OK... So ... our standard routine while getting underway is having my First Mate (AKA Admiral) :wink: release the fenders from the stanchions and dutifully carry said fenders to the aft cabin down below. Sometimes, the fenders are wet and as a result some water gets transported into the cabin. Additionally, the Admiral carries fenders up and down the ladder to and from the cockpit (could be an accident waiting to happen). Since I have a MK-I I'm anxious to make beater use of the large lazzerette for possibly storing the fenders.
I would like to hear from others the types of solutions to fender storage that everyone uses.
Aside from Waterdogs, aft locker bags refit, I have not seen any suggestions or solutions to fender storage in the Lazzertte or any other solutions. :abd:
Kevin, on my 1986 mark1, I store 4 fenders, all my dock lines, bar-b-que, 50' hose and lifesling under the port cockpit seat. No better place to keep everything neat and handy. No need to bring fenders into the cabin area, space is limited enough, and more important stuff to store below...Jeff
Flip 'em over the lifelines and go sailing. Easy to do. Singlehander's trick: less work. I do stuff 'em in the lazarette when rascing.
I tie them off on the stern rail. Not too pretty, but really easy.
Kevin
I found a nylon bag that happened to be the same size as out starboard rear locker opening (above the refrigerator moor and compressor)
It is deep enough to put in 3 fenders as well as a 4 dock ropes.
Ours is a 91 walk through stern so not sure what you have at the stern.
cheers
Tony
I store mine in the aft lazarette, starboard side (where fridge compressor is located). I fit 4 of them in there. I would say, two of them are medium sized and two are large.
This works for us. I don't really like the look, but this setup is very easy and quick to store and deploy.
For my home dock the fenders are attached to the dock so when leaving and coming home do not have to mess with them.
We store 4 travel fenders in aft lazerette. The admiral made a huge net bag almost the size of the entire lazette and keeps stuff away from frig compressor and disappearing into the great deep that we put the travel bumbers and spare life jackets and lines.
Tony,
Is the bag just laying in the locker beside the compressor or is it attached somehow and hanging above the compressor?
Thanks,
Like Stu, I usually simply flip them over the middle lifelines and go sailing. This is quick and less fuss. Other times, I tie them off on my stern rail, port and starboard. When I leave the boat for the week, I store them in the cockpit portside lazarette.
Wow, I like alot of these ideas... basically I'm seeing the trend towards NOT stowing them down below as we have done in the past
I had tried flipping the fenders over the lifelines in the past but I thought they seemed to interfere with the sheets for the Jib. :abd:
We have our clipped to the bottom lifelines with bronze clips, no knot tying!!! When you flip them over the top lifelines, they stay in place and remain outboard of the jib sheets. When we raft up, we simply move the clip to the top lifelines and the fenders are high enough then to match the gunwhale and keep boats separated. No muss, no fuss. Why folks continue to fuss with knots is beyond me.
Years ago, I installed shock cord in the lazarette by backing off the screws up at the top of the transom and wrapping the shock cord around the screws and looping to the next screw. When I put 'em in there, I clip two fenders to one fender's line, and hang one fender with the clips on the shock cords. Do it twice, I have three fenders on each side. Needs no bags or any complications in the lazarette.
We have a set of fenders hanging on lines on our dock. For a typical daysail, fenders are not anything we ever have to think about. We also have a travel set of fenders that we store in the aft lazarette loose but the end of fender whips are stored in looped lines attached to the stern side of the compartment so we can pull them out when we need them. Works for us.
Ron
It is maybe just touching the rear edge of the compressor. I used 2 screws with a washer on each inside edge to secure it to the compartment.
Tony
My fenders have bronze hooks spliced on them. We generally put them on top of the cabin and clip the hooks on to shrouds. Keeps the side decks clear and the handrails keep them from rolling on to the decks.
I picked up a double stainless fender holder at West Marine that simply attaches outboard to the stern rail pushpit. The two larger fenders get dropped in...out of the way, no knots, no water onboard, easly accessed and looks good. I stow one smaller fender in the aft lazarette. I've never carried any more......if I ever needed more, say at a dock in a blow, I find most boaters seem to carry plenty. I just don't like wasting space with fenders.
