With all the renovations and upgrades being done to marinas, now is a great time to upgrade your own slip with these great bumpers. Just imagine NOT having the hassle of taking your fenders ON and OFF every time you go in and out of your slip. Not to mention, if you or your first mate are tired of having your fenders constantly riding up on the docks and getting your hull marked up or worse—dinged up, requiring expensive hull rub-outs or repairs. NOMAR Bumpers offer a great solution to these problems, whether you have a big boat in a small slip if you do a lot of single handling or you just want to make life easier for your spouse or friends who are tired of jumping off a moving boat onto a shaky, skinny dock.

These new NON-MARRING bumpers mount on your dock, making hassling with fenders a thing of the past. Not only is the new style of bumper extremely durable, it is also removable so you can take it with you if you move. Now available in three mounting formats to help you protect your most treasured investment.

For more information and a free price quote, just give them a call at (800) 501-0607 or visit them on the Internet at www.holmesms.com or better yet, see them at the Big Seattle Boat Show, Booth 4913 on the Concourse.

NOMAR FENDERS

If you own a boat in the Pacific Northwest or on the west coast for that matter, the weather of late has most certainly gotten your attention and one of the most worrisome problems is how is what's going on with your boat at 3 a.m. when one of those really big gusts rocks your house. So are you tired of having your fenders constantly riding up on the docks, getting your hull marked up or worse? Paying for expensive hull rub-outs or repairs? Well we have great news for you. Imagine not having the hassle of taking your fenders on and off every time you go in and out of your slip.

GRANGER MARINE PRODUCTS is now manufacturing a new style of dock bumper. These new non-marring bumpers mount on your dock, makes hassling with fenders a thing of the past. Not only is this new style of bumper extremely durable, it is also removable so you can take it with you if you move. Now available in three mounting formats, to help protect your investment.

Nomar Bumpers will work on wooden docks with the planking going either parallel or perpendicular to the face boards. Face boards need to be at least eight inches wide to support the back of the bumper. They will work on concrete docks that have a wooden face board.

A new, heavy-duty approach to protecting your boat at the dock.

In olden days, you got a disapproving look or comment from proper yachtsmen if you called a "fender" a "bumper." And it was bad form to mill about the harbor with your fenders hanging over the side.

Of Practical Sailor's half dozen nautical dictionaries, all but one fails to recognize the word "bumper." However, the one that does—by way of the terse phrase "also called bumper"—is Rene de Kerchove's respected International Maritime Dictionary. Therefore, with de Kerchove's approval, PS feels it's OK for Joe Holmes to call the products he builds and sells bumpers.

The product—"Nomar bumpers"—are for attachment to wood, concrete, steel or aluminum docks, so that when you foul up the approach to your slip, you won't suffer the usually terrible penalty. (Once, while entering a slip we'd occupied for several seasons, the boat skinned an outer piling, and, with a horrifying noise like shattering glass, the rusty head of an old, hither-to-unnoticed spike cut a deep, three-foot-long groove through the-gelcoat and into the fiberglass.)

Nomar bumpers won't prevent that kind of disaster, but they'll allow you to scrape the dock with little or no adverse effect.

The Nomars come in 3-or 4.5-foot sections. The 3-footer has a void in the foam that permits it to be wrapped around a corner. Both sizes are beautifully made, with cores of high-density polyethylene, closed-cell foam, the heaviest woven polyester fabric covers PS has ever seen, 2-inch webbing straps, and all stainless hardware. (The fabric, with a tensile strength of 136,000 lbs., can't be sheared; it's done with a thermal cutter that also seals the edges and prevents fraying.)

After the foam is shaped, it's inserted in a plastic sleeve that provides waterproofing. The webbing straps are run through slots in the foam and the sleeve (which is sturdier than sewing), and the end is sewn shut.

Joe told PS that it's very easy to attach a Nomar or two to a wooden dock, no matter which way the planks run. Attaching to a concrete dock is usually more difficult, and if the concrete dock has a steel frame, it may involve drilling holes to first attach a wood plank.

"A bonus is that if you change docks or move to a different marina, you can take the Nomars with you," explained Joe.

Considering that the Nomar bumpers seem close to indestructible, that's a reasonable statement. (The repair or replace warranty is for five years.)

The four-foot Nomar sells for $99.95 with straps, $89.95 without. The three-footer goes for $89.95 or $79.95. Joe and Eva also offer kits of stainless hardware (screws, washers, bolts, web loops) to fit any dock configuration.

PMY Tries... Nomar Marine Dock Bumpers

Whether docking or sitting in their slips, many boats have been spared damage thanks to fenders tied at strategic locations along a bowrail or cleats. But it gets to be a total drag taking the fenders off each time you go for a cruise, only to have to tie them back on when going back to port.

Granger Marine Products has developed a new style of permanent, padded dock bumpers that eliminates the need for fastening by bolts, staples, screws, or nails.

Its heavy-duty Nomar Bumpers (made from the same materials NATO security forces use for tent bivouacs) feature D-ring fasteners with heavy-duty nylon straps (like those on motorcycle helmets) that wrap around the dock to create a secure fit. And because of their purported ease of use with no permanent fasteners, they can be removed and are approved for use at many public marinas. If you choose, they can be installed at your own dock with permanent fasteners.

A West Coast PMYer agreed to install the bumpers at his slip in Washington, where he keeps his 25-foot Tiara. He reports "When bumping the dock even lightly with conventional fenders they tend to bounce my boat away from the dock...these simply absorbed the impact but allowed my boat to lay up against the dock without damage.

Four-and-a-half-foot-long bumpers start at $99 each with straps and $89 without. They're available through the company's Web site.

It�s the best ideas that make you wonder, �Why didn�t they think of that before?� Nomar Bumpers from Holmes Marine Specialties provide such a convenient and practical alternative to traditional boat fenders that you�ll be amazed you went without them for so long.

Unlike regular fenders, Nomar Bumpers mount directly to your dock, keeping your hull safe from marks and scratches. They can be removed, though, should you decide to cruise elsewhere.

Made of high-density foam encased in plastic, and covered with heavy-duty, durable polyester, Nomar Bumpers are built strong to stand up to the harsh marine environment.