Patent ID: 7143714

Claim:
A method of securing a fender system to a water craft including the steps of: securing longitudinally extending at least two rope holders to the hull of the water craft, said rope holders extending substantially the length of the hull being attachable to and being spacable apart vertically from each other, said rope holders each having an outwardly facing longitudinal channel extending the length of each rope holder and a throat which provides a continuous entrance to the longitudinal channel, the throat having a width that is less in dimension than the cross sectional dimension of the channel; providing a bladder and an outer covering for the bladder, said outer covering having opposed longitudinal edges, the first longitudinal edge being folded over to house a bolt rope and the second longitudinal edge being folded over to form a continuous internal channel; attaching the outer covering to the hull by sliding the first longitudinal edge of the outer covering into the channel of the first rope holder; locating the bladder on the outer covering; and inserting the second folded over longitudinal edge of the outer covering into the second rope holder and sliding a rod through the channel formed by the folded over portion of the outer covering to retain the folded-over portion within the second rope holder.