Bumper Up: The Two Words Before Every Good Landing
Bumper Up: The Two Words Before Every Good Landing
It's late afternoon on the Choptank. The wind has picked up just enough to matter, the transient slip is tighter than it looked on the chart, and there's a freshly waxed 45-footer in the slip next door. Everyone aboard knows what comes next. Somebody grabs the lines, somebody watches the stern, and somebody calls it out: bumper up.
Every crew has its own version of that moment. We think it deserves a name.
What "Bumper Up" means
"Bumper Up" is the call before contact. It's the last check before your boat meets a dock, a piling, a lock wall, or another hull. It means your fenders are out, sized right, and hanging where the hull actually needs them, not where they happened to land when you tossed them over the rail.
It's also a mindset. The best landings aren't lucky. They're prepared, and the preparation starts before you ever see the slip.
Why the call matters
Most hull damage doesn't happen in dramatic moments. It happens in ordinary ones: a gust at the wrong second, a wake rolling through the marina, or a lock wall that's rougher than it looks. A fender that's too small or hung too high turns an ordinary moment into a gelcoat repair.
That's why we build our bumpers big: up to 12 feet long and 24 inches in diameter, so the hull meets one continuous surface instead of a gap between two small fenders. When the day is done, they deflate and pack down to fit the same locker as everything else aboard. Protects big. Stows small.
How to Bumper Up
Before you arrive: Look at the dock or wall you're approaching and decide which side you'll tie up on. Set your fenders at the height where your hull will actually make contact.
On approach: Make the call. "Bumper up" tells everyone aboard that fenders are set and it's time to focus on lines.
At the dock: Recheck once you're tied up. Tides, wakes, and wind shift things, and a fender that was perfect at arrival can ride up by evening.
Not sure what size your boat needs? Our Size Matters chart matches fender size to boat length, and you can see the full lineup here.
Show us your Bumper Up
Whether you're rafting up at the sandbar, locking through on the Great Loop, or sliding into a tight transient slip, we want to see it. Tag your photos #BumperUp and we'll share our favorites.