Great boating gadgets

Torch .... I have changed to rechargeable LED torches that can be plugged into the house socket ... you may think - what's good about that for a boat with 12 or 24V ??

The amount of power needed to charge it - is more than easily done by cheap inverter ... my 15 quid 100w inverter can charge mine up fully charged for when needed.... which funny enough I didn't have one night coming back to my home mooring. Pal and I had been fishing all day on river and it was dark by time we went home. Entrance to my private channel is a remake of African Queen and hard to see at night ... we ended up with mobile phone flashlights trying to find it !!
I now have an LED motorbike spotlight mounted top of the speedboat screen !
 
I got the Robship Hook and Moor over the moorfast type of mooring pole / aid. No experience of the hookfast but the hook and moor is a thing of beauty, the engineering and action is work of art stuff. ~£160.
 
Thinking about mooring aids ... I think the Swedish Mooring pole as I heard various Baltics call it - is a good idea ...

Basically its a rigid mooring line. You have your mooring line made fast to the boat end of the pole. The other end has a sprung loaded jaw with a release line back ..

You reach over, hook onto the buoy ... and leave it hooked on ... set the mooring line on boats cleat...

When you want to leave - you pull the release line to unlock the jaw ...

Saves all that reaching over or trying to lassoo a buoy etc.
 
Ferris said:
I got the Robship Hook and Moor over the moorfast type of mooring pole / aid. No experience of the hookfast but the hook and moor is a thing of beauty, the engineering and action is work of art stuff. ~£160.
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Not being rude but at 160 quid - it ought to be ! My Moorfast french bit cost me less than 1/10th of that ... for same job.
 
Refueler said:
Not being rude but at 160 quid - it ought to be ! My Moorfast french bit cost me less than 1/10th of that ... for same job.
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I thought I'd have a look at the Moorfast thing on YouTube - whilst I can see some value with attaching to a buoy, the rest of the examples of using it when mooring to a regular pontoon cleat were simply nuts! Surely any decent skipper and crew should be able to lasso a cleat from way further off than using a stick, and without leaning over the side and with both hands free to control the rope, rather than juggling a contraption at the same time. Here's the video I saw
 
markc said:
I thought I'd have a look at the Moorfast thing on YouTube - whilst I can see some value with attaching to a buoy, the rest of the examples of using it when mooring to a regular pontoon cleat were simply nuts! Surely any decent skipper and crew should be able to lasso a cleat from way further off than using a stick, and without leaning over the side and with both hands free to control the rope, rather than juggling a contraption at the same time. Here's the video I saw
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You haven't had my wife up front then !!

Whether its the 160 or 10 quid job - of course there are cleats and rings that defeat it .. classic is the loose ring through eyebolt .. which lays flat on the pontoon deck. No way any of these can work it ...

But my moorfast - I've used from the cockpit to catch a line to a shore point as I pass into a berth ... while steering ..

What about a buoy mooring - and you are up high ... buoy is below arm's reach ?

Its not a perfect item ... but it certainly helps in some cases and at 10 quid a pop ... its fitted to opposite end of the boat hook - so you still have the conventional end to use ... whats so bad about it ?
 
Refueler said:
Not being rude but at 160 quid - it ought to be ! My Moorfast french bit cost me less than 1/10th of that ... for same job.
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I have one, and yes it’s an engineering masterclass but heavy, especially the long one (and it’s very long) so it now lives in the lazaret. Much too heavy for the Admiral to wield ?
 
Bouba said:
I have one, and yes it’s an engineering masterclass but heavy, especially the long one (and it’s very long) so it now lives in the lazaret. Much too heavy for the Admiral to wield ?
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I'm thinking to remove my 'Moorfast' ... I must try and find the real name for mine ... to fit to a telescopic painters pole !! Get back my traditional boat hook ...
 
Refueler said:
I'm thinking to remove my 'Moorfast' ... I must try and find the real name for mine ... to fit to a telescopic painters pole !! Get back my traditional boat hook ...
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Found it ... mines the 'Jolly Hooker' .... no jokes please !!

850133.jpg


Jolly Hooker Mooring Hook

But I most certainly NEVER paid that price for it !! But it was quite a few years ago ...
 
Have to laugh at the reaction to the 160quid hook and moor - yes it is pricey. I actually bought it as my parents, who use it, both cannot comfortably jump down from the boat anymore due to dodgy knees, ankles etc. But it now means they can secure the lines without leaving the boat. The hook and moor will actually loop through the centre of a Walcon cleat for example. Also steel rings that lie flat are no issue. So it’s been a revelation for them, there’s talk of buying a 2nd! Anyway, you pays yer money .....
 
Ferris said:
Have to laugh at the reaction to the 160quid hook and moor - yes it is pricey. I actually bought it as my parents, who use it, both cannot comfortably jump down from the boat anymore due to dodgy knees, ankles etc. But it now means they can secure the lines without leaving the boat. The hook and moor will actually loop through the centre of a Walcon cleat for example. Also steel rings that lie flat are no issue. So it’s been a revelation for them, there’s talk of buying a 2nd! Anyway, you pays yer money .....
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Understood ... I'm a cheapskate anyway !!
 
The Moorfast is very useful but would be better if the jaw opening was wide enough to enable it to be used on those French catways that don't have a cleat on the outer end, just a loop of steel tube with a plastic sheath.
 
Refueler said:
Torch .... I have changed to rechargeable LED torches that can be plugged into the house socket ... you may think - what's good about that for a boat with 12 or 24V ??

The amount of power needed to charge it - is more than easily done by cheap inverter ... my 15 quid 100w inverter can charge mine up fully charged for when needed.... which funny enough I didn't have one night coming back to my home mooring. Pal and I had been fishing all day on river and it was dark by time we went home. Entrance to my private channel is a remake of African Queen and hard to see at night ... we ended up with mobile phone flashlights trying to find it !!
I now have an LED motorbike spotlight mounted top of the speedboat screen !
Click to expand...

LED torch was going to be my recommendation as well.

This one is a seriously strong torch with built in SOS mode, side latern and a magnetic base so you can stick it to the side of the engine or canopy pe, wherever. Its rechargeable using USB so no 240v needed. Bargain at under a tenner each.

Torch link
 
EugeneR said:
LED torch was going to be my recommendation as well.

This one is a seriously strong torch with built in SOS mode, side latern and a magnetic base so you can stick it to the side of the engine or canopy pe, wherever. Its rechargeable using USB so no 240v needed. Bargain at under a tenner each.

Torch link
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You just reminded me of a pal with his boat in Solent .... he kept complaining that his Bulkhead compass was crap ... that something was stuck 'inside' ......

It all improved when I took down the magnetic holder for his phone he'd stuck near it !!
 
Another torch I have - but needs replacing the NiMh cells in it .... hand cranked recharge lantern.

Has LED lamps ... and a small handle to turn to either just power the lamp or switch off and it will recharge the NiMh inside to give few minutes steady light.

That too has a magnetic base .... !!
 
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