Dock Mount Fenders

Hi there,

Did you check the Taylor Made dock bumpers and cushions? If those are not enough for you, check the same brand or any other product for "Pontoon Boat" cushions and fenders, the fenders are designed to have a leading edge that sticks right below the boat deck to limit the chances of moving up and exposing the deck side to the dock, I guess this is what you said conventional fenders will do when the dock rocks, those fenders will rock in almost a unity with the dock and the side facing the dock is not round!

Hope this helps and tell us what works with you. (Some installation pix would be nice! )

Cheers,

Check those pontoon boat cushions, they are horizontal and have a nice big face on them. I think your solution is around such products from any maker.

DM

Several of us at the marina I stay at have regular fenders horizontally mounted. They are attached at the lip of the dock deck and "hang" over. None of us has had a problem with any of the fenders rolling up onto the dock. We are not in a heavy weather site, but have had very bouncey conditions. We are on floating docks. This will be the 14th season that I'm set up that way. The only downside I have found, is that if you slide along the fenders backing in, they can leave a scuff mark because they don't roll like a vertically secured fender.

I found out the downside to this the hard way. I had fastened fenders horizontally along the dock and made up mooring lines that stayed on the dock when I took the boat out. I hindsight what I had done was ensure that the hull was tied up at exactly the same spot along the dock every time I tied up.

It's a dock exposed to some heavy weather so theres a fair bit of vertical movement between the hull and the fenders on the dock. In a few weeks, the rubbing of the fenders wore through the finish right down to the primer.

What I realized after was that when fenders are attached to the boat, they tend to go up and down with the hull and wear on the dock. When they are attached to the dock the hull rubs up and down against the fenders and wears on the hull.

I have my slip lined with No-Mar Fenders from a company called Holmes Products at Boat Fenders Holmes Marine Specialties

I've had them in the slip for two years and they seem to be doing a good job. I have the dock lines adjusted to the boat is centered in the slip and does not touch the fenders. That prevents the rubbing problem that was mentioned above.

The only maintenance I give them is a hose down and scrubbing every spring. That keeps them nice looking and gets any dust and dirt out of the fabric covering.

I've had pretty good luck taking a polyform with eyes at either end and running a lag screw into the dock on either end. Same idea as the seine skiffs. You can get those eyes to suck in toward the dock and take the heads of the screws away from endangering the paint.

I would agree that it can get a little hard on the finish if you're made off too tight though. If you want some extra play on the fender side, you can also use screw in eyes (instead of lags) with a clevase which will create a chain link effect allowing some movement without rolling up on the dock.

Of course this only works if you can get permission from the harbor. You may already have that under control...

Dockmaster, I wouldn't count on that 'guarantee'. When I first put mine on the boat rubbed against them on the port side. It wore the wax off in one season and left a rub mark on the hull.

Nothing that a good waxing wouldn't fix, but they will rub a bit. In all fairness to the company, I live in an area where there is a lot of dust and I suspect it was the dust in the fabric not the fabric itself, that wore on the wax.

I now keep the boat centered in the slip with the dock lines so it can't touch either side. I also pressure wash the fenders in the spring to get all the grit, grime, etc., off the fabric.

BTW, they've been installed now going on the third year and they look like new after the pressure washing.

En route to Ketchikan now. Currently sitting in Prince Rupert. I'll have to look you up when we get in and take a peek at what you have going on. Glad to see you got a good solution.

Trig
M/V VIAGGIO

When my folks come in I move the boat close to the dock for ease of boarding (as dockmasters pic shows) ... but then they are not in town I move the boat to the center of the slip for two reasons: it makes it hard to board and thus I do not worry about uninvited "guests" when I'm not at the boat, and I never have to worry about fenders rubbing the side of the boat. I cannot imagine any fender which will not eventually rub the boat raw when moved up and down or side to side.

We'll be in there Thurs afternoon (maybe Wed eve) and think we'll stay for a couple days. Not really sure where we'll end up as Bar Harbor will probably be full for our size.

Bamboo - I did not want to sound like a smart alec by asking why the Dockmaster didn't use a wider slip.
I've never been in Alaska and prolly never will be, so I don't know the protocol there.

Also - unwanted guests in my area are not always humans. A racoon can make a nasty mess on your boat if he is bored or hungry.

I too set my lines so the boat is centered in the slip when I'm away and slightly favor the finger pier for ease of boarding when I'm there. Ours are not floating peirs.

Dockmaster - Looks like you have exactly what you need going on there.

Dock master

Would you get any relief by shortening your aft spring and lengthening that stern line over to to starboard side transom cleat and hauser?