Question from a newbie about boat fenders (Babz v. Mission Sentry)

[mark_m]

Hello Mark and @Crob83, I’m curious what you think about my situation. I just got a 12 foot wide slip. I need good fenders because my slip is at the beginning of the dock system such that I essentially have to dock and then pull into my slip (nice in a lot of ways, actually). I’m convinced Babz will be great BUT my boat (212s) has an almost 8 1/2 foot beam. This means I’ll only have 21 inches on each side of the boat, and potentially slightly less. I noted the Babz say max inflation is 24 inches and normal 22 inches. Obviously (at least I think) the fenders won’t be placed at the absolute widest point of the boat because they’ll hang down, but I’m wondering if it will be too tight of a fit. I’m also thinking it COULD be perfect. The slip has a lift as well. Any thoughts/insights? Thank you!

The babz float in my slip and I use spring lines to actually keep the boat OFF of the babz when she's tied up. As waves come and push the boat into the babz it gently bumps back outward and the spring lines do their job to pull the boat back off the bumpers. It's hard to explain, but I feel very confident that if you use them with front and rear spring lines you will be fine. Hopefully this pic does a better job at illustrating my setup. Let me know if you have questions.


Thanks
Mark

 

[Ribs77]

Question - I've got 3 of the Babz balls. I'm considering a permanent switch to the end of this dock where there's no protection from wake or wind, and the lake can get pretty rough.

Do you think they will be sufficient to keep my boat safe all summer? My plan is to leave them attached to the dock and take the smaller white fenders with me if I want to dock up somewhere else short term.

The marina is warning me that the Army Corps of Engineers could decide to lower the lake, but I found an article that said that they've already filled it to the target height for this year and they expect it to stay at that level at least for most of the summer.

What do you think? Am I good here? You can't tell in this pic, but the side board on the dock doesn't really extend much below where those horizontal white fenders are mounted.

 

[ACRDSPORT14]

I think you need 1-2 more buoy's......

 

[drewkaree]

Question - I've got 3 of the Babz balls. I'm considering a permanent switch to the end of this dock where there's no protection from wake or wind, and the lake can get pretty rough.

Do you think they will be sufficient to keep my boat safe all summer? My plan is to leave them attached to the dock and take the smaller white fenders with me if I want to dock up somewhere else short term.

The marina is warning me that the Army Corps of Engineers could decide to lower the lake, but I found an article that said that they've already filled it to the target height for this year and they expect it to stay at that level at least for most of the summer.

What do you think? Am I good here? You can't tell in this pic, but the side board on the dock doesn't really extend much below where those horizontal white fenders are mounted.

View attachment 220416

You could always drop the babz a few inches just in case that happens. It's not really clear what your concern is, other than keeping your boat safe. What - specifically - are you worried about, that you think could/would happen to the boat? The generic answer to the generic "should I be good here" is "looks okay"

Something has you concerned, identify those things, even if it seems dumb, because knowing what you're looking at with a sketchy view will help us to help you assess and address the possibilities that have your spidey senses tingling.

It really does look like, if you're concerned, 2 babz, hung lower between the 3, would solve everything, but I know they're not cheap, and they might be unnecessary once we know your specific concerns

 

[Ribs77]

So, one of the issues is that there's nothing for the babz to bounce against any lower. The side of the dock there doesn't go any lower. So if the lake level drops two feet, the top of the gunnel will be bumping up against the babz and could conceivably go under them and maybe even under the edge of the dock.

A two-foot drop seems unlikely, at least during boating season, but I just want to be sure I'm not making a huge mistake. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains the lake level - the already did a fill up to "full" level which is where it's at now. By the end of summer, if we have a really dry summer, it could drop some. But two feet is probably not likely. One foot probably not out of the question.

The other issue is the wild wake and wind there. I think that if I'm a bit more centered on the 3 babz, the boat will be able to rock and roll plenty without causing any damage, but I haven't really seen or experienced how wild the conditions can be. And wondering if there's any concern with lots of rubbing on the side of the babz with the gelcoat. I would hope not! But I just don't know.

Overall, the note that the marina sent me is basically "please acknowledge that you're choosing to moor here instead of the more protected spot" - sort of covering itself. But it made me a bit nervous!

 

[drewkaree]

So, one of the issues is that there's nothing for the babz to bounce against any lower. The side of the dock there doesn't go any lower. So if the lake level drops two feet, the top of the gunnel will be bumping up against the babz and could conceivably go under them and maybe even under the edge of the dock.

A two-foot drop seems unlikely, at least during boating season, but I just want to be sure I'm not making a huge mistake. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains the lake level - the already did a fill up to "full" level which is where it's at now. By the end of summer, if we have a really dry summer, it could drop some. But two feet is probably not likely. One foot probably not out of the question.

The other issue is the wild wake and wind there. I think that if I'm a bit more centered on the 3 babz, the boat will be able to rock and roll plenty without causing any damage, but I haven't really seen or experienced how wild the conditions can be. And wondering if there's any concern with lots of rubbing on the side of the babz with the gelcoat. I would hope not! But I just don't know.

Overall, the note that the marina sent me is basically "please acknowledge that you're choosing to moor here instead of the more protected spot" - sort of covering itself. But it made me a bit nervous!

