Guide to Tying a Fender to Your Boat

Boat fenders are basic pieces of gear that every mariner should have onboard. While you might not use them daily, they’re some of the great multitaskers in the marine world.

No one wants to realize they don’t have enough fenders as they pull up to an unfamiliar dock or raft up to a friend’s shiny new yacht. And, if the engine fails and sets you adrift through the marina, a well-placed fender is your primary tool to keep you off docks, pilings, and other boats. Using anything else could result in breaking something—like your arm.

Let’s dive in and look at how to use boat fenders, which ones are right for your vessel, and some of the pitfalls of failing fenders.

Step-by-Step Process to Secure a Fender

Placing fenders is a little like docking or anchoring a boat—there are some common basics to understand, but beyond that, you need to be flexible with your plans. Precisely how and where you attach a fender will depend on the shape of your boat, the type of dock you’re tying up to, and what sort of conditions you’re expecting.

Step 1: Position the Fenders

The first thing to consider is where to put your fenders. Their purpose is to protect your boat from an object, whether a dock, piling, or another.

Generally, you need the most fenders at the widest parts of your boat. This will likely be from midships and aft for powerboats, catamarans, and newer sailboats. On older monohulls with narrow transoms, they may be more useful amidships.

If your boat has hull windows, you will want to place the fenders on either side of the window. Placing them so they press on the window can damage it, causing scratches and weakening the adhesive that holds it in.

Height is an important consideration. If you’re coming up on a floating dock (pontoon), you may have to tie your fenders so they hang close to the water.

If you are fending off pilings and fixed piers, getting the fender to stay where you need it is much harder. Tying your fender from both ends and mounting it horizontally might help for pilings. Generally, boats tied between pilings rely on spring lines to keep them from grinding.

Step 2: Securing the Fender

How you tie the fender to the boat will depend on where you put it. A solid rail, a wire rope lifeline, a cleat, a deck eye fitting, a vertical shroud or stanchion, a toe rail, or any number of other attachment points will work. Every boat is different, and you may need the fender in different places on different days.

When choosing where to place the fender, consider carefully how secure your attachment point is. For example, bimini shade frames may look convenient but are seldom very strong. Likewise, sailboats with Dyneema rope lifelines will not want to hang fenders on them for the risk of chafing the lifelines.

Some yachts have a dedicated T-track with moveable eyes that allow you to position your fenders where you need them easily. Others, like Cobalt Boats, have built-in fender attachments. However, the disadvantage of this system is that you can’t easily put the fenders anywhere else for different docking scenarios.

Step 3: Final Adjustments

Adjustments are always necessary regardless of how careful you are when tying the knots and planning your fender placement. Sometimes, your original plan just doesn’t work, and other times, the wind shifts or you adjust a dock line, which means you need to readjust the fender. The point is simple: a good skipper pays attention and will proactively make adjustments to keep their vessel safe.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Tying a Fender

Setting up the fenders for your boat requires some fine-tuning and trial and error.

The biggest mistake to avoid is placing the fender in a spot where it might move out of position. For example, if tied up where the boat may move forward or aft with the tide, keeping the fender placed right along a piling is difficult. On floating docks, if the fender is too high a passing boat’s wake can bounce it up and onto the dock.

One option, if possible, is to put the fender on the dock instead of on the boat. That way, it will stay in one place where it is most needed.

When coming up on rough pilings or exposed cement seawalls, such as when transiting locks, consider constructing a simple fender board. This is a long board (a six-foot-long one-by-six, for example) hung outside two vertically mounted fenders. The board provides a bigger area to keep you off the dock, and the fenders safely keep your boat away from jagged, nasty seawalls.

Another mistake to avoid is using fenders or lines that are too small. Generally, the fender’s size is proportionate to your boat’s size. Consult the fender maker’s sizing charts to see what size matches your vessel and what size line to use.

What You Need to Tie a Fender

Generally, all you need is a fender and a short line to tie it on. Regular three-strand or double-braided nylon line works best.

Here are five possible ways to secure a fender to your boat or a dock.

Clove Hitch

The clove hitch will secure a line around a rail or lifeline. It’s also used to secure a dock line to a piling. Consider adding one or two half hitches to secure the line from coming undone.

Cleat Hitch

A cleat hitch is used when tying the fender to a deck or dock cleat.

Two Turns, Two Half-Hitches

Two turns and two half-hitches is a very secure way to attach a fender on a rail, stanchion, or lifeline.

Bowline

The bowline attaches a line through an eye. For example, you may use it to put ropes on the fender or secure a fender on a pole or rail. The bowline forms an open eye, so it can move if on a rail or pole.

Fender Clips

Fender clips may also make the job a little easier. These small clips can be used over rails and lifelines in lieu of tying a knot. Some of them have built-in adjusters that allow you to change the height at which the fender hangs easily. While they may be handy in some cases, they are generally less sturdy than simply tying the proper knot.

Amazon links:

Simple fender clips 

Fender adjuster

Pontoon boat rail fender clips

Choosing the Right Fender for Your Boat

There are three basic shapes of fenders: cylindrical, round, and special shapes.

Cylindrical fenders are attached at each end and are the most useful for most boaters. They may have eyes for the line, or you pass a line through the center of the fender. Both types can be hung vertically or horizontally.

Round fenders are good multitaskers; their limitation is that they are only secured from one end. They make excellent roving fenders that can be grabbed quickly and moved to fend off docks, pilings, or other boats. They also make good buoys for anchor trip lines or swim safety lines. But, when used on a dock, they tend to pop out of position more readily than cylindrical fenders.

Specialty fenders come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Some are flat to protect the side of the boat, while others are shaped for swim platforms or dock edges.

Don’t forget to consider how many fenders you may need. There’s no right or wrong answer, but boats that do not have a robust, built-in rub rail will need to carry more fenders. Four cylindrical fenders, plus a round roving fender, is a good starting point for most boats since this provides two for each side or up to five if you’re side-tied.

Ready to Fend Off, Skipper?

Every boat should have a good set of fenders onboard. If you tie up at different docks, you might use them every day. Some boaters carry a set on board just for the occasional fuel docks and dock-and-dines and then have some more hung on their home dock. However you use them, fenders are one of the handiest tools you have to keep your boat looking good after any type of docking adventure.