Looking for Boat Fenders?
This page lists fenders for sale that you can buy from Nautical marketplace topRik.com. Low prices, fast delivery and long warranty.
Our catalog contains fenders of various shapes (round, cylindrical, ring-shaped, with holes) and purposes (for bow, stern, stairs, dock). The rubber fenders are easy to inflate and look great on luxury yachts and cruising boats. Or maybe you need a fender filled with foam?
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What Is “Fender” on a Yacht / Boat
Fenders are a common name for several types of protective devices that protect the hull of a yacht or boat from damage at the time of mooring, joint mooring alongside other vessels, during anchorage at the docks and similar situations.
They are placed as a shock-absorbing buffer between the hull of the vessel and other hard surfaces: metal, concrete, hardwood. The fenders dampen impact energy from a collision and protect the coating from friction, scratches and chips.
If you are already a yacht owner, then most likely you are already familiar with what fenders are, but if you are just planning to buy a boat, we will be happy to help you figure this out.
In non-equipped docks, in bays with strong tidal waves or frequent sea waves, there is a high probability of damage to the side coating against the walls of the pier or quay. Mooring without fenders is a difficult and risky task, both for your boat and for those around you.
Therefore, since time immemorial, sailors have used various protective devices both on the vessel itself and on the piers. Once upon a time, these were wicker baskets with rags or seaweed and logs wrapped with ropes. But the progress has given us a number of materials like rubber, PVC or polystyrene that have replaced the old school equipment.
Kinds and Types of Fenders
There are different types of fenders for different purposes. They differ in dimensions, cost, design, fastening methods and the material from which they are made.
Fender Types
Inflatable
Inflatable fenders for sale are usually made of PVC or rubber. Can be used as pontoon floating pads between two boats during rafting-up. When folded, they take up very little space. They tolerate the sun, contact with petroleum products, temperature changes.
Vinyl
PVC inflatable fenders are the most popular and in demand among yachtsmen, private shipowners and sportsmen. They are made from polyvinyl chloride of different strengths, which gives manufacturers great opportunities to combine types of PVC and, for example, make the edges and fasteners rigid and durable, and the main part of the body elastic and shock-absorbing. Durable and wear-resistant, suitable for long hikes, difficult conditions and intense loads.
Styrofoam
It is most actively used in the form of flat slabs-sandwiches where it acts as a "stuffing". These fenders are versatile and lightweight, often used on catamarans with a flat transom. They allow you to combine them together - you can make a real full shell to protect the boat. More short-lived than the previous ones and tolerate UV exposure worse. But there are also polyurethane foam plates sheathed with PVC fabric - these are more durable and will last longer.
By Shape
Fenders also differ in shape and purpose. Side fenders can be of the following shape:
- Round, spherical fenders. It is recommended to have at least one such product on a medium sized boat. Their popularity is due to the large diameter, which means greater reliability and protection against damage. Many people prefer to play it safe and take fenders with a margin. Often they are placed along the side in the bow or stern, but such fenders are multi-purpose and have several uses.
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Elongated, cylindrical shape. They often have two mounting rings for vertical or horizontal installation. But there are also products with a through hole with the cable passed through the whole fender’s body.
Their elongated shape helps to cover most of the freeboard and thus secure the ship when it sails along with the tides at fixed piers. The greater length will protect when mooring next to a larger vessel or vice versa of a smaller one. Very widespread and well-deservedly popular.
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Plates, flat fenders of various parameters from very small gaskets to very large plates. Very helpful when mooring to corners and uneven objects.
Versatile, used in calm conditions and in equipped floating docks, can be used even on large yachts. You can combine several of these plates together. Sometimes used as seats in ship's boats. Bending plates and additionally reinforced plates are available.
- Fenders with steps. You also come across very unusual types of dampers in the form of steps or even a ladder. But when you stand side-to by the pontoon and, in addition, the yacht has a high side, then such a contraption comes in handy. At the same time, they perform all the protective functions of a fender and can also be mounted on a flat stern, at an angle.
As for the bow and corner fenders:
- There are several types of fenders to protect the stem. There are options available in the shape of a three-dimensional boomerang, used on older types of boats and it is usually attached to the very top. In this case, you need to know exactly where the point of impact will be, so you should either use it for well-known mooring places, or mount several pieces at once.
- V-shaped corner for almost the entire length of the stem. Usually used on boats with narrow bows or with a moderate bend, fastened to the cleats with cables. Most often inflatable, are made of impact-resistant durable PVC - especially worth paying attention to if you plan to use your yacht as a tugboat.
- Multi-purpose multifenders - this is a plate made up of flexible segmented parts, which allows it to bend to the required angle for the bow of a particular vessel.
