Fender or barge boards

[Falbala60]

Thank you for the hint.
I was looking this type for a other purpose.

WHERE do you buy those fenders ?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Done the Panama Canal on my boat twice on this cruise

In the Canal you use tires, lots of them. Fender boards would be dangerous as they can get caught in fenders and lines of other vessels.

I was speaking more of the Champlain and Erie or the Okeechobee ditch. Not something you're pulled through. That is apples and oranges.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Falbala60

Thank you for the hint.
I was looking this type for a other purpose.

WHERE do you buy those fenders ?

Easystow Fenders

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Certainly putting a board over the inflatables is better. I just haven't had the requirement very often over years of cruising. I like clear decks as much as possible, so storing a pair of fender boards just adds to clutter.



If I was in an area that needed these often then I'd carry them. For the occasional need the inflatables work well.

I'm lucky enough to have an easy, unobtrusive way to carry the boards. Would be hard to carry them otherwise. I don't need the boards very often, but when I do, they are invaluable.

BTW, I loved these fenders. I have the heavy duty versions, and they are tougher than any I've seen. Best of all, they deflate and can be stowed in a small volume, out of the way.

[HankOnthewater]

Thank you for so many responses.
Like some of you (ie El P.) said, those boards do not get used often, but when you need them….. this is what I did sofar: wait until the wind is offshore/off the jetty, tie on, then scouring the yard, or the shore to find odd pieces of timber and made some myself, tempory. When leaving, left the make-shift boards behind.

Paul L., those larger inflatable fenders look good, maybe good to have as well, thank you for the link. Yes, I like to keep the deck free of clutter as well, so proper storage is important to me, aesthetics is secondary.
Benz, I tend to agree that aluminium maybe not be the best material. Although still wondering, an aluminium (ladder) frame for lightweight, covered with a sheet of PVC, polycarbonate or PE?
Seabau, I like the idea of non-rotting/rusting PVC, but the sheets you mentioned: 1”x4” x 6 ft, would that be very heavy?
Jibstay and Jclark500, like above, I like the 4” PVC pipe idea, but for my boat the tubing likely not strong enough…. Hmmm, and now reading on….. if it good for a 50 ft cat, then it should be good enough for me… and a 47 ft boat in hurricane Irma, certainly must be strong enough for me
Oleman, hmmm the commercial tyre type of fenders covered with canvas, is that instead of a board or as fenders behind the boards?
Taswildlife and Ann, my thoughts are/were along your idea, a simple wide plank/plywood, that occasionally gets prettied after some heavy use, but….. still thinking along the lines of PVC and composite
Emeraldcoastsailor, what kind of composite you use as fender board? Heavier than timber?

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Now that I think about it, I don't think my board is composite; I think it is vinyl which is why it is so light. Makes it easy to dig out of the lazarette. It bends a bit but I use three 6.5" x 22" fenders instead of two if the wind is really blowing. A composite or treated board would be tougher but far heavier. I tried to find on Home Depot or Lowes website (which is where I bet I bought it years ago) but could not find it.

[Maka]

I use ABS pipe. Threaded clean out caps on one end, solid cover glued on the other,. That way they are sealed to protect contents.
They are 12 ' long.
They mostly live lashed to the toe rail on deck. One has 3/4 " pipes in it that make the frame for my shade cover that goes over the Main Boom and also covers my Dodger. From Mail Mast to Mizzen Mast.
The other has fishing poles in it.
They double as fender boards when needed.
Guess I should take pictures of them huh?

[carstenb]

We have a 7 foot long 6 inch wide old heavy pine floorboard. We've used it for years and it lives quite nicely tied on our wire railing upfront.

Someday it will bite the bullet and I'll have to find a new floorboard. I've drilled a hole in each end from top to bottom and have 10mm line going through them - no chafe.

best of all - it was free - found it in a tip outside a building that was being renovated.

look closely and you can see it on the starboard side hanging on the railing

[Seabeau]

HankOnthewater: A 1"X4"X 6Ft. is a board not a "sheet".

[Paul L]

One alternative we've used is to just anchor out and Jerry jug fuel to the boat rather go into a hostile dock.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I was speaking more of the Champlain and Erie or the Okeechobee ditch. Not something you're pulled through. That is apples and oranges.

I'm sure some of those locks require some serious fender boarding. By the way you are not pulled through the Panama Canal on a cruising boat. It is all under your own power.

[Cherod]

Btw , it is along way from the OP to the Panama Cannal , ( approx 10000k ) , a lot of tie up alternatives there .

[akprb]

Originally Posted by Paul L

One alternative we've used is to just anchor out and Jerry jug fuel to the boat rather go into a hostile dock.

Arrggggggg, Man up an drive er in 😉

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by akprb

Arrggggggg, Man up an drive er in 😉

Captain Ron style.

[akprb]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Captain Ron style.

Make dat boat your “bi*ch” ;-)