Fender Boards

[Theis]

Does anyone have any experience with fender boards? I am making a set so I don't get slammed again like I did last year against a dock having steel pilings for the sides.

What wood is best - Mahogany, ash, oak ? How long should they be? Any design ideas on how two of them can be linked? Or ideas on how they coupled for use with regular fenders for added protection?

[Al Lorman]

I've never used a fender board, but every article about them that I've read suggests using regular dimensional lumber, i.e., 2x6 or 2x8, up to whatever length you need and can strore in the boat. Since they are basically sacraficial, there's no need to use anything fancy. As I understand their use, the are simply placed outboard of your regular fenders. I believe there's an old (and free) description on how to make them on the Practical Sailor site.

Al

[Mike Goodwin]

Use a 4' pine 2x6 . Hang regular fenders from the lifeline against the hull , and let the board rest on them .

[Theis]

Ah, the answer is not that simple. I wish it were.

My principal reason for a fender board is for use when tied up along a pole or correcated steel piling (such as with permanent piers). I got along for many years, until last year, without worrying about a fender board.

But when the winds start slamming your little puppy against those sheet steel pilings, the jolt is incredible, and can stove in - and potentially sink - your favorite boat. It might not be the winds, it could be the surges - same effect. And, as I found out, in such situations, it is near impossible to leave and get out.

What is wrong with inflated fenders? The boat is stretching your mooring lines very significantly - like one to four feet, perhaps more. No matter how hard you try, you can not keep a fender between the outermost part of the steel piling and the boat. They slide into the hollows as the boat goes back and forth. And if they don't slide, they will likely be torn off.

If you put the pneumatic fenders between the hull and the fender board, I have to believe they will either work out on either end or up, resulting in virtually no protection. They are essentially working as rollers for the roller board which is pressed against the pilings.

Enter the the need for a fender board that lets the boat move back and forth. and still keeps a cushion between the unforgiving hard spots on the pier and the pretty side of the boat.

Now, if a 2X6 pine board were used, with cushions at either end, I have little comfort that the 2X6 would survive more than a couple poundings before cracking - and then you are nowhere, perhaps worse

Plus, since the Ariel is a smaller boat, and space is at a premium, why not use a 2X4 of decent wood, such as ash, osage orange or mahogany or - and that is the real question - what wood has the best resiliance to cracking, and yet cushioning a blow because that relates to smaller storage space and weight?

There are fender ends available, rubber pads that fit over a 2X4 and hold the 2X4 a few inches off the boat under static conditions. One of my thoughts was to mount the round pneumatic fenders lengthwise along the bottom of the fender board, and tied to the fender board.

So the problem is, about which I am asking the question, what ideas are out there in cyberland with regard to protecting a boat from high winds and surges when tied up to a solid, unkind, unresponsive, doesn't give a damn, unforgiving, non-floating dock?

[Mike Goodwin]

I have used the pine 2x6 and hanging fender combo
for 25 years without the problems you suggest that "may" happen , on boats up to a C&C 40 , a 2x8 on boats to 65' . I also have the little rubber ends you talk about and only use them in good weather attended dockings .

[Mike Goodwin]

Theis,

I assume you are sailing the Great Lakes and are not dealing with a tide , but only wave action .Here on ChesBay we must deal with tide and wave action .
Do you have outboard pilings to go to?

Have you tried dropping an anchor to windward and hauling the boat off slightly ?

Do you use at least 2 springlines that are longer than the boat? Set the one at the bow about 4' past the stern on the pier and the stern 4' past the bow .

Have you tried a Med approach of bow or stern to the dock ? Works all over the south of France .

You might also want to go to a lower stretch dockline . 4' sounds like a lot of stretch in a line I'm guessing to be no more than 35' long .
You need some stretch in docklines , but that sounds excessive . I see about 6" of stretch in my stern lines (16') with a 40 knot breeze .
You could go to a heavier/bigger line and get less stretch too , it may be cheaper than the premium lowstretch line.

When the weather is bad you have to have someone watching the boat or you have to be watching the weather and get back to the boat . Around here summer storms can come up in minutes and empty a waterfront bar in seconds with sailors scrambling to close hatches ,secure ports and adjust lines .

