What Fender??

[JD]

I was searching for something totally different and came across this photo of a fender:-



Besides looking like Bob's Beard, does this fender have a name, and how did they make it?

[Sweeney]

This may be similar to Ashley's description of how he came to discover his stopper knot. Thinking he had seen something new he set out to replicate it  - but the original turned out to be a simple figure 8, well worn. Might be the same here in that this probably started out as a large bow fender which has become gradually shredded over time. A friend of mine is a professional fender maker but I can't see him starting out to make a fender like that!

Barry

[SS369]

Indeed it is huge! But it looks ice covered and maybe that is adding to the bush of the "beard"?

SS

[squarerigger]

The 'beard' is made by adding thrums (lengths of teased line, added to the half-hitching face after construction) to the half-hitched fender covering.  The thrums help to reduce the wear on the half-hitching.

SR

[JD]

I found a modern photo of the Chancellor here:



It looks like she has a similar fender. More information is here http://www.towingline.com/archives/4891938 Waterford tugboat under repair for Hudson River parade

[JD]

The internet is such a great place for finding out information.

The right hand boat is:-
USS Quileute (YTB?540), later YTM-540, was a United States Navy harbor tug in service from 1945 to ca. 1974.

Quileute was laid down 17 February 1945 by the Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation at Morris Heights, the Bronx, New York, and launched on 14 May 1945. She was placed in service on 16 October 1945 with the 3rd Naval District at New York City as the large harbor tug USS Quileute (YTB-540).

Quileute began active duty for the 1st Naval District at Boston, Massachusetts, in March 1946. In February 1962, she was reclassified as a medium harbor tug and redesignated YTM?540. She remained active with the 1st Naval District into at least 1970.

    [1970-1974]

Quileute was sold for scrapping on 1 March 1974.