And as for the stern fenders:
On many modern sailing yachts, a transom is at the stern or a bathing platform is installed there. In the case of mooring in the Mediterranean, the skippers use oblong thick corner-shaped fenders. Unlike the bow ones, they are located horizontally, are more voluminous and have additional stiffening ribs. Pear-shaped fenders or multipurpose fenders work well too.
By Place of the Attachment
The attachment point is largely dictated by the shape of the fender, the varieties of which are described above. Fenders for sale can be successfully attached to:
- sides of the boat;
- bow of a boat;
- stern;
- boat stairs;
- pier;
- mooring piles;
- dead weight anchors.
It is worth mentioning that it is inflatable fenders that exist as a kind of protection for any part of the vessel - they can be attached anywhere and you can even replace and switch them during maneuvers. They are actively used and loved because they weigh very little, are easily transported by land and can be quickly moved by the crew aboard the ship. When deflated, they are compact and can be stored anywhere. They are filled with air using an electric, automobile, boat pump or compressor.
In the latter case, it is worth making sure not to overpump the fender - when pressed, it should bend by 2-3 cm in order to better perform its shock-absorbing functions. Most inflatable fenders for sale are rated for 0.15-0.2 bar of pressure at 20ºC.
If the devices are permanently stored in a ready-to-use state, then it does not hurt to check the pressure 1-2 times a year, as well as when moving from a cold climate to a warm one and vice versa. Colored bumpers, especially black ones, heat up more actively in the sun and the pressure in them is stronger.
How to Properly Attach a Fender
Of course, a lot depends on individual conditions, cruising range, comfort of the berths, weather conditions and rough seas. There are no special provisions of the maritime rules governing fenders, but we have selected a number of general recommendations based on the experience of seasoned yachtsmen and boat owners.
Attachment Height
The parameters of the products are usually selected in such a way that the length of the fender, if necessary, could cover up to two-thirds of the freeboard of the ship. They are placed in such a way that the lower end touches the water, but does not float.
In the case of spherical fenders, their size can be even smaller, since the large diameter of such devices helps - for them the overlap of half the freeboard is usually enough. This largely applies to stationary berths with active tides, where elongated devices are needed.
When mooring at equipped floating piers on a 12 meter yacht, fenders 50-60 cm long are often enough. In this case they are usually attached above the waterline, just to support the buffer zone.
Near other smaller boats, two sets of fenders can be hung - one above and one below the waterline.
Distance Between Fenders
Depending on the experience of the team, fenders are installed every two or three meters of the hull length. As mooring process becomes more common for the crew, shock absorbers are needed less, but it is never a good idea to moor without them completely. A minimum of three side dampeners are required per side. A good amount for a medium sized yacht is 8 pieces. Bow fenders can stay permanently attached.
Non-standard Methods of Tying Fenders
First, let's remember about the most common way to tie fenders – using a figure-eight knot. It holds well and is easy to tie, hence its popularity.
Clove hitch is a more unusual method though and it involves a little bit more effort. Thread a rope around the body of the fender and make a loop. Then you pass the end through the loop and pull. Then start making another loop with the cable and pass it right over the top of the previous loop. After this, all you need to do is to thread the end through the second loop and pull it. Clove hitch is extremely secure and will not come undone even during storm.
There's also a bowline knot – take the rope and thread it through the fender's eye. Make a loop with the rope and then pass it over the top part of the fender. Then you need to thread the end through the second loop. Make sure to pull it tightly against the first loop – this way, the secure bowline knot is ready.
It's really up to you how which methods to use, but make sure you experiment with knots first before you go on a serious voyage.
How to Tie a Rope
Fenders are hung out with ropes and less often with chains. You can either choose very secure methods described above or go the convenient route with quickly untied knots. Quickly untied version of the knot allows you to quickly move the fenders to the other side if needed - just pull the running end and the fender is in your hands. It allows you to easily adjust the height, and if you tighten the locking knot nearby, you don’t have to worry that the fender will slip.
On the ship, the end is attached to a reliable low-lying structure: fencing posts, mooring cleats, and if the fender is light - to the rails. Many boat owner install staples to attach the ropes or use special clips.
Our article How to Tie a Fender.
Boat fenders in other European languages
Country | Translation |
| Germany | Fender fürs Boot Bootsfender |
| France | de Pare-Battages pour Bateau |
| Spain | Guardabarros de Barcos Parachoques de Barcos |
| Croatia | Brodski Bokobrani |
| Montenegro | Бокобрани Чамаца |
| Turkey | Tekne çamurlukları |
| Italy | Parabordi per Barche |
| Russia | Кранцы для лодки |