As far as an alternate timber for the boards , ash , mahogany and teak like to split and splinter far to easy .

[Theis]

Mike:

Thanks for your thoughts.

Starting out, I try to never dock alongside these pilings in a storm (I would prefer not to against them at all, but in the summertime, it often happens I can't be choosy). The situation I address occurs when you do not expect a 2AM storm, or when I leave for several hours (such as on a hike), and a storm comes up while I am gone.

You are correct about this being essentially non tidal, but we can have seiches where the water comes up several feet and drops within ten or fifteen minutes. I am not addressing that problem.

We do have a problem with low water levels in the lakes, so that, when coupled with the low to the water deckline of the Ariel, it can be a few feet up (like four to five feet) up to the dock level.

The places I am referencing do not have tie off poles. I have attached a photo of the dock that almost did me in last year. I don't think they would let you use a med system here because of the way these places are set up. Plus, without a rear gang plank (even more difficult) I don't know how you would get ashore without a dinghy). As for placing an anchor out to pull the boat off the dock, that is fine, and perhaps an alternative if you can foresee in advance an oncoming storm, or havce notice of it, but it is a pain - a fender board being an easier solution. Additionally, an off dock anchor can be problematic with other boats because, in most cases the anchor would be in mid channel.

As for line stretch, I have had 10', 3/4" bow painter stretch 1 1/2 feet in a blow, and there were other lines and springlines holding the boat as well. My tie lines are 3/8" and 1/2", which is about as thick as I want to go, because of the line weight and bulk. As for where they are tied, the issue is where the cleats/posts are on the dock, more than anything. Being a smaller boat, this is probably a more difficult problem because cleat spacings on docks appear to be more focused on larger boats.

As for stretch and non stretch docklines, I prefer the stretch. They now have braided docklines which are largely non-stretch, but the force those non-stretchables put on the cleats, chocks, et al. because they don't stretch, I consider unacceptable and dangerous - like using a cable for docking. So, I stick to stretchable docklines - the ones you find in West or Defenders. Two lengths - 30 feet and 15 feet.

I too have gotten along without boards for several decades, and only once had a hole punched in the side, and that was when a couple fenders blew (I now use fairly large fenders, larger than most small boats use). My experiences last summer, with unforecast storms, convinced me that a quick way to protect against a dock was mandatory. The other methods you suggest, the anchor out, the med anchoring (and good luck that the anchor doesn't drag - which case you are hard against the dock - not just on shore) take too long in the face of a rapidly approaching storm. You don't want to get caught in the storm before you are done. In the case of surges, there is no advance notice. They just start happening (because the storm that creates them is somewhere else). When you realize the predicament you are in (2 AM, and it is pitch black, lightening all around - the first rumbles having awakened you), you'll have time safely to do one quick thing. Keep in mind that the situations I am addressing involve single handed sailing so there is no help.

One last point regarding spring lines. Whether they stretch or not, and how big they are is largely irrelevant for this situation. The roll fender, even if placed horizontally, tends to work itself around the piling or in the groove of the steel channel with just the least amount of movement. It becomes a full time job watching it and changing its position.

Which all leads to the NOAA weather forecasts in the northern reaches of the Great Lakes. Let us just hope the same organization is not furnishing weather forecasts for our troops. The National Weather Service is incompetent, unreliable, dangerous and ...... in my humble opinion.

So we are back to a docking board. Mahogany is out. It looks like ash might be the material of choice - or possibly spruce. Also, if available, I wonder if Osage Orange is suitable. That is what the natives made bows out of. I'll ask at the specialty lumber yard.

[Mike Goodwin]

That dock doesn't look very Ariel friendly !!
If I had a choice , I would anchor and dinghy in before docking to that @*!$%% dock .
You could always add a couple of weights on 4' lines off the fender board to keep it from riding up the fenders . I find the heavier boards stay put pretty well and I hang them low , maybe a foot above the waterline .

[Theis]

You are right - the dock is not that friendly. What I encounter may be unique to the lakes. There are a) government docks, like the one above (and which they screwed up on) that are built for the mainland ferry, which doesn't go out in bad weather, and then there are b) the old delapidated docks formerly used by commercial vessels.

