Fender Loft

List of Articles

Classic Yacht Magazine Article About Fender Loft

16 November 2008

Fender Loft is very pleased to have been the subject of an article in the prestigious online magazine, Classic Yacht. The article text is given below with the permission of Classic Yacht magazine. Better yet, check out this fine publication for yourself here.

A Hitch in Time

Fancy knotting is an art form that developed over hundreds of years and reached its pinnacle in the early 19th century aboard the great deep water ships. Also known as marlinspike seamanship, sailors would devote themselves to the craft during the long idle hours at sea. Although the mechanical age nearly brought about the end of marlinspike artistry, some knotwork objects have stood the test of time. Among these is the rope fender.

Fender Loft is the husband and wife team of Mike Ruddy and Alex Robison. Together, they make traditional rope fenders that adorn some of the most beautiful wooden boats in North America. Mike has always had an interest in knots. He and Alex began studying marlinspike traditions more in earnest when they decided to outfit their own classic wooden boat. They began researching how to make rope fenders through the internet, magazine articles, and books, and in the process they fell in love with the craft. While Mike and Alex are only in their second year of business, the Fender Loft name has been around for almost twenty years. The business was founded by Alice De La Plante in Bracebridge, Ontario, in the Muskoka region. When Ms. De La Plante retired, she passed the business on to Mike and Alex.

Depending on where you are, a traditional rope fender can mean many things. Each region has its own idea of what is traditional. Fender Loft was inspired by the Muskoka tradition of fender making, which was led mostly by one man, John Newark. Mr. Newark owned and operated a fender company out of Bracebridge, Ontario, for more than fifty years. He outfitted many of the famous boats built there such as Ditchburns, Greavettes, and Minetts, as well as contributing to the Canadian war effort.

Although Mr. Newark employed a small staff, he was unfortunately very secretive about his work. He would not teach any of his employees to make a fender from start to finish, and took many of his ideas to his grave.

In the early 1990’s Alice De La Plante started the Fender Loft business and embarked on the project of researching Mr. Newark’s work, going door to door in the area where he lived. She was able to find one of his former employees, who instructed her in the hitching technique, the knot which characterizes the Muskoka rope fender. Alice in turn passed this knowledge on to Mike and Alex when they took over the business.

Rope fender knotwork is generally less intricate than other marlinspike items such as bell ropes, which one can often admire for hours and still discover nuances the sailor has subtly incorporated. By comparison, rope fenders are relatively simple structures.

Rope fenders are traditionally made up of two parts: the core and the outer knotwork. The fender core has several important jobs to do. Its purpose is to give the fender its shape, provide resilience, and be the attachment point for rope lanyards, chains, or other fittings. In fact, the knotted rope covering you see and appreciate is really just chafing gear for the fender core and the boat—and of course it looks nice! Fender cores have been known to include polypropylene rope, old tires, garden hose, rubber, or even carpet. Another approach is to use plastic pipe at the center of the core, padded out with dense closed-cell foam. This is the approach most often used by Fender Loft.

The knotwork on the outside gives the fender its character. The most common knots used are the crown braid and the half hitch. Decoration can also be added in the form of a Turk’s Head or other fancy knot.

You can be very creative when it comes to choosing what type of rope fender to put on your boat. Mike and Alex suggest that customers think about their boat and its usual mooring setup. You make do now with the fenders you have, but with rope fenders you can break free of the conventional sausage shape. In fact, just about any shape or size you can imagine can be made. There are V-shaped bow fenders, U-shaped transom fenders, button (cylinder shaped) fenders, and so on. What will give the best protection? What will give the look you want? Or if you prefer, what fenders might have originally equipped your antique or classic boat?

There are many reasons why boat owners choose to use rope fenders. They tend to appeal to traditionalists who insist on running and presenting their boats in the way they were conceived. Mike and Alex believe that if the rope and core materials are well chosen, a rope fender will be gentler on the hull finish than any vinyl fender can be, offer as much or better protection, last for years, and be a beautiful and useful addition to any wooden boat.

Commenting is closed for this article.