Yacht Fenders Suppliers

A yacht fender has two jobs at once: absorb the load of berthing and rafting, and do it without marking a topside that may have cost more to paint than a small car. That second job is what sets yacht fenders apart from the heavy commercial and dock fenders elsewhere in the fleet, and it shapes everything from the material to the cover. Yacht fender suppliers range from the makers who specialize in them - Polyform, Taylor Made, Plastimo, Ocean, Fendertex, and AERE among them - to the chandlers who carry a full size range for owners and yards.

Types of Yacht Fender

The shape follows the boat and the berth. Cylindrical yacht fenders, the familiar sausage form with an eye at each end, are the everyday choice and hang either vertically or horizontally. Round or ball fenders give the most protection for their size and suit larger yachts at the bow and quarter, or as a spare for an awkward berth. Flat freeboard fenders sit closer to the hull on boats with low topsides, and transom fenders protect the vulnerable stern and swim platform. Inflatable fenders, the Fendertex and AERE style, are the superyacht answer: light to handle, strong for their weight, and able to deflate for stowage, which matters when a large fender would otherwise fill a locker.

Sizing and How Many

A fender only works if it is big enough. The size follows the yacht's length and displacement, with the common guidance being roughly one inch of fender diameter for every four or five feet of boat, stepped up for heavy displacement or exposed berths. Number counts as much as size: one fender for every three metres of length a side is a working rule, with extras kept for rafting and locks. Larger yachts tend toward fewer, bigger fenders or the inflatable route rather than a long row of small ones. The valve type and the lanyard or line the fender hangs on are part of the same order, not an afterthought.

Covers, Stowage, and Handling

On a yacht the cover is almost as important as the fender. A fabric fender sock protects the topcoat from scuffing and black marks, softens the look, and cuts the squeak against the hull, and many owners will not hang a bare fender against fresh paint. Stowage is the other yacht-specific problem, because fenders large enough to matter are bulky: inflatable types deflate, and larger vessels handle the load with fender baskets and fender davits that stow and deploy them without a deckhand wrestling each one. A supplier who carries the covers and handling gear alongside the fenders saves assembling the set from three sources.

Choosing a Supplier

For a directory buyer, yacht fender suppliers differ by brand, the size range they carry, whether they offer inflatable as well as foam-filled and closed-cell types, and whether the covers, lines, and accessories come from the same place. Coverage matters when a fender is needed before the next berth rather than next season.

Give the yacht's length and displacement, how she is usually berthed - alongside, rafting, or stern-to - and the stowage space aboard, and a supplier can put together a fender set that protects the hull without filling the lazarette.