Boat hook securing clips

[prv]

I've seen this done on the old Cornish Yawl.

That's exactly what I have . I believe other Crabbers boats use the design as well though.

I thought it was a neat solution at first. But then I thought, "when you are using your boathook, you have no hand rail, probably at a time (reaching for a buoy) when you might really want one". Has htis ever been a problem?

I have never (on this or any other boat) wanted to hang onto coachroof-top handrails while wielding a boathook. Forestay yes, shrouds yes, knees-against-the-pulpit (on other boats) yes, but not a coachroof rail at calf height and aft of the mast. I can't imagine this ever being a problem.

To be honest I rarely use the handrails at all, since I can go from cockpit to runners to shrouds to forestay all at arms' width. When I do use the rails, it's only when creeping forward closehauled in a reasonable sea, and I'm not going to require a boathook at that point (before someone asks, MOB recovery happens from the cockpit).

Pete