BOAT FENDERS
Boat Fenders or Boat Bumpers are used to absorb the kinetic energy of a berthing boat or vessel against a jetty, quay wall or other vessel. The fenders are designed to protect your boat from damage when moored. They should be attached to something solid on your boat. Many professionals recommend that the fenders should be inflated to the correct pressure to be effective. At 20¡C/68¡F pressure should be 0.15bar/2psi. Pressure should be reduced by 0.05bar in hot weather Boat fenders come in a variety of colors, styles, designs and hanging options. However, always keep in mind that the most important reason to have a fender is to fend your boat off of an object. Boat fenders should maintain the distance from the dock and cushion the boat from any chance of making unintentional contact. Boat fenders of a boat are constructed in many ways. They are made of rubber, foam elastomer or plastic. To choose boat fenders that best suit your needs boat owners should consider the dimensions and displacement of the boat, maximum allowable stand-off, berthing structure, tidal variations and other berth specific conditions. If you have a powerboat or a sailboat it is a good idea to have a bumper system to keep the boatÕs bow from hitting the front of the dock. This way, docking the boat will be easier and damage to the hull will be prevented. Boat fenders are part of a protection system that can prevent gel coat damage caused by a collision with a dock. Tie your fenders to something solid like a cleat or station because a lot of pressure might be applied to the fender line as the boat pinches the fender against the dock. Keep the mounting location of Boat fenders as low as possible on the boat to prevent the fenders from swinging up out of the way. Boat fenders should be hung just off the water and low enough so that it canÕt be squeezed out from between the boat and the dock. Many professionals recommend positioning your fenders vertically or horizontally to protect the greatest amount of surface contact. It is important to avoid high point load situations where the fender can be squeezed nearly flat. Boat fenders can also be hung from the dock to help protect your boat. In many boats, fenders are mobile and they are placed between the boat and the dock as the boat approaches the dock. Boat fenders in canal entrances and bases of bridges are usually permanent, in order to avoid damage from boats. To install boat fenders many professionals recommend using a 1/2 inch nylon line. Always consider the size of your boat because in bigger boats you might need up to three boat fenders and about 50? of 1/2 inch nylon line. Rig spring lines back to your dock cleats to absorb the impact of the boat as it goes forward into the slip. There are many kinds of marine fenders, for example: cylindrical fenders, arch fenders, cell fenders, cone fenders, pneumatic fenders, foam elastomer fenders. They are also available in many types, for example D fenders, square fenders, wing fenders, keyhole fenders, tug boat fenders and lightweight foam elastomer fenders.