Tag Archives: live aboard

Completed fender covers.

Dressing Up Our Fenders

Every boat has fenders, so what makes them special?  Sugar Shack came with lots of fenders – really big ones!  It’s always good to have solid fenders and the bigger the better.  Fenders are used when entering a marina, pulling up to a dock, and any time you need protection for your boat.  We’ve pulled them out when a boat was dragging and coming down on us, we’ve used them for fun and games (think “wrecking ball” when you see image below).

Wrecking Ball on the Seas.

Wrecking Ball on the Seas.

In San Blas, we have 3 fenders out on the side of the boat so the pangas, ulus and dugouts don’t damage our boat when they come to sell us fruits, veggies, lobster, and molas.

The fenders have been working great and have protected our hulls from many potential impacts.  However, as the fenders get used, they get dirty.  When they are dirty, they transfer that dirt and other marks onto the hulls.  Which sucks.  So, we have been meaning to do fender covers for a very long time. Matt purchased and brought 50’ of blue fleece over 6 years ago along with two more large fenders.  The felt has sat under our master bed ever since.

Until, I got a bug up my butt and decided to do something about it! Matt and I worked on several patterns for the A4 fender which are giant balls (well, funny shaped balls).  We have 4-A4’s and 1-A5.  Many months ago, we tried our hand at making a fender cover using old sunbrella for the A5.  And, although it works, it is hideous.

A5 ugly fender cover attempt #1

A5 ugly fender cover attempt #1

We learned several things, sunbrella sucks as a fender cover, and our measurements were way off.  So, the key was in the pattern.  We made several patterns using shower curtains.  They are cheap, easy to draw on, cut quickly, can be stapled, and gently manhandled into a form.  Unfortunately, it took us a few tries to get what we thought was a decent pattern.  We wrapped it around our A4 and then went to work with the fabric.

First, tracing the pattern on the fabric.  Traced the larger pattern which has the ½” hem and then traced the actual panel inside.

After cutting the fabric, we sowed the panels side to side forming a giant circle.  Then the top and bottom hems were sewed.  We placed the cover, inside out over the ball.  It was close, worked, but not tight enough.  So, we pinned each seam making the cover form fitting, took it off, sewed it up and voila.

A4 Pattern and final product.

A4 Pattern and final product.

Since the first one was so big, we decided to make a new, smaller pattern.  Each ball has 6 panels and there are 4 balls.  With each fender, the covers got better and better.  The 4th ball is on the side of the boat for the pangas.

Once the hard covers are done, we moved on to the “easy” F4s which are tubes for lack of a better description.  Super easy.

We cut 28”x27” piece of fabric (almost a square), hemmed the top and bottom.  Then we wrapped it on the fender, inside out so we could pin the final edge.

Gently scoot the fabric off without popping the pins, then sew her up.  You want them to fit like a glove so that they don’t slip off during use.  Once the cover was completed, we had to squeeze it over the fender – it was very much like putting something on over something unmentionable….

F4 Covers Complete

F4 Covers Complete

The four A4s and eight F4s look great and are now well protected.  The only unfortunate thing is that we ran out of fabric before I could cover the last remaining A5 which happens to be the largest fender and the one we use the most ☹

Instead of enduring the ugly A5 with dirty sunbrella, I decided to use blue sunbrella scraps to make a new A5 cover.  It would not be the same as the others, but it will be closer in color and look a lot better – or so I had hoped.

The sunbrella fabric is not as forgiving as the fleece and does not “mold” to the round shape of the fender well.  However, I was determined. I did my measurements, added 2” and went to work.  Cut out 6 panels, pinned then sewed the sides and tried her on.  Hmph….too short, it did not reach all the way around.  No problem, I added another panel.  Tried again and it fit all the way around.  Good news.  I sewed the top and bottom hem, turned it inside out to try on again, and YUCK.

Matt jumped in as I was on the verge of panic and adjusted it a little.  Several side seams needed to be taken in and then it looked rather good.  But, in order to take in the side seams I had to take out the top and bottom seams (for Pete’s sake!).  So, I removed the top and bottom seams, sewed my new side seams, resewed the top and bottom seams and it is what it is.

A5 Complete

A5 Complete

Boat project: Fender covers complete!

Completed fender covers.

Completed fender covers.

