I'm a bit lazy taking in the fenders myself sometimes.

When traveling inland and there aren't many waves and not much keeling, there is only aesthetic reasons for taking them in, no practical reasons. Likewise, sometimes I'm going directly from a harbour to an anchorage, planning to return to the harbour again next day, and I often leave the fenders out - but it's very ugly.

But no, we didn't go through the channel with fenders out :)