When tying up, especially on fixed docks, one of the challenges is dealing with pilings that protrude into the slip from the dock. During our first Great Loop trip, we encountered many of these obstacles. The marinas in Michigan had posts that extended 12-18 inches from the dock, making our regular fenders insufficient to keep us off the dock. Protecting the boat from rubbing on the pilings was challenging, particularly when the wind was pushing us into the dock.
We tried hanging our fenders horizontally, but between limited tie-off points on our rails and rocking in some heavier winds and waves, they would inevitably slip out, especially if we had to have a lot of fender lines out to adjust for tides.
Next, we tried fender boards. On these, you hang two or more fenders vertically and a board across them between the fenders and the piling. This spreads the load and gives the piling a larger surface to ride on.
This worked better than a horizontal fender. However, we found that with lots of movement, the fenders would slip out from behind the board, and then the board would rub on the side of the boat and scratch the paint. Plus, they were heavy, took a long time to deploy and retrieve, and took up a lot of space on the deck to store them.
Taylor Made Raft Cushions
On a visit to West Marine, we saw what is referred to as “Rafting or Fender Cushions,” it dawned on me that they might be the answer to my problems!
Taylor Made says that they are “the only fender specifically designed for maximum protection when rafting or tying up against solid walls. Six molded tubes provide crush resistance, and the exclusive channel design lends itself to “hugging” the boat. Made from tough marine-grade vinyl and featuring an inflation valve for air pressure adjustment, Fender Cushions may be hung vertically or horizontally. “
We bought a pair (on Amazon because it was cheaper—sorry, WM!) to try them out. We have been using them for two years, and they are our favorite go-to fenders for almost every docking situation.
Because of the indent in the middle, they fit around pilings and stay put. They are flexible. We can hang them from the boat, and the notch holds them around the pilings, or we can tie them to the pilings, and the flat side rides nicely up and down the side of the boat! The holes through the sides even allow you to tie them directly to a piling to keep them from moving.
They also work great for their intended purpose, rafting up, as they are wide and provide good padding between boats.
Great Quality-But has its limits
Our first pair lasted us for the second half of our first Great Loop trip and all the way to Chicago on our second trip. While we were docked in Chicago, we experienced a wind storm right off the lake with 40 mph winds and higher gusts. We were lucky that a seawall on the other side of the fairway from our slip absorbed the waves. But the winds were right of our port side, and pushed us onto the dock—hard!
The winds lasted about 36 hours, and by the time they died down , our favorite fenders had taken a beating. The little belly buttons in the middle had gone from innies to outies! I tried to reinflate them, but they wouldn’t hold air anymore. One had a visible hole where it had burst. Still, they did the job and protected the boat.
We got lucky! West Marine had them on sale, and the store in Chicago had two, so we took an Uber and had replacements before we left.
At our home dock, we have a 1 to 2-foot tide. Our finger docks have exposed pilings, and we use them: one on the boat for the shorter piling and one tied to the piling for the taller one.
The fenders come in three sizes: Small (15″ x 15″), Medium (20″ x 20″), and large (26″ x 26″). We use medium-sized cushions for our 42-foot boat, and they work fine. They are easy to tuck into a corner of our cockpit for storage and are deep enough to keep us about 10″ off of any piling.
You can find them on Amazon and most major marine suppliers. They are a bit pricy, the 20″ x 20″ costs between $150 and $180. Watch for sales. We got our last set at West Marine for $139.00 each. Day to Day, Defender.com has the best prices that I’ve seen.
Another favorite Fender…
We have a pretty good sweep on our bow. When we are doing locks, the bow can turn into the lock wall, and it can be hard to hold the stern against the wall. To counter that, we use a 30-inch AERÉ Inflatable Ball Fender. We hang it off the rail about halfway down the bow, and as the bow swings in, the ball keeps it from moving toward the wall. The ball design is great, as it easily slides up the lock wall. We also use it when we are docked, especially on face docks, again to keep the bow off the dock and take some of the strain on the side fenders.
Because it’s inflatable, it’s easy to store. The fender uses a standard Halkey Roberts valve, just like most inflatable dinghies, so it’s easy to inflate when you need it, and you can deflate it, and it stores in a small space. We’ve used one extensively on both our Loops, and it is still holding up just fine.
They come in Black and Gray and 18″, 24″, 30″, and 36″ sizes. We suggest the grey. While it shows dirt a bit more than the black, the black absorbs heat and expands (there is a pressure relief valve so it won’t pop), but when it cools down, it deflates quickly.
You can find them at online marine suppliers. Just search for “Aere Ball Fender”
or buy directly from AereDockingSolutions.com. The price for the 30″ ball is about $360.
What fenders do you use for exposed pilings?
Let us know in the comments below! 
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