Useful, yet unusual helpful sewing items:

  • Shower curtains for patterns
  • Chalk for outline
  • Binder clips to hold material
Green Island

Gunboat Island

Gunboat Island is a beautiful little island surrounded by reefs making it challenging to get to but worth the risk.  We navigated through the reefs, using the Bauhaus charts with Matt at the helm and me at the bow.   We were the only boat here, giving us a 360-degree view of the San Blas islands.

Green Island

Green Island

Not sure how Gunboat got its name, because we have not seen a gun boat south of St. Barths.  But, none the less, it is a pretty little island with three small huts and one large communal hut.  They do a tour excursions here where you can by a package that includes your ride to the island, your accommodations and 3 meals a day.

It was a peaceful and pleasant evening out on the lido deck as the sun set over our late lunch or early dinner of pulled pork pizza.

A strong storm passed through in the night causing Sugar Shack to do circles around her anchor.  Matt was up and down most of the night ensuring we were not over the reefs.  Lucky for us, we are the only ones here and were able to anchor smack in the middle of the anchorage away from the reefs that surround the Gunboat anchorage.

The next morning started out gloomy and overcast.  The sun was playing hide and seek as we tried to dry everything out.  We were greeted by two Kuna selling molas – unfortunately for them we had already bought one. But they were very nice, showed us their molas and jewelry, asked for candy and were on their way.

Certainly an island we will come back to as it is so picturesque.

Lovin Gunboat:

  • Crystal clear blue waters
  • Reefs to snorkel
  • Clean and friendly beach
Panamarina Anchorage

Isla Linton and Panamarina

There is not much to do in Linton Bay.  No trails to hike, no beaches to explore, and only a few islands close enough to visit by dinghy.  We walked around the very small village of Puerto Lindo, in about 10 minutes and didn’t see much beyond the small huts where people lived.  So, it was time to visit the remaining two areas:  Isla Linton and Panamarina.

Panamarina is small marina just around the corner from Linton Bay Marina where we were anchored.  It lies in a protected mangrove creek and offers moorings and haul out services. So, we hopped in Sweetie and headed toward the area where there is an inlet that takes you directly through the mangroves.  Before you get to the inlet you have to navigate around a reef, which lucky for us was easy to spot with the early morning sun.

The inlet opening was pretty wide with huge mangroves on either side.  It is amazing to see how the roots of the mangroves intertwined with one another to form a strong barrier able to withstand strong storms.

As you continue down the river, the inlet becomes narrower and the mangroves stretch overhead meeting in the center to create a magnificent canopy.  It was so pretty hearing the birds sing and come to life as we moved through their neighborhood.

Beautiful canopy of trees on the way to Panamarina

Beautiful canopy of trees on the way to Panamarina

We weren’t going very fast because we weren’t in a hurry and we did not know how deep the inlet was, so we just enjoyed the ride.

The inlet deposited us into a bay where more than a dozen boats were moored.  We checked out the boats and made our way to the dinghy dock.

Panamarina mooring field.  Photo courtesy of Panamarina website.

Panamarina mooring field. Photo courtesy of Panamarina website.

Ashore, there are two yards.  A short term working yard and long-term storage yard.  Unfortunately, everything was closed as it was Sunday and Christmas Eve.  But it did afford us the opportunity to walk around the property.  Next to the office is a restaurant / bar with a pretty decent looking menu.  It also appears that they have several services available to cruisers such as mechanical, electrical, canvas, and carpentry.

After we returned from Panamarina, we went to visit Isla Linton.  This island is uninhabited except for several monkey families that live in the hills.  The monkeys usually come down to the dock in the afternoon and have invaded the abandoned house near the beach.  We were told that they appear to be friendly at first, but they quickly get agitated when they realize you intend to move on.

When we visited the island it was late morning, early afternoon so we were not expecting a monkey encounter.  We pulled our dinghy onto the tiny beach just in front of the abandoned house.

Abandoned house on Isla Linton

Abandoned house on Isla Linton

There is a lot of brush, weeds, and overgrowth here so it makes it challenging to navigate the shore. But, I found a small worn path and headed to the house where I wanted to find a monkey.  Just one, to take a photo.  The house had a retched smell and was littered with waste, no monkeys – just an old alligator hide tacked onto the wall.

Alligator skin tacked on to wall.

Alligator skin tacked on to wall.

Not much to see on this spec of land, so we took a few shots, howled for the monkeys, and left when our call was not returned.

Matt hiding from me

Matt hiding from me

Exploring Wins and Losses:

  • No monkey
  • Alligator Skin
  • Cool services at Panamarina