Anyone used this "friendly" yachty grappling hook?

[tudorsailor]

I was already wondering about getting some sort of small grappling hook for help get a line a-shore when I serendipitously saw an advert for a grappling hook designed for boating

http://www.line-a-sure.co.uk/

Anyone used one?

Is it worth the extra money over the not so friendly metal spiky hooks that are on eBay?


TS (no connections with product)

 

[johnalison]

I've been trying terribly hard for several seconds to think of a use for one. Nope. Nothing. If I want to tie to something, I use a line on a cleat. There are no circumstances when I would wish the throw a hook ashore, with the risk of it failing to hook, or landing on someone else's property.

 

[James_Calvert]

I've been trying terribly hard for several seconds to think of a use for one. Nope. Nothing. If I want to tie to something, I use a line on a cleat. There are no circumstances when I would wish the throw a hook ashore, with the risk of it failing to hook, or landing on someone else's property.

Could be handy for recovery if your dinghy, or someone else's goes adrift. Toss it into the bottom, where it should hook up on something, and tow into more sheltered waters to sort out as necessary.

I've used a dinghy anchor in similar circumstances, happily without causing additional damage.

 

[tudorsailor]

A friend said that he uses a fishermans anchor to throw ashore when goes stern to a shore. This is what started me think of the usefulness of a grappling hook

TudorSailor

 

[Hadenough]

So are we talking about - ashore or alongside? I can't think of any circumstance where a grappling hook, of any description would be acceptable for coming alongside. But if we are talking about getting a line ashore I'd go for a good aggressive ebay solution rather than the effete plastic jobbie.

 

[Sailingsaves]

I'd knock one up in MDF and epoxy it or WBP (or is wpb? - water and boil proof) ply wood (not marine ply, too expensive) and then test it.

Should give a reasonable proof of concept at a fraction of the £70 price tag.

"non-aggressive?" chuck that on someone's head or in their gonads and they may consider it aggressive.

Is there a video showing it in use anywhere? If not, that could tell a lot.

 

[tudorsailor]

Given that I have a 3D printer that can print in nylon, seems like an opportunity to make my own! Not sure how strong I can make it however

TS

 

[mainsail1]

I've been trying terribly hard for several seconds to think of a use for one. Nope. Nothing. If I want to tie to something, I use a line on a cleat. There are no circumstances when I would wish the throw a hook ashore, with the risk of it failing to hook, or landing on someone else's property.

I agree. Methinks its another clever but useless idea to clutter up a locker.

 

[Mistroma]

I must admit that I couldn't really think of a use for it and certainly wouldn't consider spending £70 on one. I thought some of the reviews were interesting:

“ The Line-a-Sure is very strong. I towed my friend’s car with it one night out of a flood and there was any sign of stretching of the flukes”.

“…I accidentally ran over my Line-a-Sure with my Land Rover and miraculously it was undamaged apart from a few scratches.”

I wouldn't be surprised if a pretty solid 1kg lump of polymer stood up to this treatment. I wasn't expecting something with flukes and a thin shaft to be quite as strong.

 

[l'escargot]

I bought one a year or two back - second hand but unused - for 12 quid. At that price I thought it would be handy to keep in a locker. It's been handy just for that - keeping in a locker - as I've never found another use for it. I wouldn't be inclined to use it coming alongside, it might be handy for dragging something out the water though. I would find it hard to justify paying full price for one.

 

[LadyInBed]

I have folding grapnells to use for shore lines (on rocks).
Hell of a lot cheaper and can be used as a dingy anchor

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

I use a £12 extending boathook myself but I suppose you could maybe sling this thing over a pontoon if you had to ... I might think about one if it was £15/£20 .... but £70? .... hahahahaha!

 

[smallplasticboat]

I bought one a year or two back - second hand but unused - for 12 quid. At that price I thought it would be handy to keep in a locker. It's been handy just for that - keeping in a locker - as I've never found another use for it. I wouldn't be inclined to use it coming alongside, it might be handy for dragging something out the water though. I would find it hard to justify paying full price for one.

Just wondering if you have any update on this? I'd love to experiment with one as an alternative to a bowthruster, for coming in astern to our rather awkward finger berth. Strikes me that it MIGHT (absent really poor wind conditions) offer a useful nudge to the bows if thrown from there.

 

[Mistroma]

Most if not all comments were along the lines of expensive and useless. The lack of any comments over the last 7 years would seem to indicate it didn't catch on as a "must have".

