Best "automatic" boat hook?

Fergus

Fergus

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 Aug 2004
Messages
1,212
Location
Poole
Visit site
Not sure what they are called - enable you to pick up a mooring without having to thread a line through the buoy hoop manually. I've seen several at widely differing costs. I need to get one for single-handed mooring pickup, e.g. in Alderney (they don't all have bights attached). Thanks for any suggestions!
 
Automatic Mooring Hooks

We bought one from Salty John, then had it rivetted onto a suitable boat hook. Spliced on a short nylon warp 16mm diam. - works a treat and can easily hold the boat in moderate conditions. Ideal for picking up/connecting to those mooring buoys with a ring on top.

(see also Wichard brochure on line)

Cheers,

Michael.
 
Fergus said:
Not sure what they are called - enable you to pick up a mooring without having to thread a line through the buoy hoop manually. I've seen several at widely differing costs. I need to get one for single-handed mooring pickup, e.g. in Alderney (they don't all have bights attached). Thanks for any suggestions!
Click to expand...

I'm saving for a Davey "Grabit". A hundred and seventy quids' worth of aluminium bronze beauty.
 
hi Fergus i use and swear by a device called "handy duck" not cheap but real handy,it's an extending pole with an automatic jaw in the hook part you tie a line onto the hook and smack it down onto the ring or cleat then pull the pole that leaves the hook and line attached,hook has 2 ton breaking strain,good enough for short stay.Kind Regards.Ronnie.
 
I have two boat hook gadgets - a Davey's Grabit and something called a St Vaast hook. They don't get used that much, especially on buoys that have a ring that lies flat so you can't easily get the hook under it.

Most of the time just lassooing the buoy (from the cockpit if single-handed) works as well as anything.
 
I bought a mooramatic thingy for the visitor bouys at Millport - - - - turns out the eye on the mooring bouy is too bloody small !!!!!!!!!!!
 
Ubergeekian said:
Gives an error when you click on the products link and when you correct the spelling mistake in the link to their UK distributor you find a site with no prices. I hope they are better at making boat hooks than they are at selling them.
Click to expand...

Well I got no error and went straight to the site!
I have had one of these for about 4 years now and often use it single handed. It is indeed brilliant and not at all difficult to use. Most chandlers stock them (I know it's in the Force 4 catalogue) at about £70 Not cheap but just the best I have found having tried many.
 
"Inherited" 2 with the boat- one a Handy Duck, as mentioned by others, the other a Moorfast. Both OK, but TBH neither used very often- again as others, tend to use bog standard boathook or lasso with a bight of rope.

Link to the second:

http://www.moorfast.com/
 
Last edited:
this isnt going to be much help !
Think it was a best buy on one of the mags some time ago, and its from Channel Isles, and you can either buy just the grabber bit, or with a pole too. Was about £12-15 + few quid delivery and works very well.
Now.. if you find what its called... ;)
Or I can look this w.e at the boat
edit.. reckon it was swifie-matic . Think at the time it was only available direct, but seems to be on general sale, at at higher price these days! You do need to "hit" the mooring ring with enough force to sping open the boot hook jaws.
 
Last edited:
gjgm said:
this isnt going to be much help !
edit.. reckon it was swifie-matic . Think at the time it was only available direct, but seems to be on general sale, at at higher price these days! You do need to "hit" the mooring ring with enough force to sping open the boot hook jaws.
Click to expand...

Mine's wifey matic too, but less expensive, I just send her forward with the boathook and when she catches it she walks it back to me along with the tail of the rope. Works nearly every time.
 
Ubergeekian said:
Gives an error when you click on the products link and when you correct the spelling mistake in the link to their UK distributor you find a site with no prices. I hope they are better at making boat hooks than they are at selling them.
Click to expand...

I got the error too, but like you found a way round it. I even checkedsome of the distributors but none claimed to stoch the item. May be good but I really can't be bothered trying to find out more if the manufacturer and distributor don't care either.
 
maxi77 said:
I got the error too, but like you found a way round it. I even checkedsome of the distributors but none claimed to stoch the item. May be good but I really can't be bothered trying to find out more if the manufacturer and distributor don't care either.
Click to expand...

Try here.
 
Fergus said:
Not sure what they are called - enable you to pick up a mooring without having to thread a line through the buoy hoop manually. I've seen several at widely differing costs. I need to get one for single-handed mooring pickup, e.g. in Alderney (they don't all have bights attached). Thanks for any suggestions!
Click to expand...

I have one of these...
http://www.biltema.fi/osteri/data/webpics_all/Web images Sorted/25/huge/25-326_h.jpg
It's just the bracket which you have to rivet to your own boat hook or whatever plus the hook.
8.99€ which is overpriced anyway materials wise but at that price, who cares... :)

sorry about the web-page language (Finnish) but it's that or Swedish... :)

Sounds incredibly similar to the Salty John offering...
 
Moorfast Works Well

Alrob said:
I bought a mooramatic thingy for the visitor bouys at Millport - - - - turns out the eye on the mooring bouy is too bloody small
Click to expand...

I use the Moorfast. Great bit of equipment. I was out at Millport today, single handed and picked up one of those blue moorings with the shackle that sits flat on the top. It took a couple of attempts, you place the opening against the shackle and then press hard. The mechanism pops through the shackle and you pull back and hey presto the mooring warp has threaded through.
 
pvb said:
Try here.
Click to expand...

Indeed but I got bored after being effectively led astray by trying the manufacturers site first which was in reality a blind alley. I see little point in companies advertising with web sites whick do noy lead the simple punter to a place wher they can actually buy
 
Up here many of the mooring buoys are made up of a large cylinder with a round eye on top. We us a Bosco boat hook for the first attachment - it's very quick. Once attached we have used one of the plastic push and pull hooks happy hooker?, not quite sure which one) to thread the main line through. Unfortunately the plastic on the head didn't stand up to my brute force and ignorance approach, so I'm looking for a replacement. I'll work my way through the recommendations here with interest.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top