Advantages and Disadvantages of Fender Types

Posted by Sarah Jones on March 17th, 2021

There are many important tools and equipment that one must have before leaving the marina from a boat, and boat fenders are one of them. A boat fender is not expensive, but it is also not advised to have boat fenders cheap. Always get a good quality fender, and it never hurts to have a few extras laying around in the boat.

Usually, the boat fenders are placed in the boat a couple of inches high above the water. This way, the boat fenders will be able to do their job of keeping the boat safe and also will not submerge underwater. There are numerous types of boat fenders available in the market, and they are all used for different purposes. Following are a few types of boat fenders: -

1. Hollow cylindrical fenders
2. V-shaped fenders
3. Solid square strip fenders
4. Floating pneumatic fenders
5. Foam packed floating fenders

Let's understand in depth the advantages and disadvantages of boat fenders.

1 Hollow Cylindrical Fenders

Following are the advantages: -

1. The hollow cylindrical fenders are one of the most economical fenders available in the market.
2. These types of fenders can be installed quickly without any complications and can replace the separate fenders on the boat.
3. Hollow cylindrical fenders cover a large upright area and are used for bigger boats.

Following are the disadvantages: -

1. The hollow cylindrical fenders wreck the boat during harsh weathers.

2 V-Shaped Fenders

Following are the advantages: -

1. These fenders are very easy to use and are very economical. Single fenders are replaced with V-shaped fenders.
2. As the name suggests, the v-shaped fenders have less reaction and absorb more energy.

Following are the disadvantages: -

1. Without providing fenders horizontally and vertically, the V-shaped fenders can cover a very small space of the boat.

3 Solid Square Strip Fenders

Following are the advantages: -

1. Since the design of the fender is square, it is easy to install on the boat.
2. Replacing the solid square model is also an easy task and does not require more human resources.

Following are the disadvantages: -

1. People don't prefer solid square fenders because the capacity to absorb energy is very less.
2. To spread the reactive force, the fenders must be very long and are not suitable for smaller boats.

4 Floating Pneumatic Fenders

Following are the advantages: -

1. The floating pneumatic fender is one of the biggest fenders available in the market.
2. A single floating pneumatic fender is enough to cover the entire side of the boat. Since they are filled with air, they tend to float on the water.
3. The reactive force after using the fender is also very less.
4. Boats whose hull surfaces are bent and the berth is at an angle benefit the most by using the floating pneumatic fenders.
5. Therefore, the design is very simple and can be easily put into position and separated as per the situation.

Following are the disadvantages: -

1. It costs a lot of money to install fender food for the first time.
2. To bring the fender up to the boat and then to install it requires a lot of human resources, and along with that, the rent for the crane, loaders, and shipping charges must be paid.
3. Since the use of pressurized air inflates the fender, necessary arrangements must be made to ensure that the fender does not tear apart by some projections growing from the hull of the ship.
4. If the fender is not properly controlled, then the fender can easily turn up at the berth's face. This will lead to more complication, which can only be solved by hiring more human resources.
5. The bearing area of the fender must be bigger than the others. This bigger area will expand above the common level of the berth deck.

5 Foam Packed Floating Fenders

Following are the advantages: -

1. The foam packed fenders are big and enough to cover the boat's entire distance with a single unit.
2. Unlike the floating pneumatic fender, the foam packed fender cannot be easily poked and can withstand any damage from the marina's protrusions.
3. They are more popular than the floating pneumatic, and also, the reactive force is very low.
4. The installation and removal process of the foam packed fender is also very easy and does not require additional human resources.
5. Boats whose hull surfaces are bent and the berth is at an angle benefit the most by using the foam packed fenders.

Following are the disadvantages: -

1. Due to the bigger diameter of the foam packed fender, the boat tends to be farther away from the other types of fenders.
2. It becomes difficult for the owner and the boat people to get on and off from the dock easily.
3. The bearing area of the fender must be bigger than the others. This bigger area will expand above the common level of the berth deck.

To Sum It Up

There are numerous types of boat fenders available at the online store of RS Marine, from which you can choose fenders as per your requirements.