#1463: BumperBuoys

Inspired by Eureka Magazine’s coffee-time challenge, today’s invention is a system for making sure that fenders are at the right height when a boat is brought into moor on a choppy sea.

This is apparently a particular problem for small boat owners who don’t want either to damage their vessel or clothe it in a huge area of impact-absorbing bumpers.

It takes the form of conical, hard foam deck seats which nest into one another for storage when not being sat upon. Half the seats contain a little sand, making them just heavier than sea water (the other half are just less dense than sea water).

On approaching a jetty, one of each type can be slotted together to form a pair and tipped overboard, attached by a cable.

These devices stay upright, floating on the water, and guarantee that the boat will avoid above and below water impacts.