline is arguably preferable to the solid metal to metal attachment of clipping to the stanchion base. I only meant to say earlier that it isn't as dire as all that. You're simply trading one set of problems for the other, and I don't see that one is clearly preferable. Pick one, keeping in mind that a tidal range of 3 ft or so is going to be trouble anyway.


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## Livelyhood (Feb 19, 2014)

I don't think that anybody is active here anymore, but the best option for hanging fenders is Fastfender in my opinion. They are very easy to use and once your fenders are hanging, the hight can be adjusted as well. At first I was a bit sceptical, but once I tried it is just much quicker than knotting


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## H and E (Sep 11, 2011)

I bought some of these from Academy. Went back to brass snap hooks.
I have 6 - 8 x 27 fenders and tie up at various docks.

Academy - Davis Fender Tender II


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i absolutely LOVE fender hangers of all types..i have found many types not to buy all attached to the fenders i find after storms.... loving this....


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## CarbonSink62 (Sep 29, 2011)

Ahh! Another spirited debate resurrected! 

I'm lucky in that my boat has LL stanchions exactly where it needs fenders. I've been tying them at the base with a clove hitch (or some sort of multi-hitch barf) but just bought brass clips to allow 'anyone' to simply wrap the whip around the LL post and clip it to itself. Both fenders hang within a fraction of an inch of each other, so there is no 'wrong way' to hang the two.

The above is fact; below is opinion. 

The Navy taught me that life-lines are for just that; not for leaning against or hanging drinks from. I still do it, but at least I feel bad. I do agree that fenders shouldn't be hung from them. I think it is too much stress and it goes on 24/7 when the boat's tied up.

My brother slipped on deck years ago, broke a rib (or two, who X-rays anymore? It's so eighties.  ) and would have rolled into the Bay if the life-lines weren't there for him to grab. It's only an anecdote, but still Thanksgiving is more fun with him there.

I would like to close by saying I would only clip my fender whips to the life-lines if I were going down the ICW without an engine.

Ken


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

I was taught to never hang anything from the lifelines. I should have listened.

I learned my lesson when i had a stanchion bend in bad weather. I tie to the bottom of the stanchion or toe rail now.

I agree withh Zee; i love free fenders. If you use hangers please right your name in perm marker so we know where to return them.


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

Splice the line through the fender, splice a snap hook on the other end so it hangs just at the water level when hung from the top lifeline at each stanchion.

If you want to hang it from a different height, just take some wraps around the stanchion to shorten it up.


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## Multihullgirl (Dec 2, 2010)

Not to diverge, but the earlier suggestion to get the other halves to learn to dock is a very good one. Not just because of the fender-tying issue...

Consider that if you were incapacitated for some reason… how will she/he be able to handle the boat? You'd be fairly screwed. It is so important that everyone in the crew be able to cope with this possible eventuality.

And the other halves do indeed need to know how to tie knots and that quickly, for the same above reason. It may be desperately necessary at some point. Frightening, but possible.


Besides, it has been my observation that (I'm assuming women here) tend to have a lighter hand on the helm and thus have gentler docking skills


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## Livelyhood (Feb 19, 2014)

H and E said:


> I bought some of these from Academy. Went back to brass snap hooks.
> I have 6 - 8 x 27 fenders and tie up at various docks.
> 
> Academy - Davis Fender Tender II


I can understand that you went back to brass snap hooks after using those. They look very devious. The fender hanger I'm using looks to be a lot quicker in use and easier adjustable in hight.

If you have got a normal railing on your boat, that fender hanger I told you about could be a great replacement, it worked for me at least. I just wanted to tell you guys about it here, maybe it can make someone happy.


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