I really like that idea, Don. --Craig, chonshell@ia4u.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ludlow, Don" <LudlowD@BEK.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 9:40 AM Subject: Fenders - montgomery_boats Digest, Vol 7, Issue 9 Randy: My storebought fenders rest in the locker under the bunk for those raft-up occasions. My working fenders are made from red "noodles", those foam tubes used by swimmers. I found one 4" OD with a 1/2" hole in the middle, cut into 18" long pieces, and ran some 1/4" poly rope through the holes. I used some 3/4" plastic washers at each end with a retaining knot at each end. Made up four of them and they fit in the cockpit lockers with the mooring lines. The red color matches my M-15 stripe. I attach them to some SS eyes screwed to the outside of my teak toerail at 3 ft intervals amidships. They work very well. My tiller tamer is a homemade plastic jam cleat on the underside of the tiller connected to a Bungie cord strung across the stern from SS eyes. One end goes through a hole in a short teak block, around the eye, and back to another hole in the block. This acts a a tension device. When I heave to, to raise or lower the sails, I stow, or unstow the fenders. Fair winds Don Ludlow M-15 Sweet Dream Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 13:28:43 -0400 From: chbenneck@juno.com Subject: How to handle fenders when single-handed sailing? To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Message-ID: <20030907.143329.2052.2.chbenneck@juno.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi Randy, When I go out sailing, as soon as I'm out in clear water, I put the boat on autopilot (my bungee cord to tiller system), and remove the fenders. My fenders - depending on length of sail, and number of people on board - have two stowage positions. If my wife is along, or the grandchildren, fenders go into the port sail locker, to clean up the cockpit floor area. If I'm sailing by myself for just an hour or two (and it's pleasant sailing - no rail under, etc.) I just leave them on the cockpit floor, at the aft end of the cockpit. There they are out of the way; but can be reached easily when I head back in to my slip at the marina. Connie