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Fender holders

PYC5 Dave

PYC5 Dave

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Trying to tie fenders on my Bennington is a challenge. I have been using the plastic clips that fit over the rail however they break and when they break unexpectedly hopefullly your fender does not float away. I saw a pontoon boat that had what appears to be these PHENDER holders: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MVCXHP2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_9?smid=A22JWENKMOZWD&th=1&psc=1
I am asking if anyone has tried them? The instructions indicate that you need to drill a 3/4 hole to mount the receiver. I really do not want to try and have an unwanted hole. There is what they call a RETRO for Pontoon which are 1/2 and seem to mount on the surface of the rail.
Thanks for your input. I am open to other ideas too.
 
I bought their lines in 2022 ,when I got my last boat .No issues yet .
 
Jack
Does the EzFender bracket make it difficult to stretch the cover over the bump on the rail created by the bracket?
 
They do not ( have not ) interfered on mine . I have used them on 3 Bennington's .An RCW , previous style QCW and current style QCW .
It depends how much higher your furniture is than your top rail .
 
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PYC5 Dave said:
I have been using the plastic clips that fit over the rail however they break and when they break unexpectedly hopefullly your fender does not float away.
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Are you talking the Taylor Made Clips? Yours break. Mine have been used for 7 seasons and never had one break. Do you take your fenders off when under way, so they are catching water, banging around, and breaking the clips? OR are they breaking over time as you remove and store your fenders while underway?

Just trying to get a sense of what’s going on here as I haven’t really heard of these breaking and being a problem before. That said, the EZ Fenders a lot of people use are very well liked by them.
 
I also use the Taylor (and a variety of other brand) clips - they break in 2 or 3 seasons - but mine sit in 110 degree heat all summer. I do tie the rope end around the bimini poles when not using the boat the next day or when wind is predicted. I like the solution you found and other noted, but we tie up at different places and with different boats all the time, and that requires moving the fender location. I am sticking with the clips - I carry a bag of them.
 
I am in Florida not quite 110. The fenders are olny on my boat when docked some place, but not at home, so mine do not sit in the sun. I have found several different manufactures of the similar nylon or plastic product. I thought the Taylor product would be better but not. I think the material makes a difference. Just saw some black ones. I like Jack’s solution. I boated with some other boaters yesterday and showed them what I was looking at. They have a Barletta Pontoon. The boat builder uses the following on their boats for the Bimini but they also accept a ring for fender. They are top mounted. I think Bennington had something similar for some of their tops. I found these on Amazon and believe they are the same as what Barletta uses. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B2R755JJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=ARK9X51P0ELS1&psc=1
 
Vikingstaff said:
Are you talking the Taylor Made Clips? Yours break. Mine have been used for 7 seasons and never had one break. Do you take your fenders off when under way, so they are catching water, banging around, and breaking the clips? OR are they breaking over time as you remove and store your fenders while underway?

Just trying to get a sense of what’s going on here as I haven’t really heard of these breaking and being a problem before. That said, the EZ Fenders a lot of people use are very well liked by them.
Click to expand...
Yes I always take my fenders off. I am an old sailor and always notice other boats with them flapping in the breeze. The clips are only used while away, not at my home dock. Like restaurant visits and outings. I have several with the jam cleat and some without. I am going to check Taylor or not I know I bought Taylor because of their name and I know I have broken ones. I need to be sure of which. Also when removing them you should not pull them up at an angle. Oh in Florida we boat all year but your getting good life out of yours.
 
Ok I went to the boat and checked. First I apologize to Taylor Fender since the broken hangers are not theirs. I am cheap and did not want to spend the $$. The ones that have broken for me are made by Boatecter Extreme Max. In particular the ones without the jam cleat. I have theirs with the jam cleat and they have not failed.
 
PYC5 Dave said:
Yes I Oh in Florida we boat all year but your getting good life out of yours.
Click to expand...
Ha - Good point! 7 seasons for me is 7 3 month seasons. Goodness, that’s like less than two years of Florida boating. Ha, ha. No wonder my clips seem so durable comparatively. There probably is something to that in the amount of use and recovery they get over time.

With your second post, maybe the Taylor are more durable then than the Boatrecter Exremem Max…? Given the basic design, I wouldn’t have thought much about another brand myself either. But given your experience, maybe there is something either subtle in the Taylor clip design, or durability of the plastic clip…?
 
I had a couple of the genuine Taylor Made clips break and most of them stretch out so much, they barely stayed on the rail. I attribute that to my docking conditions. If your boat is in a slip all season, and it gets rough, fenders will get jammed between the boat and dock, pulling on the lines, eventually fatiguing the plastic on the clip.

EZ Fenders for me.
 
More good points about situation of ones boat may impact what works for one person, but may not for another. For instance, our boat sits up on Sea Legs when parked dockside. Add to it we are seasonal boaters in Michigan. The reasons why my Taylor Made clips have lasted so long is becoming more clear to me. Until now, I just hadn’t thought about it. Mine really never get pulled, jammed, etc… so the clips really don’t get fatigued because of our situation.
 
All good stuff. So most of us boat with our spouses, we drive they handle lines and fenders. My wife has lines installed on all 4 corners of the boat. Last night I showed my wife the EZ Fenders mounts and explained how they work. She had nothing positive to say! First she said she would trip over them, I said they were installed on the rail. She said when we come to a dock she runs around the boat and puts the fenders out (with the clips) and these are in one place. Then it will be difficult to insert the line and adjust the fender explaining tide changes, I said we usually boat on a lake without tides. I explained the fenders are usually in the same place. So I am on hold. We are boating at some different docks next week. I think I am going to ask her to note where she is placing the fender on the rail and note the location and after several docking ask again. At least I am boating !
 
I use color coded heat shrink on the lines, Red (bow), white (mid), blue (stern). I set up the heat shrink to the right height and pull the line through the ez fender, right past the heat shrink, so i know where to lock it down. It's right every time.

ill try to find a pic.
 
Thanks for the photo I have long fenders like you and round fenders or balls. I depends on the situation and what is planned for the day. Rafting to other pontoons aand floating docks I like the round fenders because they sit between the tubes and the deck and keep the boat off of either. 15 inch . I like the long fenders for docking next to a non-floating dock and against a pole. I use them sideways. The boat stays in place with spring lines. Nice colors on your boat!
 
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