In the picturesque dock within our Marina di Genova, time seems to have stood still:
there, the classic Ligurian boats are moored alongside the beautiful Genoese leudi, meticulously
maintained by the owners who choose to moor these nautical masterpieces in the historic center of
Genoa. But just look at the other berths in our Genoa tourist port
to realize that boating continues to evolve, with continuous innovations in hulls,
onboard technologies, and so on. In fact, the most attentive observers are well aware of how much pleasure boats havechanged in recent decades, as well as the introduction of many newdevices, simply unthinkable until a few years ago. But beware: among the new trends, there are not only electronic devices, and we are not talking exclusively about multifunction displays, antennas, radars, and so on. There are also other elements that, completely
or almost unknown until a few years ago, are now widespread among the docks of modern tourist ports.
Walking among the berths of our marina in Genoa, for example, one can easilynotice how quickly fender covers have spread. But whydo so many boaters choose to purchase these covers? What are thebenefits they can provide? As we will see, it is not purely a matter of aesthetics.

What Are Fender Covers
Let’s start by explaining what fender covers are: this term refers to
covers for fenders, and therefore typically “socks” that can be made in
various fabrics to cover and protect the fenders placed along the perimeter of the moored boat.
There is really no doubt about the importance of a fender positioned in the right place: without it, the boat’s hull would be condemned to suffer bumps, hits, and abrasionsagainst docks and other boats. Fenders act as a cushioning buffer, whichsoftly interposes between our boat and external obstacles. But beware: precisely becausethey are continuously exposed to rubbing and knocks, fenders should also be protected, toensure maximum protection for our boat, both during mooring phases, duringits stay, and while other boats approach our hull to moor themselves. Butwhat are the concrete advantages provided by fender covers? Let’s see why they are not at all
a superfluous accessory.

What Are Fender Covers For?

Here are the main advantages of “dressing” your fenders with special socks:
The Hull Stays Clean: those new to the boating world might not
have noticed it, but just walk along the docks of any tourist port to realize
that often, right at the height of the fenders, there are stripes or stains on the hulls of boats,
left by the fenders themselves; which, although called to
protect the hull, end up during their continuous rubbing to superficially damage
the hull, leaving traces of rubber or dirt, or even creating
abrasions. Well, with fender covers this problem is eliminated, or
at least drastically reduced;

The Overall Aesthetics of the Boat: just take a look at our berths to
realize that fender covers come in all colors. Sure, the classics are navy blue, but there are also black, burgundy, gray, beige, red models, and so on.
In fact, these elements allow the boat to have a particularly well-groomed appearance,
by matching, for example, colors present elsewhere;
The Old Fender Becomes New: there are fenders that, after years of service, no matter how much they are cleaned with nautical detergent and elbow grease, remain
“ugly.” Well, with fender covers all bumpers, inflatable or not, become
like new again, also adding a renewed reactive capacity against impacts;
More Silence: many do not know, but it must be said that covering fenders with fender cover socks
makes these protections quieter. As we know,during mooring the main disturbance is given by the possible “springs,” it must be said that eventhe continuous rubbing of a fender on the hull can be annoying for those staying inside.Well, thanks to the peculiar fabrics used to make fender covers, these
noises are minimized.

Choosing Fender Covers: the Right Size and Ideal Material
On the market, you can find fender covers in various shapes. And this certainly should not
surprise: the fenders themselves come in different shapes and sizes, from cylindrical to
spherical, small and large. The advice when purchasing fender covers is therefore to
check the actual compatibility with your protections, knowing that in the case of the most
well-known brands – such as Polyform and Majoni – it will be very easy to find socks of the
perfect size.

As for the material, it is good to know right away that there are different alternatives, among socks
in polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, or neoprene. Each of these materials hasdifferent characteristics, with advantages in terms of price, resistance, aesthetic result,and so on. Neoprene fender covers, for example, are very resistant to ultraviolet rays,
seawater, and tears, perfectly cushioning rubbing noises and
can typically be used on both sides; acrylic ones are very elegant,
resist mold, water, and sun, and are easy to put on and take off, being
machine washable at low temperature.

Fender Cover Maintenance
Let’s say it right away: maintaining fender covers is simple and quick. Certainly, a boater
does not want to add new elements to their boat that require continuous care!
It is enough to remember to clean the fenders and dry them before covering them with these socks, which
can be quickly cleaned with fresh water and nautical detergent,
or possibly in the washing machine.