19' Yamahas - Best Fender Setup for Avoiding Dock Rash

[YamaHog]

So I tackled my first solo launch last Sunday and unfortunately did not come away unscathed. I successfully launched by myself, secured the boat to the dock using the front and rear cleats on the port side, parked the trailer and then took off for about an hour of cruising around the lake. Everything went smoothly until it came time to return to the dock to pull the boat out.

When I was coming back in the wind had picked up and I had about 2 foot or so waves crashing into me directly from behind. I approached the dock pretty well (port side), but the crashing waves started to turn the boat in towards the dock a bit and of course there was some guy and his son there that wanted to "help" me. I appreciated the gesture, but I think he actually pulled my bow in closer to the dock with my bow rope and I picked up some nasty dock rash. I did have a Hull Hugger fender down on the port side on the mid-ship cleat and it did it's job. The front cleats on the 190 series boats don't seem to be in a helpful location at all. I've dropped a Hull Hugger there in the past but it doesn't really seem to help out much when pulling in parallel to the dock. The damage isn't too bad and I'm going to get the gelcoat repaired professionally this time (quoted about $350). I'm chalking it up to a learning experience and I've learned a few things:

1.) I need to come up with a better fender setup/plan for docking.
2.) Somehow convey to others at the dock that I'd prefer to not have any assistance (without sounding like a jerk)

I was able to tie the boat off to the dock (same way I did at launch with Hull Hugger fender down) and get the trailer backed down the ramp. The guy insisted on helping me get hooked up on the trailer winch which I really wanted to do myself as practice (double-checked the winch and chain were on good before pulling boat out).

All-in all I think I did pretty good minus the dock rash/damage.

What size fenders and setup do you guys with 190 series boats like to use for parallel to dock docking? The damage I took was below the rub-rail on the bow. I'm thinking of getting some cylindrical fenders and suspending one horizontal against the bow between the front & Mid-ship cleats, and then another the same way between the midship and rear cleats. I could also hang one off the wake tower near midship. (and I still have two hull huggers at my disposal). I'm looking to get some good protection in place so I don't get these scratches/gouges again in the future. Suggestions are appreciated! I'm not letting this take the fun out of things though! I'm ready to get back on the lake!

For those without a weak stomach, here's a pic of the damage........ (the guy I bought my registration numbers from was super-cool and is sending me a replacement "D" free of charge! Registration numbers had only been on the boat about 4 hrs before this happened! )

 

[NSpradley]

PRE ORDER - BABz Fender Version 3 - Black (x 1) is what I found to be the best solution. They are huge, but can be deflated to store on the boat when they arent in use. the little 12v air pump that I have for towables will inflate it fairly quickly.

 

[anmut]

These things are big, but I only need two of them for our 21' boat:

Amazon.com : Goplus 4-Pack Ribbed Marine Boat Fender Tector Durable Vinyl Bumper Dock Shield Protection Bigger Size : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Goplus 4-Pack Ribbed Marine Boat Fender Tector Durable Vinyl Bumper Dock Shield Protection Bigger Size : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

For tying up, I put one on the middle cleat, and hang one from the tower. If it's windy, one from the tower and one on front cleat. Creates lots of space between the boat and whatever you might be tied to.

 

[Shans]

SENTRY :: Boat Fenders

MISSION SENTRY Boat Fenders are an innovative boat bumper that quickly attaches to boat cleats and docks. Unlike traditional boat fenders, they offer protection both above and below the rub rail.

www.missionboatgear.com

 

[McMark]

When someone asks to help I usually ask them to hold the boat off the dock at the tower.

 

[Yamahaul]

SENTRY :: Boat Fenders

MISSION SENTRY Boat Fenders are an innovative boat bumper that quickly attaches to boat cleats and docks. Unlike traditional boat fenders, they offer protection both above and below the rub rail.

www.missionboatgear.com

just got me 2. thanks for the heads up

 

[Babin Farms]

Each dock is different. Dock heights, wind, current all play a factor when figuring out where to place a fender. I rarely put one on the bow cleat. Usually I put one midship and then I'll hang one from the rear grab handle due to the rear cleat being too low most times. With the curves of our boat it does help to have at least one 8" or larger fender to place where needed. It's a trial & error thing unfortunately. If I get a chance to leave the boat in the slip over the weekend I snap some pics of my slip setup for ya.

 

[YamaHog]

Thanks for the replies! I'd looked at Mission Fenders but wasn't sure if they were worth the cost/benefit for the 19" boats. The BABz Balls do look like that they probably offer the best protection, but you must be concerned with inflating & deflating (not a huge deal). For the lakes I am on, I"m typically dealing with docks that are close to water level pretty consistently. The dock I was at actually had a rubber bumper on it, but apparently the bow found and area missing rubber or a support sticking out. Also based on the way the waves were coming in I probably would have been better off coming in to dock starboard side since the waves would have taken me more away from the dock. For some reason I've been more comfortable coming it port side (maybe easier to see from the helm?).

 

[props2you]

Honestly, any fender will work if positioned correctly in accordance to the dock. A common mistake is tying the lines as tight as possible to the dock, leaving slack allows the boat some perpetuating freedom and bounce off the fenders and not constantly rubbing on the dock. Also, if you have the ability to play the wind pushing the boat away from the dock, even if that means backing it in, that will be worth your effort. The slack will also allow your fenders some freedom to stay vertical and not get hung up on the dock while rocking in large waves. Many times with tight lines the fenders will rock out and pop up from between the dock and boat and you'll come back to your fender sitting on the dock doing nothing while you're getting dock rash.

