We're tied alongside the canal here in Haarlem, Netherlands. It's getting windy from the northwest, pushing us against the stone wall. Knowing the forecast I had hoped to find a spot on the opposite bank, but there wasn't anything suitable for us. It isn't a big deal, as no seas will build up, but I do hate having our plastic fenders (both standard and ball type) grind and get squished. I did rig our fender board to lessen any chafe on the fenders against the stone.

Id love to find something to use in this circumstance to help the fenders once they've compressed to a certain extent. It would need to be say 6" diameter or so. A rope fender would work well, but they seem hard to come by or quite expensive. A heavy piece of PVC tube hanging vertically might do it. If I had two throwable-type cockpit cushions I was willing to sacrifice they would work too, though might not be too durable. Has anyone found anything that works in this circumstance? Or do you just let the fenders do the job and replace them as necessary?

This is a fascinating country. We got a tour of a windmill in operation, and a sense of the similarities to sailing: the 'sails' have lift, they can be furled, they can be trimmed to different angles to catch more or less wind. We are just starting to learn how the Dutch built dams and reclaimed land, and saw the oldest lock in Europe if not the entire world in Spaardnam. One thing I was never aware of his how tall these folks are - the tallest nationality on the planet. Every day it feels like I see more women taller than me (at 6 ft) than I've probably seen collectively in my entire life.