Boat fenders

[haknslash]

We don’t tie up with other boats (we anchor when chilling) and I was just wondering best option for tying up quickly to the gas docks etc. I don’t want to mess with inflating and deflating things when I have a boat full of kids.

If I had a private boat dock of my own, I can see using those balls as they would just hang off the dock...I thought the missions would be easier to hang off a cleat vs our traditional cylinder buoys with rope attached...sometimes they are hung too high and other times too low by the kids...seems the missions would just hang there and protect high up and over and below the rub line? But they do seem a bit thin like you said


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We rarely tie up with other boats too since I had tower damage on my last boat from board racks slamming into it thanks to a guy pulling tubes into a cove filled with anchored boats...



That being said I now have proper fenders to use that would give me and the boat next to me enough room to safely tie up should I ever need or want to tie up with someone.

I don't deflate and inflate the balls. I inflate them at the beginning of the season and deflate them when I put the boat away for winter. The rest of the time during the season they are inflated and in my rear lockers. Like trace mentioned for their boat, I keep two of them always inflated and have two others as a spare or if I need more. I always carry a few traditional fenders for times stowed in the helm where there may be times stiff wind or waves may cause my boat to pivot whatever I'm tied up to and I will throw a traditional fender in the middle of the boat tied off from the tower but those times are rarely needed because the large balls offer a ton of protection and spacing from docks, boats, etc. It takes up no time to deploy the fenders as I tied bungee dock lines to them creating a "short side" which goes closest to the boat/cleat and the "long side" is used for the dock pylon or cleat. Works great and the only thing I can think of that would be faster would be those awesome Phender Pro fittings.

As for the Missions the reviews seem hit or miss, literally. I'm not sure how the newer ones do but I know early on many people said they would not stay in place and would eventually fall down or off the clear entirely. Do they look stylish? Sure. Do they look to offer a lot of protection or any more than those old school "contour fender huggers"? Not really IMO. To me they are just overpriced for very minimal protection.

You pay big money for these boats and you want them looking nice for as long as possible. Why risk it for something that doesn't look like it would be ideal for a typical day of boating? Maybe the lakes you're on don't get busy or have swells, rollers and heavy chop but mine does, especially this year with all the extra new boaters since COVID. Lastly as mentioned, even without the large diameter giving you spacing, the balls will not mar up your gel coat like a plastic fender will so long as the ball is clean. We just got back from a week vacation on a big water portion of our lake with lots of boat traffic. Not a single mar on my gelcoat. Had this been a traditional plastic fender I would have certainly been having to remove the marks and scuffs from a traditional fender. Been there and done that on a white hull....no thanks!

[Arcadyus]

We don’t tie up with other boats (we anchor when chilling) and I was just wondering best option for tying up quickly to the gas docks etc. I don’t want to mess with inflating and deflating things when I have a boat full of kids.

If I had a private boat dock of my own, I can see using those balls as they would just hang off the dock...I thought the missions would be easier to hang off a cleat vs our traditional cylinder buoys with rope attached...sometimes they are hung too high and other times too low by the kids...seems the missions would just hang there and protect high up and over and below the rub line? But they do seem a bit thin like you said


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You don't have to deflate shit. Our babz balls (best ball fender made) fit fully inflated under the glover box. Or tie them off of the tower. Mission fenders don't work great with high freeboard on rough docks. We use rubber wire ties, they are fast and easy on your clear coat.

[gtsum2]

You don't have to deflate shit. Our babz balls (best ball fender made) fit fully inflated under the glover box. Or tie them off of the tower. Mission fenders don't work great with high freeboard on rough docks. We use rubber wire ties, they are fast and easy on your clear coat.

Good to know...never thought of tying off to tower. Thanks!


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[DDD123]

Babz are so clutch and the best purchase I’ve ever made for a boat on my lake which gets pretty gnarly with wind and a lot of boats. People comment all the time how great they are when they see them. Super impressed, glad I read this thread!

[Bigs28]

Lets tie up big Bertha

[jnr4817]

We use the LTU balls every boating session. Worth every penny.

[Holdmybeer]

No photos to share but have been using the Berthas all summer. Been tied to other moombas, tooners, etc. they work grest. The bungies are clutch.

[DDD123]

No photos to share but have been using the Berthas all summer. Been tied to other moombas, tooners, etc. they work grest. The bungies are clutch.

What does everyone like about the bungies out of curiosity? They always frustrated me because different docks have different cleat locations and they also felt less secure since they stretch. I’m on a really choppy lake though in areas where you actually have to tie up.

[Holdmybeer]

What does everyone like about the bungies out of curiosity? They always frustrated me because different docks have different cleat locations and they also felt less secure since they stretch. I’m on a really choppy lake though in areas where you actually have to tie up.

We pull tight and actually smash the balls slightly then bungee together. Then the balls force the bungee to stretch out and keep the boats 2ft+ apart. When chop or random wave comes through the swim area, the bungee will stretch up and down, balls keep the 2ft distance and nothing ever hits. For docks I put balls on both sides and then bungee on both sides of the slip. It's like having the boat suspended between and not touching anything. Docknis floating though and moves with the waves not solid.

[DDD123]

We pull tight and actually smash the balls slightly then bungee together. Then the balls force the bungee to stretch out and keep the boats 2ft+ apart. When chop or random wave comes through the swim area, the bungee will stretch up and down, balls keep the 2ft distance and nothing ever hits. For docks I put balls on both sides and then bungee on both sides of the slip. It's like having the boat suspended between and not touching anything. Docknis floating though and moves with the waves not solid.

Ahh yeah tying up boats does seem like a great idea for them. Only downside to the balls I’ve seen so far is storage. It’s annoying inflating and deflating them so i usually just leave them on the side while surfing.