Best Boat Hook?

TiggerToo

TiggerToo

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we lost half of ours last Sat trying to pull out a mooring bridle in a fast flowing spring tide.

What replacement would you advise?
 
Buy at least 2 for starters! And as cheap as chips. Get a couple of plastic end pieces & a couple of stout broom poles. Then if it breaks again, the end will float & you only need to replace the stick.


BTW, I train my crews to let go of them before they either break or the crew goes over the side. Once released they usually float free & can be recovered for a second go at the mooring - or better still, another mooring in slack water somewhere nearby. I've had my two for over 20 years without breakage, but they have been rescued a few times.
 
One that doesn't split into two halves? :)

Mine are solid wooden poles with gunmetal twin-hook heads. I don't know what timber. They're a little shorter than I'd like (have to fit on the cabin top) but are ok given our low freeboard. Length apart, I like the style and much prefer them to a collapsible aluminium job.

EDIT: And as Searush says, you need at least two. Otherwise what do you use to fish out a dropped one?

Pete
 
As long as you can store on board-think mines about 9 foot-although I do have a high freeboard to deal with.
Plastic ends are probably better than metal because better they break than pull you over side.
 
Boat Crook from Mylor Chandlery. Shepherd's Crook design, steel hook on plastic coated aluminium pole. Superb !
 
ffiill said:
As long as you can store on board-think mines about 9 foot-although I do have a high freeboard to deal with.
Plastic ends are probably better than metal because better they break than pull you over side.
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Just let go, it is quite easy to do & then you can stay on the boat & the pole won't break. :cool: I really don't understand this need to hold onto a boat hook until a minor irritation becomes a complete disaster. :(
 
The handiest and strongest boathook I've ever had is made from an extending ceiling roller pole with a Plastimo black nylon boathook fitting attached to the end where the paint roller would normally go. Total cost about £15. The one I have is made by Harris and has a yellow GRP outer and an aluminium alloy inner. It is very strong. The last "marine" telescopic boathook I had buckled when I tried to use it to lift a waterlogged pick-up buoy at full reach.
See http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/607340
 
Searush said:
J I really don't understand this need to hold onto a boat hook until a minor irritation becomes a complete disaster. :(
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People don't always act as logically as you might wish and they do hang onto things. Perhaps some people just don't like to give up easily.

I remember seeing some horrific newsreel footage years ago of three of ground-handlers of the airship USS 'Akron' being carried aloft when the airship suddenly became too light and ascended rapidly. Two fell to their deaths and one managed to secure himself to the rope and was hauled into the airship.
 
A tip for boat hooks that will float end up, for example, a wooden spar with a metal hook on the end. Paint the end of the spar (about 6") in a bright colour. It makes it easy to spot if dropped over board.
 
Searush said:
Just let go, it is quite easy to do & then you can stay on the boat & the pole won't break. :cool: I really don't understand this need to hold onto a boat hook until a minor irritation becomes a complete disaster. :(
Click to expand...
My usual problem is I have been out 10 hours single handed and quite f.... so when after circling a suitable mooring several times and allowed for wind and current;I put the engine out of gear;leave my pilot house steering postion;head towards the bow;pick up the ready boat hook and try to catch the pick up bouy /latch the eye with my patent eye threader.
At this point I do not want to have to try again so often foolishly I lean ever further over my solid guard rail!!
Also there are places such as the moorings off Kyleakin where if the tide is running if you miss your chance you dont get another one.
We do silly things-sure you will have all read the article(YBW front page) of French Lady who was rescued after falling over side whilst having a pee!
 
KAL said:
We bought an exe bouy hook recently. Very pleased with it.
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+1 (actually +2 because I have a spare at home.)
Nicely made, strong, floats, comfortable, not too heavy.
The spare boat hook on board is a collapsible boat hook for stowage. I wouldn't recommend a collapsible for the main boat hook.
 
Boathook Stowage

For convenient, simple and cheap boathook stowage I use plastic waste pipe from B & Q. Cut to length and attached to the pulpit (or elsewhere if you wish) using cable ties.
 
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