Use the tower as a midship anchor point along with the hand rails on the bow, position the bumpers appropriately to your dock and leave some slack. It would be handy to know a few knots so you can tie to the tower and bow rails and adjust quickly, and to not be reliant on the poorly placed cleats. I've found the cleat positioning on these boats are not exactly stellar. I primarily use the midship cleat, tower and bow rail depending on the dock situation with 6.5" x 24" fenders, the bow and stern cleats are useless for fender placement docking!

They also make plastic clips for the windshield, that slide up and down to position you can use to hold bumpers as well.

I have found the hull huggers typically work in a ship-to-ship situation to protect towers, higher, out of water parts when rocking.

 

[YamaHog]

Honestly, any fender will work if positioned correctly in accordance to the dock. A common mistake is tying the lines as tight as possible to the dock, leaving slack allows the boat some perpetuating freedom and bounce off the fenders and not constantly rubbing on the dock. Also, if you have the ability to play the wind pushing the boat away from the dock, even if that means backing it in, that will be worth your effort. The slack will also allow your fenders some freedom to stay vertical and not get hung up on the dock while rocking in large waves. Many times with tight lines the fenders will rock out and pop up from between the dock and boat and you'll come back to your fender sitting on the dock doing nothing while you're getting dock rash.

Use the tower as a midship anchor point along with the hand rails on the bow, position the bumpers appropriately to your dock and leave some slack. It would be handy to know a few knots so you can tie to the tower and bow rails and adjust quickly, and to not be reliant on the poorly placed cleats. I've found the cleat positioning on these boats are not exactly stellar. I primarily use the midship cleat, tower and bow rail depending on the dock situation with 6.5" x 24" fenders, the bow and stern cleats are useless for fender placement docking!

They also make plastic clips for the windshield, that slide up and down to position you can use to hold bumpers as well.

I have found the hull huggers typically work in a ship-to-ship situation to protect towers, higher, out of water parts when rocking.

That's a good point you make too in regards to dock lines. I probably need to leave more slack in them than what I did. I was more concerned with ensuring the boat stayed tied off securely while I went to get the trailer. I'll be much better prepared for my next trip. Appreciate the suggestions!

 

[steve0617]

I have the Sentry fenders for my AR195. They work perfectly for me.

 

[YamaHog]

I have the Sentry fenders for my AR195. They work perfectly for me.

What points do you typically hang them from?

 

[steve0617]

What points do you typically hang them from?

All three cleats. Don’t want to risk anything bumping if I skipped one.

 

[Crob83]

PRE ORDER - BABz Fender Version 3 - Black (x 1) is what I found to be the best solution. They are huge, but can be deflated to store on the boat when they arent in use. the little 12v air pump that I have for towables will inflate it fairly quickly.

Yep I sure use Babz and they are incredible and take up no space when deflated. Will fit in ski locker just a little bit deflated. Pull em out 10 seconds of blowing and u are ready to roll

 

[Crob83]

Thanks for the replies! I'd looked at Mission Fenders but wasn't sure if they were worth the cost/benefit for the 19" boats. The BABz Balls do look like that they probably offer the best protection, but you must be concerned with inflating & deflating (not a huge deal). For the lakes I am on, I"m typically dealing with docks that are close to water level pretty consistently. The dock I was at actually had a rubber bumper on it, but apparently the bow found and area missing rubber or a support sticking out. Also based on the way the waves were coming in I probably would have been better off coming in to dock starboard side since the waves would have taken me more away from the dock. For some reason I've been more comfortable coming it port side (maybe easier to see from the helm?).

Honestly I can blow up a babz from all the way flat to ready to use in under 2 minutes. They are the shiznit

 

[Evil Sports]

What is the preferred method of hanging them.

 

[Crob83]

What is the preferred method of hanging them.

You can hang them right from the cleat with the handle. But I use a bungee dock lines and put one on the tower and one on the back. It's really trial and error where you feel comfortable/what kind of situation you have going on. They are worth every penny of $40 a piece for what they do. I had 4 but sold 2 of them, wish I wouldn't have because they are incredible. Everybody always asks what they are and where I got them (got talked into selling 2 to a random stranger on the lake ...lol)

 

[YamaHog]

After watching the how to use video on Mission's website, I ended up ordering a couple of Sentry fenders for convenience since they are easy to stow. Placement and tightness of dock lines combined with the wind/waves was likely my biggest issue. Those Babz Balls do have me intrigued now though. I can see them being helpful in a variety of conditions. I may eventually end up with some of those too! The Sentry's look to be quick and convenient for most common day use (i.e. launching boat & parking trailer). But in rougher water conditions, although a bit more effort to deploy the Babz seem like they'd offer the best protection due to their size. Thanks for everybody's replies and suggestions. Hopefully I now have the tools and additional knowledge to avoid accidents such as these in the future.

 

[Evil Sports]

I put a note in my calendar to check the Mission site in late October since they are out of stock. Check that

 

[toddaltpeter]

My dealer set me up with hull hugr's and i initially hated them. I couldn't find a good place to attach them on the boat. They were too low when attached to the cleats and there was not a good place to tie them on to........



Then I ordered these from Amazon (Amazon.com: Airhead SUP Suction Cup Tie Downs, 2 pk.: Sports & Outdoors)


Night and day difference. I can attach them to the windows or the hull and they are now in the perfect place anytime. They also only take about 15 seconds to deploy all 4 of them. Don't know if I'd trust them overnight at a wet slip, but for a quick tie up for dinner or at the launch, they work great!