I had a quick look at the reviews and think that look like ones from 7 years ago. Some are quite funny

I have found another use for it: as it acts as a good snubber for reducing the shock on mooring lines and deck gear thus helping to preserve the hull integrity of new vessels.

A snubber.

…I accidentally ran over my Line-a-Sure with my Landy and miraculously it was undamaged apart from a few scratches.

Land rover's are pretty sturdy, surprised there were any scratches on it at all.
I wonder how the Line-a-sure fared.

 

[Davy_S]

We used to use a home made hook for a particular jetty, it had no cleats or rings, it was a simple piece of re-bar bent at right angle with a ring for a rope, it was used to drop through the gaps on the jetty planking, to hold us temporarily, it worked!

 

[smallplasticboat]

Most if not all comments were along the lines of expensive and useless. The lack of any comments over the last 7 years would seem to indicate it didn't catch on as a "must have".

I had a quick look at the reviews and think that look like ones from 7 years ago. Some are quite funny

I have found another use for it: as it acts as a good snubber for reducing the shock on mooring lines and deck gear thus helping to preserve the hull integrity of new vessels.

A snubber.

…I accidentally ran over my Line-a-Sure with my Landy and miraculously it was undamaged apart from a few scratches.

Land rover's are pretty sturdy, surprised there were any scratches on it at all.
I wonder how the Line-a-sure fared.

Yes, it preserves the hull integrity of new vessels - older vessels are clearly beyond help! More seriously I agree your thoughts about previous reviews and it's certainly expensive - but the "useless" comments all come from scathing non-users, who clearly moor perfectly every time! Not being a perfect sailor, I like any help I can get - and it still occurs to me that the device COULD be really useful. But I'd be reluctant to spend that much on something without input from some folks who had actually tried it out!

 

[fisherman]

Never considered going to sea without one, only small, about 3in diameter, and several simple hookropes as well. Used for grabbing out of reach buoy ropes, pontoon cleats, dinghies, lowering stuff off the quay or picking it up, dredging up lost odds and sods in harbour. However, is a grapnel really necessary? How about a length of flex with a three pin plug on it? I have never managed to walk out of the shed carrying a power tool, without towing half the contents of the shed behind me.

 

[Mistroma]

Yes, it preserves the hull integrity of new vessels - older vessels are clearly beyond help! More seriously I agree your thoughts about previous reviews and it's certainly expensive - but the "useless" comments all come from scathing non-users, who clearly moor perfectly every time! Not being a perfect sailor, I like any help I can get - and it still occurs to me that the device COULD be really useful. But I'd be reluctant to spend that much on something without input from some folks who had actually tried it out!

I think the basic problem is that nobody on the forum bought one and you aren't likely to get feedback from a real user.

I've sailed in Scotland, Ireland and all of Europe between Germany and Turkey over more than 40 years. I can't remember ever thinking that a small plastic grapnel would be incredibly useful. I usually anchor but have been in plenty of marinas and on lots of mooring buoys.


Perhaps someone will come along and let you know that it is really useful in some particular situation.

I've seen plenty of solutions to tricky berths, usually fixed to the pontoon. e.g. Wall to wall fenders, springy poles with loops to hold fixed lines, etc.

 

[LittleSister]

Contrary to many posters, I think such a thing could be handy (especially if it were foldable, and not £70 and/or no longer available).

One use that immediately springs to mind is grabbing (especially when single-handed) those daft mooring hoops on the ends, and sometimes the tops, of French (and some other) pontoon fingers. (The work of the devil!)

I also think we could have fun with a competition for the most imaginative use for one (with categories for both boats and non-boaty uses!

 

[smallplasticboat]

Contrary to many posters, I think such a thing could be handy (especially if it were foldable, and not £70 and/or no longer available).

One use that immediately springs to mind is grabbing (especially when single-handed) those daft mooring hoops on the ends, and sometimes the tops, of French (and some other) pontoon fingers. (The work of the devil!)

I also think we could have fun with a competition for the most imaginative use for one (with categories for both boats and non-boaty uses!

How nice to find another (and indeed equally stingy!) contrarian. Love the idea of your proposed competition. You have reminded me of those daft hoops - notably to be found on the rockiest and least buoyant of finger berths, but sadly in some of the nicest harbours if you can reach shore without actual drowning.

I am damned sure I could do with skills improvement when it comes to backing into tight places with twin (small) rudders - but in the meantime I seek mechanical aids wherever possible!.