Should stern fenders be BSS inspected?

Published: Thursday, 28 January 2010

With the tragic accident of the lady going over the stern rail, which is the second such accident you have reported, isn't it about time the Boat Safety  Scheme included inspection of the stern fender? Writes James Henry.

I am sure many of your readers have seen the state, and even non existence of stern fenders, leaving similar accidents waiting to happen as the rudder hits a solid object and swings the tiller over with the steerer going into the water, then most likely onto the propeller.

By side of tiller

I actually witnessed such an incident when a boat was attempting to turn around at Fradley Junction, a few locks away from where a Canaltime steerer met his death in similar circumstances at Alrewas.  This was a Challenger hire boat and the steerer was of course standing by the side of the tiller when he reversed back into the wall with the rudder hitting it, swinging the tiller over and in he went. Somehow he grabbed the rail and another man on the deck dragged him out.  But he could easily have gone under the boat and been caught in the prop.

I saw the foreign boats at the IWA show and at Sawley Marina that were clearly failing in respect of protecting the rudder, with one Polish boat having a lift up solid stern fender, (handy for demolishing lock gates!) and if left in the 'up' position would be downright lethal.  But of course those new builders do not realise what they are doing, with one particular one having outlets stuck on the outside of the hull which would be ripped off after the first day's cruising.

And I'm sure many will remember your picture of the one with the tiller fastened on with rivets.  And even rubbing strakes riveted on with protruding ends. (One can be seen in Pam Pickett's photograph.)

It all leaves me to believe that it urgently needs a boat building standard setting down, enforceable in law, as to my mind these foreign imports can be dangerous, especially with rudder protection.