Excellent info!

So, it would seem that if the lake drops, your babz will either stop you from the gunnels hitting, as they'll move too, and your boat will drop below. Not sure if you want that happening, but that seems to be the likely scenario.

The babz seem tied off to remain in the position shown. Is there an eye on the bottom that could be fastened, to lock it in place with a drop in water levels?

If Fenders would leave damage in use, I would think it was the easy to remove type that could be buffed off easily with a machine or some elbow grease, but there's not been any reports that I'm aware of by the forum members who prefer these for their tie ups, so I think you're safe there.

I agree that the letter is the CYA kind, so they're not liable after that - it's designed to make their life easier, but they DO have more experience with the water levels, so maybe you look into where it's announced about the lake levels, and act accordingly, as necessary. Nothing to worry about right now, but something to keep an eye on

 

[Bottom Bracket]

Looks like the dock slides up and down on its pilings.
add dock whips.
1 Bab ball at the stern, The 2 big white fenders, 1 midway, 1 fwd. Put the other stuff on the outside for protection from loose boats and such.

 

[Ribs77]

Very much appreciate the feedback and consideration! Next time I go down to the dock I'll try to get a picture of the side so you guys can see what's up with it.

I did a bit more research and it does seem likely that the lake will drop from 21.85 feet (you can view a measurement that's taken literally every hour) down to below 20, as that has happened in recent dry summers. If I commit to this spot I probably won't be able to get the other one back, so I need to decide if I could really be OK with the lake that much lower later in the season.

That's not lake depth, btw. It's the # of feet it is above some other arbitrary measurement. The average depth of the lake is 108 feet with a deepest point of over 200.

The move is probably to just get REALLY good at maneuvering the boat in tight spaces and take the other spot, but it's tough...

 

[drewkaree]

Take a measurement, then check the number from the site you found, then give yourself a reminder of the difference so you can calculate future readings to know if you should get down there to fix something.

I dunno if the marina will allow you to install whips, but that would be a good solution and you could move the babz to the outer side as suggested

 

[Yammi]

Might want to add these to the side rails. Very easy to install, drill a hole insert and bolt from the bottom. Attach the rope section to bumper. Insert where you want to put the bumper out, push the top down to release and put the bumper away. In and out in sections and free up cleats for ropes. I have 2 along each side, but you could put three. Never worry about not having a bumper in the right spot again.

 

[tdonoughue]

My 2 pennies:

First, consider loosening the dock lines. Yes, your boat may bump back and forth against the host of buoys and fenders. But with as taught as they are now, even a good wake is going to a) strain those lines and may break them, b) pull your boat closer to the dock. And if the water really does go down 1-2 feet, that will pull your boat right under the dock. Tight lines are not your friends, generally. And especially that one at midships. That is the one mainly holding your boat to/from the dock. The fore and aft are doing more to hold your boat forward/aft than relative to the dock.

Second, I think it is good that the buoys are tied to the dock (but I think you only really need 2, but that depends on the piers...). However, they also are too tight. Consider loosening those so that they hang down a bit more (not a lot, but a bit) and align them with the piers below, so you get coverage against those if there is a drop. Consider replacing/supplementing them with pier fenders (that wrap around the piers).

Third, right now your fenders are doing nothing. I am all for backup and all, but here you have 3 backups that will never, ever come into play (unless your boat comes completely loose and then the odds it hits something right on the fender are pretty slim). And the forward one especially so, given how our bows curve in. When you drop the buoys, they should come more into play. Aim the buoys at the piers; aim the fenders at the part of the boat most likely to hit. So even with respect to where the forward cleat is, I tend not to use mine. I use 3 fenders, but I put them aft and mid cleats and one between. Your cleat position is slightly different, so I would recommend attachment somewhere around the windshield. That may require @Yammi tool above and running the line between the cover and the boat so the fender sticks out. Your fenders may still do nothing, but they should be closer to doing something if there is a shift.

Those forward and aft lines: you essentially have them springing, but the 'wrong' direction. Works the same, but takes much more space and is moving your boat aft more than optimal. Not sure how much room forward you have in the slip spot, but if you can, you might consider running that aft line forward to that forward cleat on the dock, the forward line back to the mid cleat, then doubling the mid to the mid. That should a) be more compact, b) not have your line rubbing against the ladder (can wear the line), c) bring the boat forward just a bit and more abeam that 4x on the dock. Note that the fact that they are springing is very good. Springing lines hold your boat, but also are more immune to wave action or drops (pull your boat towards the dock less than direct lines).

Oh, maybe that was more like 6 pennies. Ah, well. Hopefully some of it is helpful.

 

[Ribs77]

Wow, thank you for all that! Having taken all of this feedback (and more) into account, I've decided to move the boat back to the more protected spot.

The lake level historically will be 1-1.5 feet lower by the end of summer, and I plan on keeping the boat there through October. It really won't be viable at the lower levels, especially with lots of wake action there, which I observed during a recent visit.

The protected spot is really well protected but annoying to get in and out of. I actually think I have a solid exit maneuver that should work reliably, but when I moved the boat back INTO the spot the other day I was fighting wind and current around the corner. Fortunately I had the Babz all lined up on the side I expected to drift to, and they did their job as I gently nudged against a piling and some other boats.