Fuel Tank Holddowns Rusting

[Divecoz]

Phil I use fender SS baskets.. I opted out of my 2nd 6 gallon and now on most trips only carry my 12 gal starboard and 1 6 gal port and a ( dont make fun of me please : ) a plastic milk crate and it holds a TON of stuff including 2 of those short fat propane tanks in a piece of 4" pvc mounted and secured in the vertical position..Ive been know to carry 4 of those tanks in 2 PVC tubes.. IMHO except from my 61/2 week trip that 18 gallons goes a long ways..

Seahouse,
I think I understand what you did now. My hold down straps may work their way loose yet.

So you use both sides of the cockpit, both lazerettes, for those larger fuel tanks? I only use one side for fuel, and the other side for storage. But I have been considering other options.

If both lazerettes are occupied, where do you stow fenders and the often wet dock lines?

Phil M

[seahouse]

Hey Phil !

Both sides are occupied by the tanks (range anxiety). The dock lines stay on the dock mostly. When I take them on board they are coiled (it’s very fast, they’re not that long) and hung using what I now know is called the “sheepshead” method through the lifelines. Fast and neat, and if they're wet, they dry quickly too.

The fenders pull up onto the deck, and ordinary bungees through the loop moulded into the fender bottoms hold them there. When re-deployed, anyone can do it, and they are always at precisely the correct height, and not touching the water where they'll get all gungy.

A future mod I have mentioned here, for future longer trips, will involve two bungee cords or Velcro straps holding my four fenders underneath the captains’ seat, which is often wasted space anyway. The four fenders I bought were sized, with my dealer’s help, to specifically fit there.

I like your milk crate idea Divecoz – they’re great because they’re sturdy and allow air circulation and drying of the contents. I have a collapsible one that stows flat, out of the way, below. It’s handy for those times when we need something to carry a bunch of stuff in a jiffy.

- Brian.

[NiceAft]

I used to use the Bungee method, but I got wise to a very simple and cheap method.



As you can see from the photo, I used to just let the fenders hang. Some believe that shows bad form. Me, I really don't care what anyone else thinks of it, I'm sailing Then I saw a simple solution. I just tie a piece of thin line onto the other end of the fenders, and attach swivel eye snaps to the dangling lines.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... sNum=50049

When the fenders are down, the lines with the swivel eye snaps attached, just hang. When I am sailing, I pull up the fenders, and hook the swivel snaps onto the lifeline. Presto! The fenders are up, out of the way.


Ray

[seahouse]

Hey Ray!

That's a nice idea too, fast, easy, do all at once from the cockpit. My father did exactly that with a number of power boats when I was young. With a sailboat, the only drawback (if there is one) is that the fenders, outside the lifelines, hang lower than the deck, horizontally nearly, and don't always clear the water and waves, especially when heeling, as they would with a powerboat.

- Brian.

[seahouse]

Ok Ray, sorry - just reread your post and realize I missread it the first time. I saw what I expected to see, instead of what was actually there.

What I was referring to that my father did was link all the fenders together by their bottom loop using a single line. Pulling this single line, and clipping it to a ring raised all 4 fenders at once to a horizontal postion, all from within the safety of the "cockpit".

- Brian.

[NiceAft]

Brian,

It happens

It's really no big deal to clip each fender to the lifeline, and I like the neatness of it. When it comes to dropping the fenders, it's quick and easy.

Ray

[Phil M]

I used to use the Bungee method, but I got wise to a very simple and cheap method.



As you can see from the photo, I used to just let the fenders hang. Some believe that shows bad form. Me, I really don't care what anyone else thinks of it, I'm sailing

Ray

Whenever I see another sailboat with their fenders hanging, I sometimes wonder if they are new to sailing and don't know any better. That's why I'm curious as to what others Mac owners do with their fenders if the lazerettes are used for gas tanks.

Phil M

[RobertB]

I tie on a bolt snap to the bottom of my fenders and hang them from the lifelines (National brand, fixed eye bolt snap, nickle plated)

[raycarlson]

whats the fetish with fenders being tied up,and what don't new people know.why is it even important enough to discuss????

[K9Kampers]

Is illegal to be underway with fenders deployed!

When fenders not needed, I keep them down below in stbd storage closet.

[raycarlson]

No such law in AZ or Mex.,why would it be illegal to have soft rubber cushions hanging off the side of your boat while being blown across the ocean at 5mph?? sounds ridiculous

[Catigale]

But in AZ it is illegal to eat an ice cream cone whilst riding a camel on Sunday....

[Québec 1]

But in AZ it is illegal to eat an ice cream cone whilst riding a camel on Sunday....

If you read that piece of law, you will notice that it stipulates that you can't eat any other flavor but vanilla ice cream in that particular situation. Now, the interpretation of the afore mentioned law has been under scrutiny as it is British.

Q1

[Catigale]

Cited for improper running lights, no doubt



...or perhaps the caption should read...."which is the stand on vessel?"

[Russ]

That's why I'm curious as to what others Mac owners do with their fenders if the lazerettes are used for gas tanks.

I leave 'em attached to the dock. I don't need fenders attached to the boat.
For the rare occasion that I need to go to the gas dock, I'll deploy my "temporary" fenders and store them in the v berth compartment when done.