"The best idea I can think of is to stop and think it all through right before you do it. Make sure there aren't any wasted moves. Visualize the whole sequence of events. Make sure that there is a place for the fender, and only that fender. Don't let cockpit and below-decks clutter get the best of you." -This is excellent advice that could apply to anything we do under sail. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Fleming" <jfleming1231@earthlink.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 2:19 AM Subject: How to handle fenders when single-handed sailing? Randy Graves wrote: Friends, Does anyone have any good ideas of how to handle the fenders when single-handed sailing? For ease and convenience I have been leaving them attached while under sail. I would like to come up with a handy way to deploy and retrieve without letting the boat get away from me in the process, or having them roll around in the cockpit all day. Any ideas? Nothing obvious here. I just wait for a moment when everything's under control, the tiller is lashed, and I just reach over and grab one and stow it below, under the cockpit. Shouldn't take more than about 30 seconds. All our fenders can be reached from the cockpit, we haven't seen the need to have some far forward. The best idea I can think of is to stop and think it all through right before you do it. Make sure there aren't any wasted moves. Visualize the whole sequence of events. Make sure that there is a place for the fender, and only that fender. Don't let cockpit and below-decks clutter get the best of you. Happy sailing. John Fleming M-17: "Star Cross'd"