One of the problems with the dinghy, is that when anchoring out it doesn't take much in the way of weather or seas to make it impossible to get out to the boat. Go hiking, and you might find the night has to be spent on shore. As you can see from the picture, there is no way to get from the dinghy to the dock top either.

The low water levels also create problems. The horizontal member of yacht club docks used to be available to use with a fender, but that now rubs about six feet up the shroud.

I'll figure out a way and appreciate your comments. I do want to get back to this spot this summer, and want to avoid getting slammed as I did last year - and I do mean slammed. Obviously you try to dock on the lee side, but with the winds changing every hour, that becomes a hassle too. Perhaps this is why few people visit these places. I have a few other places I'd like to tuck in to as well.

[Theis]

For anyone building a feder board, I think I have the answer. I just visited my favorite exotic wood dealer.

The two clear choices are ash and white oak. I selected white oak because it has better resistance to rot. These are both hard woods, and do not spinter and break.

Mahogany, as Mike pointed out, is a soft wood and will break. So is standard 2X4 pine construction lumber a soft wood that will break. In other words, if you are going to the trouble of building a fender board, use a hard wood. It is not that heavy either.

[Brendan Watson]

I think tying up to or near big, metal, problematic piers that are
exposed to wind and surge is inviting disaster from the start.
The only option if suddenly caught in this situation is to get away
into clear water or try to upgrade in some way. The effects of surge and
wind with waves on any boat in conjuction with land is devastating and even if
your boat is not stove in or holed and remained afloat there may not be much
left in the internal structure. I think in a situation as described it is better dealt
with away from structure that will destroy you.

As for fender boards there is no better way to protect your boat and these are considered
mandatory equipment on river and canal transits. Locks and large ship piers are
hostile territory to small craft and being driven into them by huge wakes requires their protection.

One way to set up fender boards that I have observed that I feel would serve well
is as follows: Take three fenders as large as is practicable with one smaller than the others.
Fasten these to your boat where you think you will need them (amidships), with
the smaller one in the middle. Tie the bottoms of the fender together to a 2x4 of
Douglas Fir. At these points run additional lines up and lash on two more 2x4s over the
fenders, kind of like a ladder. I'd make them about 7 to 8' long and consider them sacrificial..
This kind of set up could also be attempted with blocks of foam or car tires of varying sizes
lag screwed with fender washers to the two by fours or some clever way so that the whole mass
might break down for storage, or easily discarded after a river or canal passage.
I think a dark hull (black), car tires and Douglas fir 2x4s tied together with 5/8" 3 strand nylon
would give you a fighting chance up to a point whereas seeking open or better protected water,
even a sand or mud bar seems a better choice than weathering a gale agaist an open pier of the
type you describe.
Cheers, B.
Commander#215

[Theis]

The Fantome faced the same problem. Is it better to be at the dock when the hurricane hits or go out to deep water (and the thunderstorms here get well into the hurriane force velocities) It headed out and sank with a loss of all on board. I generally elect to stay near a dock so at least I can get to shore - particularly when it is too late at night to see what I am doing. And fender boards are a lot better than fenders when you have rigid steel pilings (At least the wood pole pilings have some give).

A common challenge in these Great Lakes parts is that many harbors/bays are open on one side. As an example, a particular bay might be fine if the wind does not come from the SE, but if it does then there is a 40 mile fetch of water building up a good swell. The big boats generally don't tuck into these places (or they take the risk) - making the places very remote and ideal for a kook like me that likes a place lacking a plethora of larger vessels with their outboard dignhys, running their generators and air conditioners, etc. but which may not be safe in all winds. To gunk hole is to take a risk, and to be equipped for the risk to the extent you can be. To not gunkhole means going from one citified marina to another and never stopping to see what lies in between.

But the wrong side of a pier can be a loser. If only one could tell when the situation at a pier is a high risk endeavor then this deal would be a no brainer. If only one could tell for certainty which side of a pier is the safe side.

Ah, maybe I should switch to a Pearson motorboat!

[Tony G]

Good night Theis!! Get a grip on yourself!:eek:

[Theis]

Many people don't know that Pearson also made motorboats. One of the clunkers is in the slip next to mine. What a contrast.

