A novel way to overcome the problem of lying alongside pilings
Issue 43 : Jul/Aug 2005
Fendering a boat in a berth next to pilings — such as alongside a bulkhead — is always a problem. If the fender is hung from the side of the boat and the mooring lines are given enough slack to allow for tides, it’s almost impossible to keep the fender centered on the piling.
We have adopted a technique that I believe is original. Using the type of fenders with a hole all the way through them, we string four fenders together, two for each side of the piling. Where there is little or no tide, one on each side can be used. (For locations with really large tidal changes, this idea may not be practical.) The tops, centers, and bottoms of the fenders are tied together with short lines that allow the fenders to rest on each side of the piling but still project out far enough to provide good cushioning. The double fenders are supported from the back of the piling. We have a snap hook on this support line that allows us to raise or lower the fenders if the tide is unusually high or low.
Since the fenders are on the pilings and not on the boat, any movement of the boat, fore or aft, is irrelevant. This system also provides a more spread-out cushioning — two soft fenders for each piling. And when we leave the dock we don’t have to worry about stowing the fenders on board.
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