Just about every boat out on the water has an assortment of fenders aboard. Round ones, tall ones, hung vertically or hung horizontally. In most situations, they do okay. However, some situations call for a little more protection. These cases call for something called a fender board.
Fender boards are quite common on canals. Used in the locks, they prevent damage to a boat’s topsides and to keep the slimy, dirty lock walls away. They are much more versatile than that one application, though.
First, what is a fender board? In most cases, it is a plank suspended from the side of a boat. It has some sort of standoff to keep the plank away from the topsides. The actual configurations are many and varied. We’ll go into some of the most common ones and how they are used.
Designs
As mentioned above, a fender board is usually some sort of plank suspended from the side of a boat. Common framing lumber is most often used, in sizes ranging from 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 and up depending on the size of the boat. Treated lumber could also be used, but really isn’t necessary. Besides, constantly handling treated lumber isn’t very pleasant. May sure there are no knots or defects in the board to weaken it.
A little prep work on the boards themselves will make using them a little safer and make them look a little better. Round over the corners and edges with a sander or router so there are no sharp edges to bite you or dig into the deck.
If you want to get fancy, you can cover the outside face of the board with indoor-outdoor carpeting. Remember, though, that this face may well be in contact with some nasty surfaces such as dock walls, pilings and lock chamber walls. Creosote, tar and slim will be much easier to clean off the bare wood than carpeting.
Another good source of this carpeting is the carpeting sold for attaching to trailer bunks. It comes in long, narrow pieces, typically 11 inches wide by twelve feet long. It is ideal for fender boards as it is at home in wet conditions and resists mold and mildew.
If you do decide to use carpet, roll the carpet over the edge of the board and nail it in place from the top and the bottom. Your friends won’t like you if you raft up against them with nail heads in the surface of your carpeted fender board.
The other critical parts of a fender board are the standoffs, the things that keep the board from banging against your hull. Most often, these are regular cylindrical fenders. The most common arrangement is one at each end of the fender board.
The proper size fender will keep the board from impacting the hull when compressed against another boat, dock or lock wall. Bigger is generally better; you’d be surprised how much a fender compresses under pressure.
One popular fender manufacturer makes a rubber fender mount. It is designed to attach to the end of a standard 2x4. The major problem with this item is that it doesn’t provide nearly as much space between the board and the hull as a typical fender.
Some installations use solid wood standoffs, well padded of course, and fastened to the backside of the board. These make the board more difficult to store, heavier to deploy but does keep the standoffs in their proper place.
If you decide to use standard cylindrical fenders for standoffs, you will need to decide if you will be permanently attaching them to the fender board. If you decide not to attach them to the board, the fenders are slung behind the fender board on their own drop lines. The danger is that the movement of the boat may tend to roll the fender out from behind the board.
The complicated part of using fenders as standoffs is the attachment to the board itself. Simply tying them to the board usually ends up with the line exposed on the face of the board, susceptible to chafe and eventual loss of the board. Metal fasteners should also be avoided as they can potentially work loose and damage your hull.
One method of fastening the fenders to the board is to drill a vertical hole through the board on either side of the fender location. Round the top edges of the holes to prevent chafe. Loop a line through the holes and around the fender, top and bottom, in one continuous loop. Make sure that the knot is on the side of the fender where it can’t rub against the hull. Tie the line in place with the fender deflated and then inflate the fender to lock it in place.
The board will also need mounting holes drilled at each end for deployment. The drop line is threaded through the hole and a figure eight stopper knot is tied. In a belt and suspenders mode, drop lines can be used for both the fenders and the board. This gives security at the cost of having to adjust four lines instead of two.
A fender board hanging from drop lines can move fore and aft, potentially moving away from where it is needed the most. Fore and aft steadying lines will keep the fender board in the exact place you want it to be. Not often necessary, but keep it in your bag of tricks for when it is.
Deployment
Fender boards are deployed horizontally when use against pilings, lock walls, piers and other boats. The height of the fender board can be adjusted via the drop lines. Any one of a hundred styles of fender line devices can be used to hold and adjust the lines; pick your favorite.
In some cases, it makes sense to deploy the fender board vertically. When you are tied up against the edge of a dock, for example. The fender standoffs will still work but the fixed wooden blocks won’t, unless you specifically design the board and standoffs for vertical deployment.
Please note that all the cases discussed are for normal conditions. Storm conditions will require much sturdier fender boards and attaching lines than mentioned here.
If you aren’t happy with the way your current fenders work, think about trying a fender board, it may make your raft mates very happy.
Capt'n Pauley
I have the same problem on my 20' Matilda sloop. The only solution that I have come up with is to use the Taylor Made molded vinyl fender board units. These were designed as flat fenders with recesses for standard 2x lumber. I used shorter, 4' or so 2x4s that were easier to store below.
I haven't been able to find them lately, they may have stopped making them. If I find them, I post it!
Take care!
Capt'n Pauley
Posted by: Capt'n Pauley | May 30, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Fender boards are a great idea. Seems everytime I go out I have to do some hull touch-up from dock abuse. But two issues for small boats (mine is an 18' cabin cruiser).
1. How to easily and quickly rig/derig the boards using one's regular fenders.
2. Stowage of the boards when not deployed.
Ideas?
Posted by: Terry Lesh | May 30, 2009 at 10:43 AM