Hawk
My Mark I has the propane locker resting on a suspended piece of plywood shelf on the starboard side of the aft locker. I have another piece of plywood approximately 8-10" wide that I cut so it runns horizontally across the stern locker resting on top of the propane locker shelf to starboard and the inner hull to port. The fenders line up perfectly at a good height to grab them quickly. The board isn't even attached, just held in place by gravity. It also provides some proection against anything falling down on the various through hulls at the stern.
I like Steve's idea.
Here's how ours work. Simple.
We have a lot of backup snaps. They've been there for the 13 years we've had our boat. Garage sale worked for us back then. :D
Stu,
Can you send us a photo of the the three fenders hanging on the Starboard side..............(:
Hawk
Guys : I carry 6 fenders in the rear lazerette - 2 large, 2 medium, 2 small (horizontally behind the propane locker). I also have 2 flat fenders in the port side lazerette and 2 round fenders in the aft cabin.
When we first got the boat (over 24 yrs ago) my 1st Mate said we should get 2 more large fenders. I explained that there was no more room for 2 more large, unless we stored them on the port side of Vberth (her side!!) She reconsider her request!! A thought
I've done similar to what Stu does on every boat I've ever had. For a day sail, why go to the effort of removing, stowing and replacing the fenders? If going any distance offshore, I'd put them in the lazarette.
I like Stu's idea too and that's what I've always done
Just as long as you don't sail with them hanging over the side!
I tried Stu's arrangement this past weekend with mixed results.
We really liked not having to shuttle the fenders down below but the issue we had was the Jib sheet would occasionally get itself caught up underneath the hanging fender.
Was I doing something wrong?? :donno: Probably due more to some sloppy sail handling but I think we're going to try the Lazzeret solution next... we'll see.. :abd:
On Ciao Bella we tie our fenders off to the top life line when in use. that's the way the PO had them and I kept them there. (I have replaced them with blue to match the dodger.) The fenders are the double eye type, and to stow them I use the tag end of the fender whip to tie them up side down, outboard of the life line.
And another shot but closer view
And a third
Well maybe it's a Canadian quirk left over from the spit and polish British or perhaps up here with all the rain and weather the fenders don't look so pristine as down south, but I've never seen a boat sailing merrily along with his fenders draped over the lifelines and on display...........unless of course it was overlooked on departure, which is considered a faux pas of some proportion and generally worthy of some not unconsiderable ridicule. I suspect we Canadians are more likely just lazy and the thought of an hour polishing the fenders to hang them over the side is met with amusement as the fenders are stowed and immediately followed by the cracking open of a can of chilled Labatts.
Hawk
Come on Hawk. You don't really drink Labatts do you?
Got to agree with Tom.
It is like wearing underware over pants.
Steve
Touche, but I didn't think our southern friends would recognize Bowen Island pale ale.(:
No ... As a real southerner (unlike those northern southerners)
i have not heard of of Bowen Island Pale but have had and liked Molson Ice and had Labatts down here
Tiny,
It could just be that you were so far in the bag from swilling that LaBatts that you have failed to see the fender stowage.
Why not connect them to the handrails, port & starboard? ....... just a thought.
I have four fenders, Taylor Made "Big Blue" medium sized (2 port and 2 starboard). When underway, I store 2 in the port cockpit locker and 2 in a fold-down SS steel wire holder on the aft pushpit.
We also flip them over the lifelines. Much easier than knotting and unknotting. If we are going away for more than an overnight, we just throw them in the aft lazarette.
We use the adjustable over lifeline clips. They are easy to remove and we simply place the 4 large fenders over the stern rail.
Invariably the fenders are a place that spiders call home so we would not take them below.
Our stern rail is loaded with davits,BBQ,heaving line,life sling,flotation ring, propane tank.. a few fenders added on are barely noticeable.
Personally I like to keep the decks clear
If you are thinking of moving to boat snaps rather than tying your fenders to the lifelines or stanchions be warned that the normal "bronze" snaps are often brass and the swivel connection can break under pressure (i.e hard landing, strong wind) leaving the fender in the water and the hull of your beautiful boat grinding against the dock. I recommend stainless steel carabiners or snap hooks without swivels. Unfortunately, they are much more expensive. Another alternative of course is one of the many patented plastic fender hangers which I have never tried.
omg, I really thought my captain made up the "only canadians keep fenders on while sailing" story. wow.
what do people use to install shock cords, or anything else, in the aft lazerette? i'd like to hang my fenders there, when sailing.
thanks
becki kain
hull 99 , 1986