Weight of fender and panel

Tension chains hold

in the top of the
fender.
Support chains hold
up the weight of the
fender and panel.
Fender
Fender panel
Take away the
tension chains
and the top of
the fender is
unsupported
and moves out.
Take away the
support chains
and the weight
of the fender is
unsupported
and it drops
down.
Note: All displacements
exaggerated for clarity.

Note the carefully
tensioned chains
Standard cell
fender design
with steel fender
panel and low
friction facing.
and this is the
outer part of the
cell fender (the bit
attached to the
fender panel) after
the typhoon.