How To Size A Boat Fender To Fit Your Sailboat

Ensuring your boat is protected

at the dock is at the heart of this post. Our video from West Marine centers around the range of how to size your boat fender correctly. There are a few

basic rules that you should follow in order to maintain your boat correctly dockside. There is a range of boat bumpers covered in the video, naturally everyone needs a specific type of

fender to suit there boat. The design features of the different products are clearly demonstrated, so you can be sure to make the correct purchasing decision.

The number one rule that should be adhered to is:

One inch of fender diameter for every five feet of boat length

The second rule to follow is:

Two shock absorbers for every ten feet of boat length

So if you have a thirty feet boat you should have six fenders that are at least five inches in diameter, five fenders to be tied on to the rails and one to be used as roving whilst docking.

Here's Chuck to explain

Two names

that are at the heart of the market are Taylor and Hull Gard, you will see a lot of products made by these brands. Indeed Hull Gard is a Taylor brand.

The materials used in boat fenders are types of vinyl. In general soft vinyl is used to for the protective, cushioning parts and harder vinyl is used for the eyelets. Of course you can match the color of your fenders to suit your hull color and accessorize them with covers if you wish.

Most designs have an inflation valve which allows you to moderate the amount of air inside the chambers. You need the cushioning to be firm to the touch, so that a buffer zone is established.

In the larger designs, the valve has been adapted to fit a Philips bit, which means you can use an air compressor to speed up the filling.

Taylor boat fenders come in many shapes and sizes. West Marine have some innovative docking solutions too!

Features include:

• An eyelet at either end, meaning you can hang the buffer either vertically or horizontally

• Valves to offering adjustable inflation pressures from the boat bumpers

• Ribbing, which provides added protection

• Inflatable fenders, inflatable vinyl for stowage are also available if you need

• Modular foam filled fenders mean you can construct unique fending solutions, for your particular needs

Time to get your docking and tendering solutions!

Find out how to rig sailboats

Go to anchor rope

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