About Us

Trafalgar Marine Services was founded by Paul Dawson in 2003 after recognising a growing problem on the UK waterways: boat builders were producing more craft than traditional fender makers could supply. Paul had learned ropework years earlier at High Storrs School in Sheffield, and after working in the diesel‑heating industry, he decided to put those skills to use and begin manufacturing rope fenders full‑time.

From the start, Trafalgar Marine Services focused on consistency and durability. Paul developed a unique method of moulding fender cores from recycled rubber crumb — a cleaner, more reliable solution than the rolled tyre sidewalls, rope bundles or carpet fillers used elsewhere. This innovation remains at the heart of our fender production today.

In 2005, Michael Dawson joined the company after studying Computing at Manchester Metropolitan University. He established our online presence through our website and eBay, helping us ship more than eight thousand orders directly to customers across the UK. In 2019, we expanded further by launching on Amazon, bringing our products to an even wider boating community.

Over the years, we’ve proudly supplied some of the country’s largest boat builders, wholesalers and retailers. Our trade customers rely on us for dependable quality, honest pricing and consistent supply. If you’d like our latest Trade Price List, please contact us.

We continue to innovate wherever possible — designing specialised machinery, refining production processes and reducing waste. Alongside our rope fenders, we also extrude a recycled PVC side fender that performs like rubber while offering a more environmentally responsible alternative.

Our goal remains the same as it was in 2003: to produce quality rope fenders at a reasonable price, built for real boats on real waterways.