Extending Boathook

[Quandary]

When assisting boats through the canal here,some of my customers prefer that I lift the shore lines with a boathook rather than have them throw them up, so I carry one of those telescopic alloy boat hooks for the purpose, I tend to lose at least one every year but my current one has lasted a whole season, perhaps because it is finished in bright red powdercoat. Its extending feature makes it easy to stow and carry on the bike or in the car.
You twist one section within the other to release, extend and lock it but the thing is jammed solid, won't shift, even when I put it in the vice. I have no idea what goes on inside. It is not salt as it rarely seas the sea.and is a bit young for corrosion. There is a lmit to how much force that can be used as the hook is held to the lightweight tube with a couple of rivets. I suspect that if I soak it with easing fluid it might extend but then not be usable.
Before I discard it I decided to ask if anyone has experienced and solved this problem.

 

[stuartwineberg]

Its usually aluminium corrosion. I have seen recommendations to pour boiling water into jammed part. It might be useful to apply some heat to the outer part some distance from the joint in the hope the outside expands faster than the inside. I am sure you will get more informed suggestions shortly

 

[ashtead]

Would pouring some oil for stuck bolts etc assist. I have a small can of 3in1 oil designed with this purpose in mind. Otherwise why not try soaking in your next hot bath ? I have a useful short boathook acquired for use in a dinghy . Just need to fix some brackets to hold it under the seat.

 

[James_Calvert]

An extending boathook that won't move?

That's great, don't mess with it!

It's now as good as a solid one.

 

[ctva]

It will probably be a plastic cam (dismantled several). Try a vibration source on it while twisting, hammer drill etc..

 

[lw395]

Apply twisting force and give it a sharp tap along its length, e.g. by banging the end on the ground.
Works most times for a telescopic pruning thingy I've got.
Try twisting it the other way....

 

[Boathook]

I feel like that I'm being attacked .................

Boiling water, oil, being twisted seems like torture !

To the OP; you could drill out the rivets and try to see what is happening inside the offending item. I suspect that the rivets are only aluminium ones.

 

[Crazy-Diamond]

The idea of the extending boat hook is great - until they fail to extend or retract. I gave up with mine and enjoyed making a full length wooden one myself. Total expenditure about £15.

 

[Mistroma]

Forget the oil, use diesel instead if you want it to penetrate. I don't think it will damage the innards with short exposure. Hot water would be good first step but you would need to dry it out before trying diesel. Might be better to try diesel and then hot water later.

 

[Quandary]

I have three boat hooks, only one of them is extendable, try riding a bike with a full length one across the handlebars!
I need the telescopic qualities because of what I do.

Going to try Chris vibration idea first, once I devise a suitable vibrator, failing that I will get in the bath with it, I am unlikely to try the lubrication suggeations.

 

[rogerthebodger]

try riding a bike with a full length one across the handlebars!

Tie it along the crossbar of the bike

 

[ashtead]

Surely rig fore and aft on the crossbar as a cycling bowspirit ?

 

[Catalina36]

Fascinating stuff. Until all this started I'd never heard of an extending boathook.

Tomorrow, why you might ever need one.

 

[salar]

I have similar, and every Winter I forget to take it out of the cockpit and every Spring I have the ritual of freeing it. A combination of penetrating oil, boiling water, twisting and pulling eventually frees it every time.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Ours lives below decks except when in use. Seems to be better for it.

 

[GrahamP]

This is how I repaired a boat hook that had seized in its fully closed position...
Remove stopper from end and cut pipe about 5cm from the end with a plumbing pipe cutting tool.
Cut the 5cm piece with a hacksaw to get it free from the jammed mechanism.
Slide back together, replace stopper and you now have a slightly shorter working boat hook.

 

[Quandary]

Sorted
The hot bath did not work but I got the rubber handle off the end, prised out the plastic stopper and revealed the jammed plastic cam device which had been pushed too far up the tube, Tapped it free with a bit of dowel down the centre, twists and releases, twist the other way to lock. It looked as if the inner tube had been pushed too far into the outer causing the jam. Sweiled (is that a word in english?) some pvc tape round the inner tube to restrict the closure and hopefully discourage future jamming. I am still convinced that lubrication was not the answer, while it might have released the jam it might never have locked again.
Job Done (for now)
My thanks for all the advice particularly Chris (CTVA)who revealed the secret.

Edit In Ireland you sweil tape or bandages round hockey sticks ,tennis rackets or cut fingers, in England it apparently means swelled.