Hull Marks from bumpers on my BLACK hull AR 190......

[C Russell]

Good morning.
Just looking for a little advice regarding choice of bumpers for my 2015 AR 190. This is my second season with the boat.
The boat is a BLACK AR 190 that is docked in water for a week at a time when in use. There is quite a bit of boat traffic and the wave 'action' causes repetitive motion of my boat against bumpers. This motion is creating marks on my black hull.
I am on my second set of bumpers. Both have been good quality and super soft. First set was white (big mistake) for leaving whitish marks on hull; however, second set I bought black (super soft) Dockmate bumpers and the same thing is happening- just to a lesser degree than the white ones....
I have changed my spot on the dock and the orientation of my boat in relation to the waves to see if it would make a difference. Not a fix....
I also have been very vigilant to ensure tension on ropes to cleats is appropriate and have even experimented with tension adjustments at various times to see if I make things better using this approach.
I used the 3M system to buff out the marks and it worked really well.
For this upcoming season here up North, I'd like to come up with a solution that will keep my boat hull marks to minimum.
--- Am I the only one with a dark hulled 190 / 192 with this problem? There are other boats that have dark hulls tied up where I'm at using cheap as hell bumpers that are hard and there is not a scratch on their hulls..
I have looked at how they have tied up to see if they are doing something different than I am and truthfully they are not.
Is there a brand of bumper out there that someone uses which is far better than Dockmate(s)? Has anyone put a fleece sleeve over the bumper(s) to see if that helps?
The next step would be Whips or a lift... I can't do a 4 point tie off based on our docking arrangement.
Useful suggestions are much appreciated.

I do realize that my boat hull is going to get some marks over the course of time.
It does not have to be 100% perfect; however, I sincerely did not anticipate hull marks from decent black bumpers. If super soft Dockmates are not considered good quality, then maybe this is my primary mistake (they were what was recommended to me by seasoned boaters in my area who have boats far more expensive than mine ie. nautiques, mastercrafts, etc....)??
I know taking my boat out of the water each and every time is probably the best solution. Many will likely cringe at the thought of leaving their boat in water overnight. We choose to leave it in for convenience during times of use. Hoping that any responses I get aren't too heavily critical of me for leaving boat in water and instead could focus on a reasonable solution for me to try out.
Thanks in advance to those who choose to reply.

 

[haknslash]

Sounds like some whips would help since you're in an area with a lot of boat traffic.

 

[Seadeals]

I do recall people talking about fender covers, which would be worth a shot. There seem to be many material options: nylon, Lycra, polyester, and polartec polar fleece. Search boat fender covers.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Micro marring of the gelcoat will continue no matter what type of fender cover you use. I would try a fleece fender cover along with trying to tie up the boat away from the dock by using whips or pilings out in the water. Depending on your dock type, you might be able to mount the fenders or a rubber dock edge ON THE DOCK in such a manner to hit the boats rub rail only.

 

[d_coyne1984]

What type of dock do you have? I typically keep mine on a covered lift which is definitely the way to go, but when I know I am going to be taking the boat back out I'll just tie up to the dock. I have cedar docks with steel poles that stick out on the outside. I use a 2x4 with the perimeter dock edging bumpers (Overtons.com) clamped to the exterior of the pole. With this setup spaced 8' apart, only my rubrail touches the bumpers. This is very similar to what I have:

 

[d_coyne1984]

Here's another:

 

[McMark]

I use the roll of carpet protector that you get at lowes to protect the hull from stone chips when I do a long tow. Maybe a piece of that applied where the fenders rub would work. Just put it on like window tint and squeegee and I bet you wouldn't event see the protector. Not sure how easy or hard it would be to remove at the end of the season so you will have to experiment. I usually only leave it on a day or two for towing and I wax underneath it first to allow it to come off easy.

 

[C Russell]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have bought some Taylor Made bumper covers from an online marine store and they work perfect. No marks. I wish I had known this earlier and I would have purchased them out of the gate; however, being a new boat owner I didn't know they existed. I really appreciate each of you taking the time out to answer my question. Have a great July 4th weekend.