You’ve spent all that money on your pontoon boat, so it makes sense that you want to keep it protected whilst in dock or in heavy traffic, perhaps near a beach.

Unfortunately, not every boat owner is as diligent as you, or even cares that much, but if you want to protect your investment, pontoon boat fenders are an absolute must.

Once you have decided which are the best bumpers and fenders for you, and I am assuming you have already purchased some (if not, here are ones I recommend), it’s time to attach them to your pontoon.

The only problem is, how do you do it? Some pontoon boat manufacturers will provide you with pontoon bumper clips, some won’t. And you might even be told you need to drill through your rails to attach your fenders.

I don’t know about you, but I like my rails, and don’t have any inclination to drilling holes through them unless absolutely necessary. But, sometimes you might have to, and in fact, some of the methods I am going to show you do require some drilling – so it’s up to you which attachment method you use.

There are also some great solutions out there which will let you attach your pontoon fenders and bumpers with an easy method, that also means you can attach and detach them quickly and easily when needed without having to drill holes.

First up though, there are 9 different types of pontoon boat fender or bumper available. These are as follows:

  1. Cylindrical fenders
  2. Round cylinders
  3. Transom fenders
  4. Flat fenders
  5. Side fenders
  6. Fence-saver fenders
  7. Corner fenders
  8. Dock fenders
  9. Corner dock wheels

The following guide is for hanging fenders and bumpers which use rope to hang, and are designed to be easily attached and detached. Here’s the first method, followed by some alternatives which don’t require any drilling.

Method 1: Spring Links & Anchor Points

This method for attaching your pontoon fenders does require some drilling, but the drill point will be on the rail supports so won’t be as ugly. Due to the way in which spring links are used, it also means you can quickly un-clip the fender bumpers and store them away when out of dock.

how to attach boat fenders on a pontoon

This DIY method can work very well for attaching and hanging fenders. Image copyright unknown, found on Internet forum.

The attachment method above will work well as long as you don’t use your pontoon boat in a salt water environment as the aluminum rail and zinc in the strap and lag bolts won’t last long salt water. But if you are just pontooning in fresh water, it should be a great solution that costs hardly anything to implement.

If you are in a salt water area, then I would recommend you swap these components out and use stainless steel hardware instead, with a rubber gasket between the rail and bracket.

A further consideration when using this method, is that you might experience some noise from the two metals banging together whilst on the go – especially if you have a sub-woofer on board! To get around that, try dipping them into tool handle rubber.

Method 2: Buy Aftermarket Fender Clips / Cleats

If you weren’t given fender clips when you bought your bumpers or boat, then you can purchase aftermarket ones relatively cheaply. On Amazon it’s possible to buy a pack of 2 plastic ones. See latest Amazon prices on this link.

You can put them anywhere on the pontoon rail, they will not damage your seats, and are rubber coated to protect your boat. They could be money well spent at this low cost. 

But, they might not work on your boat. So, is there another solution?

Method 3: Pontoon Rail Fender Mounts & Adjusters

These are a little more expensive, but come from the Taylor Made company, and have outstanding reviews. You can see these fender hanger and adjuster kit on Amazon.

Are they and good?

Yes, absolutely brilliant, and are the standard if you want a solid solution to attach your pontoon fenders and bumpers.

They are the easiest in my opinion, but they won’t work on all pontoons. If your fence is filled to top rail and seats are tight to the rail and above these might not work. Your next choice is various chocks and loops that you’ll have to screw and bolt to the outside of the top or second from top rail.

Method 4: Fender Clips with No Screwing / Drilling

And finally, a solution for those wanting to know how to attach boat fenders on a pontoon where you might want to place the clips behind seating and furniture.

They are made by a company called Quick Cleat, and as with the Taylor Made clips, have superb online reviews on Amazon.

You don’t have to screw holes into your rails, as these fit over square rails and you then tighten them up into position. The rotary cam design then lets you keep the fender rope secure and locked tight. They are stainless steel too, so shouldn’t corrode in salt water.

Where Should You Store Your Fenders When Underway?

Now that you know how to attach your fenders, what should you do whilst underway out on the water? Some pontooners might tell you just to leave them, but for me, that just looks plain ugly if they are left hanging off the side.

In fact, when I first started pontooning I soon stopped leaving mine hanging, as someone on the lake asked me if I was “new to boating”. I replied, yes, how do you know?

They reply from the experienced pontoon boat owner was; “because rookies always leave fenders on and it’s the sign of a house boater!”

I was a bit embarrassed. I don’t know why. It was probably because I was a total rookie. I am a lot more confident with my pontoon boat now though and would have told the old timer to get lost and it was up to me if the same thing happened today.

Handy Hint: Keep your fenders in excellent condition with regularly cleaning. Here’s how I clean my Taylor Made boat fenders.

But, it’s very much down to personal opinion though. You shouldn’t let someone else’s view on how you hang or attached your pontoon boat fenders inform your own solution.

You can leave them hanging on the side if you want. They won’t hurt anything and whilst I used to fret about my pontoon bumpers it really doesn’t matter. You can leave them.

I am now in the habit of storing them away though and I put mine under my seats. My docking bumpers are tied to my dock skip, they are never removed. I only need bumpers when tying up to another boat. So, for me, that solution works and it’s a habit I am now in.

I have seen alternative solutions for storing pontoon bumpers and fenders whilst out on the water. Here are just a few comments received from other pontoon owners which could give you some inspiration.

“Mine are hooked with ropes and use the railing brackets, I put two on each side and drilled a hole through the bracket and railing and bolted so can’t lose them or have them stolen.”

“We put the two aft behind the captain’s seat and the two forward ones either under one of the forward seats or, if we’re only going a short distance, leave them on the deck.”

“I can adjust mine up or down with a rope lock on the strap, so I just pull them up and leave them on the side of the boat, let them back down when I’m ready to dock.”

“Just let them hang over the side. It’s a pontoon, it really doesn’t matter too much. You can color match fenders or covers make the look nice if you want them to match the overall look and feel of your boat.”

“I put eye bolts on my side rails, then use quick snaps on a short line on my fenders which are stored inside my console. When I dock I snap two on, and when I’m not at the dock, snap them off, open side door on my console, and… boom, out of sight!”

“I put mine on the deck and hang them when docking. I only use two fenders anyway. Sometimes I will also put mine under the seat cushions. We also have a rear sun pad, it lifts straight up with tons of storage under it to store fenders if needed.”

“Our fender bumpers stay on all year round in the water and when we are trailering down the highway. We don’t have rope lines to attach and hold them in, we just have some straps.”

As you can see, there really is no hard and fast rule on how you should store your pontoon fenders once out on the water. Different boat owners do different things.

One thing I would say is, if you do decide to store them away when in operation on the lake like I do, then you might forget about them when it comes to docking.

Out of sight, out of mind is an important consideration, and there have been a couple of occasions when I have forgotten to attach my bumpers and fenders before docking.

If you are forgetful, and this might happen to you, then it’s best to keep the bumpers always on.

You might also be interested in my guide to the best pontoon fender clips. It contains reviews of the very best that are available on the market so you can hang your bumpers with ease… and cheaply too.