Inflatable Fenders

[Walter Pearson]

Anyone have comments on pros and cons of inflatable fenders? When singlehanding into many marinas it's nice to have a full complement on either side, but storage when underway is always an issue (E27). Do these inflatable ones offer the best of both worlds? Or are they another product that looks good in catalogs only?

 

[Blue Chip]

Full of air

O.K., I'm not too proud. I'll ask. What kind of fenders do you now use? I can't say I have ever seen any other type around that is NOT inflatable. By that I mean full of air...some permanently, or others like TAYLOR which have a basketball like hole in the side used to pump them up. If that is what you are looking for, I must say that WITHOUT air in them they are still just as big, only not very hard. Wouldn't help your storage problem much.
Am I missing something here.
Mark May:nerd:

 

[Guy Stevens]

Like a dingy tube

There are fenders out there that are Like a dingy tube. They are extreamely expensive and made of PVC, which I would be wary of in the sun UV issues with PVC and all. Have never met anyone that has forked over for them, was hoping that someone here had and would respond to bluechips message.

Guy

 

[stbdtack]

The ones I use are actually Hypalon. They are expensive and since I think of fenders as a consumable, I would keep the inflatables around for when you need extras. I have 2 stored away for those reasons. There is a new brand that is polyurethane coated fabric which has even better abrasion resistance than Hypalon.

They are very rugged and can support much more weight than one would think. Hypalon is very UV resistant. The polyurethane ones can be RF welded (machine made) instead of hand-glued so the price is better.

There are a few new brands on the market now so the prices have come down a bit. Best place to buy is at a boat show where you can "make a deal".

Biggest benefit of these is their strength and the ease of storage.

I still use traditional PVC fenders for everyday docking.
BTW: always buy Taylor fenders, they are gauranteed for life. West Marine will take them back and give you new ones when they fail or wear out(or even get sticky from sun damage).

 

[Loren Beach]

Mark, there has been a guy hawking inflatable fenders for at least the last two or three shows at "Strictly Sail" in Oakland. We will be looking for him when we attend next month, BTW.

They are built like a section of a inflatable dinghy, and can be stored flat/rolled up when not needed. The price seemed high to me, but the allure was undeniable, i.e. having a really "proper size" fender that could be stored away easily.
We have a couple of large round and usually 4 or 5 of the 28" tubular vinyl type filling up the lazarette. Sometimes we need 'em all... and the rest of the time they take up a lot of bulk space that I wish I could allot to storage.
For sailing in protected waters, I cove hitch most of 'em to the stern rails, like a powerboater (!). Offshore we keep the deck as clear as possible.
As a wise Ericson owner once told me: "Everything's a compromise."

Loren

 

[Blue Chip]

Thanks Loren...I lnew iIwas missing something. I have not seen those you mentioned...guess I better head for the boat show. I only go about every three years so I guess I'm due. It's almost across from Grand Marina...so maybe I'll wander over. Thanks

 

[Walter Pearson]

Thanks for the input. Should have been more clear on the 'inflatable' feature, but not sure what else to call them. It appears that quality and function are not issues - just whether to spend the money to get some storage volume for other things. Some tradeoffs cost more than others.