[Brendan Watson]

The new P-38 North Easter is a looker. Lots of style, lots
of function. Also, lots of fuel.
Cheers, B.
Commander #215

[Bill]

There is a new (to me) product advertised in the April Sail Mag on the bottom right of p.105. Called "Freedom Fenders," the company claims these fenders will not pop of pilings. This may be the answer to Peter's quest. Check 'em out at www.freedomfenders.com

[ebb]

I bet this is a stupid question: but how do you get the freedom fender to line up on the piling? Or the six pilings. In a blow. They'll go the way of freedom fries.

Better idea is to lash 8 or ten to the piling.

[Theis]

I may have missed something on their website, but those things look pretty big - even for smaller boats. I don't know about their utility where locker space is at a premium.

Then there is the issue of cost. My two 50" white oak fender boards (and the white oak is a beautiful wood, and so nice to work with) will cost less than $100 ($44 for the rubber molded ends, $26 for the oak, perhaps $10 for the lines, shock cords, stain and varnish). About $40 each (plus a reasonable amount of elbow grease).

[ebb]

you will post some pics, right?

Heard of a type of plastic that the more it gets bashed the stronger it becomes. It may have had something to do with chain wells, but if it comes as sheet material it might be useful to protect the oak. Can't find it on plastics sites.

Hey, lash a couple of those f. fenders together and you got the (very heavy) dingy everybody's been looking for!

[Bill]

Looking at some of the Freedom Fender "in use" photos, it appears the FF's can be used as normal fenders as well as wrapping them around a piling. That should eliminate the need for any other fenders on board.

Also from the photos, the key to holding in place around a piling looks like having two fixed mounting points on the boat.

Wonder if these things inflate/deflate? If they did, it would sure reduce the storage space needed.

[Theis]

When I get them stained varnished, and the boat in the water, I'll post some pictures.

The water in the Great Lakes has dropped further this year and is expected to be at low water datum. It might even be a record low. The low water could be because of the drought (very little snowpack up north this past winter) or it could be because of all the communities in the Chicagoland area and the ever increasing amount of water they are pulling from the Lake and transferring out of the Lake basin and down the Mississippi waterway. But the low water is a huge concern for shipping as well as pleasure boating.

But getting back to the fender boards, the low water makes the case for their use even more compulsary because the dock decking which is usually used for the fenders to rub against are now several feet above the Ariel deck. The next major issue is how do you get up to the dock from the Ariel deck? A swim ladder may be the way.

[Mike Goodwin]

Drought!?
So that's where all that rain we got this winter came from . I knew it wasn't ours .We haven't had 5 dry day in a row until this week .

Hey Theis , your water is flowing out Chesapeake Bay into the Atlantic . I collected about 5 gallons of it , I can mail it to you if it will help !

[Theis]

Hey Mike, water level is no problem for an Ariel. I'll just trim the keel and make it look like a McGregor. As for the water, my apologies. I had assumed we Chicagoans disposed of it through the sanitary canal down the Mississippi . Perhaps the sanitary canal runs out to the east coast instead. My apologies.

Back to the subject of fender boards though, I do want to correct an earlier statement. The fender board guards that are on the end of my fender boards in the making are listed in the West catalog this yyear at $31.49 a pair, not $22 as I had thought Total cost about $50 per fender). I must have gotten them with some sort of discount, or at last year's prices.

The Freedom Fender is also shown on page 623 for $65 each (. The good news is that they can be deflated and rolled up. The bad news is that they are only 26-32 inches long. When those spring lines start streching, the boat can move who knows how much (nylon lines, as I recall are good for a stretch up to 150% of the slack length). That being the case, the fender boards should be as long as possible, and 26-32 inches is not that long. The ones I am building are 50", and if I had the choice, I would make them longer but they would not fit in the lazarette. Another benefit of the wood fenders is that they have weight, and would be less likely, in my opinion, to be walked up on to the deck as the boat rolled.

Also in the West catalog (Page 622) is a 37" non-inflatable flat fender for $75.

[Theis]

In the whatever it is worth column: The fender board guards at the end of the fender board are $22.00, not the $31.49 as advertised in the West catalog. The catalog, I found, is mispriced according to a West retail store.