Fender Mind Bender

We just got this letter from reader Glenn Shinn in Santa Cruz (who recently restored Grendel, a prototype for the Moore 24):

"One of the first things I do when I go sailing is stow the docklines and fenders. I see a lot of other boats — both power and sail — out and about on the Bay with fenders dragging in the water. In my opinion, it looks bad to see a nice boat in the middle of the Bay with four fenders dragging in the water! Come on people, pull up your fenders."

Glenn — we could not agree more. Seeing fenders dangling over the side is the nautical equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. It looks bad, but more importantly, it’s poor seamanship to have superfluous equipment dragging in the water and unnecessarily straining/chafing/bumping against everything. 

But, we do have what might be a controversial counter thought.

We always tell people that the very first thing we learned about sailing was: Pull your fenders up the second they’re no longer fending. Our first lesson wasn’t about the wind, it wasn’t about the mechanics of sails or lines, and it wasn’t about safety, it was about how to not look terrible when you’re on the water where everyone can see you.

One of our cousins — who was initiated with the same lesson — got into commercial fishing, where he started to shed some of his deeply ingrained fender etiquette. When going from dock to dock on a fishing boat, he said, there’s really no reason to pull up your fenders. It’s unnecessary work done solely for the purpose of appearances. But if you’re going out to sea for a few days, you obviously want your boat tidy and shipshape.

This seemingly radical notion kind of opened our eyes. It was the chance to unlearn something that had been beaten into our heads. When we recently acquired an old Columbia 24, the fenders were tied with old, fraying knots that were fused in place. So we pull the fenders onto the deck while cruising, but they often roll off and dangle in the water for long moments before we retrieve them again. And you know what? There are times when we just don’t care.

That’s right, sometimes we sail with our fenders down, and it can be a remarkably liberating act of rebellion. It’s like dyeing your hair green when you get to college. It’s like putting Cool Whip on your breakfast cereal because your mom told you not to. Sure, it’s a stupid idea, but there’s something to be said for taking a moment — just a moment — to unlearn what you’ve learned or what was beaten into your head, and to ask yourself why you go through certain motions. 

What are your thoughts on fender etiquette?