Rope Fenders

[carloscabanas]

Anyone know how to tie rope fenders?? I searched the net and didn't find much.

Carlos

[Captain Blight]

Yeah, I do it all the time at work! It's pretty easy.


Take a length of rope about a million times the length of the fender you want to make (actually, about 20 times longer? I've never actually measured it. Call it 20 times longer.) Middle it, and lash the two parts of the rope together with twine (Or electrical tape like the pros use), with one lashing 3-4" down from the middle of the line to form an eye, one a few inches below that, and another down at the length you want the fender to be. Ya folla?

Now, unlay each part of the line a little bit, seize the ends with electrical tape so each strand is a little pointy, and then continue to unlay all the way down to the lashing.

Turn it all upside down and hang it at a convenient height with a length of twine. Take a deep breath, and begin.

What you'll be doing is forming a series of crown knots, just as you would when beginning a backsplice, only here nothing gets tucked (yet). It's a little easier, if you'r right-handed, if you work right to left as thus: Form a bight with a strand. Pass the strand to its left through that bight. Pass the strand to its left through that bight, and so on until all (I assume) 6 strands have been bighted and passed; haul them all tight, and repeat the process directly below the first row.

Every so often, thump on the thing heartily with a fid or a baseball bat while hauling the strands tighter.


When you think you're done, you're not quite done. You should at this point have a fairly smooth cylinder with a nice neat series of hitches and a bunch of strands hangin' out the bottom like dreadlocks or an octopus or somethin'.


Turn the fender over, hang it from its eye, and pick up a fid. You need an old-style, tapered round hardwood fid for this, the new metal hollow ones don't work worth a sh!t for anything anyway. Anywhoozle, use the fid to open a bight in the second row down from the eye; and pass the loose strand directly above it, through this bight. Haul tight, and repeat all the way around. Skip a row, and repeat. If you start running out of strand, so much the better; it means you're getting done. If you make it all the way down to the bottom of the fender, well, so much the better. If not, don't worry about it. Trim any loose strands flush.

These fenders are just a useful thing to make out of "scraps of string to short to save," as it were. They're disposable if sort of ornamental, and are mostly a way for guys like me to pass the time.

If you're using hemp and anticipate their being subjected to heavy friction, dunk them in water first, otherwise they'll burst into flame--which is entertaining but alarming!

[The Bigfella]

Hey Captain - how about some photos of the process next time you do one?

Incidentally, I googled making rope fenders and got over 1.5 million hits.

Here's one with a DIY book

http://www.getknotted.co.uk/rope-products.html

and a youtube video

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=EwiK2bX0H4M

[boylesboats]

Damn, it like getting tangled in shoelaces :D
I would not mind to try my hands at it....

[boylesboats]

Okay I did some digging, here's another link..
http://www.the-iron-dutchess.com/ropefenders/

[BETTY-B]

Cool. How about making a purse fender(thats what it was called anyway)?

I'd like to make a set of these. This one was an actual fender off BETTY-B that I was not allowed to keep unfortunatly.:(

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/PT/2008BoatShow/P1010899.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/PT/2008BoatShow/P1010903.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/PT/2008BoatShow/P1010898.jpg

[boylesboats]

could ya imagine what it would be like gettin' whopped on the head with those.... Damn.... that gonna smart

[Old Sailor]

Maybe making some miniature fenders would get you started.
Old Sailor
http://www.modelshipwrights.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=1091

[TimT]

I plan to make a couple of small fenders this winter after i make oars. I did a search a few weeks ago and found the list below. Most seem to like crown knots, Sennits, or a zillion half hitches.

http://www.igkt.net/publications/index.php (http://www.igkt.net/publications/index.php)
http://home.tiscali.nl/knotsandknottying/crownfender.htm (http://home.tiscali.nl/knotsandknottying/crownfender.htm)
http://home.tiscali.nl/knotsandknottying/ropefender.htm (http://home.tiscali.nl/knotsandknottying/ropefender.htm)
http://www.floatingbear.ca/RopeFender.HTM (http://www.floatingbear.ca/RopeFender.HTM)
http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials/02hitch.html (http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials/02hitch.html)
http://www.scouting.org.za/capewest/seascouts/seamanship/SeamanshipF-Boatswain.pdf (http://www.scouting.org.za/capewest/seascouts/seamanship/SeamanshipF-Boatswain.pdf)
http://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=1135.0 (http://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=1135.0)
http://picasaweb.google.com/avdsalm1/RopeFenderTheMakingOf# (http://picasaweb.google.com/avdsalm1/RopeFenderTheMakingOf)
http://nauticalinformation.blogspot.com/2008/01/making-small-boat-fender.html (http://nauticalinformation.blogspot.com/2008/01/making-small-boat-fender.html)

Anyone have a source for brown synthetic twisted rope? White nylon just doesn't seem right for this.

[Doug Hamilton]

Here is a brown,synthetic Manila, twisted rope.. No statement is made as to its being made of three strands.

http://www.tarsmell.com/leoflex-x.html

[Roy Morford]

My fenders are made of Leoflex. Look at the pic under Acorn 15 finished.

[TimT]

Thanks for the supplier suggestion

Roy, your fenders are what got me thinking about this.

[Thorne]

I have a set of rope fenders that I use fairly often -- but be aware that they bring a lot of water on board, and have to be dried out after use. They are also a lot more abrasive than a plastic fender, so use with care if you encounter fancy paintwork or varnish.

Rope fenders may be of more use on larger boats where they don't have to get wet to get used...

http://www.luckhardt.com/elk14.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

I agree with Thorne, but think rope fenders are best used on small boats, where the finishes won't see too much pressure and where they can be viewed as furniture or jewelry. No matter how big your boat is, the finishes will be damaged by the same amount of pressure, and a big boat is going to put more abrasive pressure on wherever the fender lands than a small one.

By the way, Vince or Hugh will probably wade in here at some point and I'm sure they'll be able to give us a complete tutorial. I love the way rope fenders look on certain boats, but can't use them on mine for the reasons stated. I would like to organize a set for the little pulling boat I'm working on, though.