Using Fenders the Smart Way

If you want to protect your yacht's gel coat from damage, it's important to place fenders correctly when you come alongside a wharf or another boat.

Sometimes permanent fenders are already on the pontoon (like the Eastern side of the T-arm at Bayview Anchorage Marina).

This makes life really easy for you as you don't need to use your boat's own fenders.

If there's no protection on the pontoon...

... you'll need to use 3 or 4 fenders depending on the size of your yacht.

Many people make the mistake of evenly spacing the fenders out along the hull...

... but what you actually want to do is position them to protect the widest part of your yacht.

When using fenders, tie them to the guard rail using a clove hitch.

Generally if the bottom of the fender is just above the water line you'll be right for most floating pontoons.

When two monohull yachts of similar size sit side by side the gunwales will touch first if the boats come together.

So this means if one side of your yacht is next to another yacht you'll need to position your fenders high up on the gunwale.

When our syndicate yachts are in their marina berths we tie the fenders so they are half way down the rail.

For catmarans the boats will touch each other further down near the middle of each hull so position your fenders lower.

If there are fenders on both boats like in these photos there is a chance the fenders can get wrapped round each other as you leave the marina berth.

So before you leave the berth bring your own fenders in so there's no risk of a tangle.

Tying a Clove Hitch

As well as being a great knot when you're using fenders, you can also use a clove hitch secure a line around a rail, post, or other cylindrical structure.

Take a look at the video at the bottom of this page if you're not sure how to tie one.

A clove hitch is secure under tension and easy to undo.

It's important you think of it as a temporary knot.

For a secure, more permanent knot, you need to use a bowline.

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