Stern Fenders

Albert has (unusually) sported four stern fenders for some time. When we originally bought Albert back in 2003 the stern had a single tipcat and a single long extended button braced by turn buckles. Both had seen slightly better days so I renewed them in 2004 with the usual arrangement of two standard tipcats and a button. After some time a realised that the fenders didn't actually cover the whole of Albert's ample rudder, probably because the tipcats were not particularly deep and they had also started becoming compressed. I therefore took the easy way out and six years ago I added another tipcat to the stern array, making four fenders in total.

Albert's Three Fenders 2017

With the passage of time this arrangement became more and more scruffy and the fenders became more and more compressed making adjustment a regular process. Just before Christmas I decided enough was enough and I would start again with a complete set of new fenders. Again I went to Tradline Fenders in Braunston and after some discussion I decided that a normal "working boat" arrangement of two wide deep-bellied tipcats (26 and 24 inches) and a long button would suffice. They arrived last week (there's a waiting list) and today they were installed on Albert. I think they look the part and they certainly cover the rudder.

Albert's Four Fenders in 2011