Hook & Moor Boat Hook?

[Laysula]

Having a sugar scoop stern, I find it easier and simpler to take a long line from the bow and then reverse up to the bouy, thread it through and then shorten the line.
Advantages of this are that it is easy for the helm as they can see the bouy at all times, the boat doesn't get blown off if you are too slow and it is breezy and there is no stretching or risk of losing a boathook.

 

[ashtead]

In the med we used to reverse up to buoys in a Bavaria 50 as with a crew of 2 with a line from the stern as it's much easier to communicate and Bavs back fairly well. If you want you can then run a line to the bow but for a quick stop didn't bother sometimes . I have a fairly ancient boathook with a US patent having researched on web but sadly no slider to fix it to a boat hook. I would love to be give it a new lease of life by finding a suitable slider . Clearly at some time before my ownership it had a boathook which ran off with the slider part. If anyone knows who might make slider it could be returned to service or if they have an old slider maybe?

 

[dunedin]

I bought one, worked OK when practising, but first time in anger it jammed half open, and since then will not work at all.

Somehow all the ball bearings must have jumped location. Easy enough to take the head apart and restock the bearings.

Though better done at home in an enclosed space than in an open or self draining cockpit, as lots of little plastic ball bearings ready to make a leap for freedom

 

[sor1n3l]

I was thinking to also buy one from our local chandlery but decided that is too expensive so went for a cheaper version boat hook that will only extend up to 2m to be honest. It does the job! The Hook & Moor boat hook it does look like an impressive piece of kit but unfortunatelly I do not see this as being a long lasting mooring hook.

 

[Saguday]

We have one and it's fantastic - sometimes I just have to pick it up and give it a quick fondle because it's so well made it just needs to be appreciated... full price is high but sometimes you can get a bit knocked off if you buy at a boat show, although not much in my experience, I think a tenner is about it if you're really lucky. I tried making an offer at Soton a few years back, last day of show I'll buy it for 20 quid off sez I but they wouldn't budge and I was so annoyed I just walked away. Gave in in the end though and bought one a few years later when I'd calmed down a bit - can't remember where I bought it from in the end

 

[Bouba]

Until this thread I had never heard of Hook & Moor, all the others yes but not this one. I have to say the YouTube vid was astonishing so I ordered one. If it can make my crew’s life easier then it’s worth it. Here’s hoping :encouragement:

 

[peter bush]

A scaffolders safety hook,about £10 on e bay, easily modified, and fixed to a broom handle,was my cheap option.Nice big opening and easy to replace if....and when ...it all goes wrong.

 

[Bouba]

My new Hook & Moor arrived today. So only used it in my lounge so far, but it does appear to have a serious design flaw. I’ve always joked that Med boating is all about Old ladies with boat hooks, but it’s a fair observation and this boat hook is heavy. As in really heavy. I fear my good lady wife/crew will not like extending this out one, two let alone three meters out. Never mind controlling the tip so it hits the cleat.
Oh dear. Well, I won’t judge it until it’s been used in anger

 

[Neeves]

Having a sugar scoop stern, I find it easier and simpler to take a long line from the bow and then reverse up to the bouy, thread it through and then shorten the line.
Advantages of this are that it is easy for the helm as they can see the bouy at all times, the boat doesn't get blown off if you are too slow and it is breezy and there is no stretching or risk of losing a boathook.

+1

We do not use buoys often but when we do - this, for us, is the way to go.

We would add - not only does the helm see the buoy, they see the person trying to attach the line and can talk to each other - no need to shout. It also works single handed (with care).

Jonathan

 

[RupertW]

I bought a cheap copy of this - https://www.force4.co.uk/force-4-jo...MIrc_D14rd2gIVi7HtCh0ICQ2fEAQYAyABEgICgfD_BwE - for about 15 quid and put it on the end of the broom handle that lives in the anchor locker to topple the chain.

Very light and very handy and still working fine two years on

 

[BelleSerene]

I bought a cheap copy of this - https://www.force4.co.uk/force-4-jo...MIrc_D14rd2gIVi7HtCh0ICQ2fEAQYAyABEgICgfD_BwE - for about 15 quid and put it on the end of the broom handle that lives in the anchor locker to topple the chain.

Very light and very handy and still working fine two years on

I'm glad yours lasted that long! Mine didn't - they are pretty light-weight. And the link shows the price has doubled since you bought yours!

But they do what the Robship device does: actually pass your warp around the mooring hoop and back on board. While they work, they're brilliant.

 

[thesaintlyone]

I purchased a Moorfast seems to be a similar idea but way cheaper £40ish quid

 

[Bouba]

There is a big difference with them. The Hook & Moor takes your existing mooring lines and threads them through a cleat or ring. I don’t know how thick a line it can handle and I haven’t tried it yet (it does look great in the living room). All the other (correct me if I’m wrong) use either a loop, knot or thin guide rope.
In truth I have no idea if that difference is important and worth four times the money.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

The favorite bit of kit on my boat is one of these:

http://www.boscoboathook.co.uk/

With a loop (http://www.boscoboathook.co.uk/wireloop/) you can moor to just about anything. (I use a bit of rope and a bit of tube to stiffen it so I didn't have to pay for their bit of old wire)

I often will not use it, but having it on standby makes me calmer as we start to get blown off the pontoon...

 

[RupertW]

My absolute requirement is for the gadget to pass my line through a hoop or ring and it would be pointless for me if it just firmly attached my rope to the bouy in a way I could not slip the next morning. I can already stop the boat and make it temporarily secure by lassoing and do so.

If I could reach the bouy by hand I would but high deck and often firmly attached bouys on unliftable chains (no tides so no slack) mean it's either gadget or dinghy or swim. Mostly it's pleasurable to swim but the the cheapo gadget does the job in a way the more expensive ones would just give me a new problem.

 

[BelleSerene]

I bought a cheap copy of this - https://www.force4.co.uk/force-4-jo...MIrc_D14rd2gIVi7HtCh0ICQ2fEAQYAyABEgICgfD_BwE - for about 15 quid and put it on the end of the broom handle that lives in the anchor locker to topple the chain.

Very light and very handy and still working fine two years on

At last, it seems someone has made a durable version of that plastic toy. http://www.wosamma.at/moorhook/function_en.php

Thanks to LoneHort for posting: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?499877-Mooring-hook-(Another-one!)

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Its interesting that most of these seem to either be out of stock or out of production. The Bosco seems almost impossible to source now?

 

[LoneHort]

Thanks BelleSerene,
I have to say he does put it through it's paces on the video here on a variety of different buoys, rusty rings etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8L6_cWLNBU

316 stainless with a big jaw and a hook and bring your own pole be it wood, alu or plastic , it is starting to tick a lot of boxes for me.

 

[Scapegoat]

My new Hook & Moor arrived today. So only used it in my lounge so far, but it does appear to have a serious design flaw. I’ve always joked that Med boating is all about Old ladies with boat hooks, but it’s a fair observation and this boat hook is heavy. As in really heavy. I fear my good lady wife/crew will not like extending this out one, two let alone three meters out. Never mind controlling the tip so it hits the cleat.
Oh dear. Well, I won’t judge it until it’s been used in anger

How did you find this in practise? Thinking of getting one but have some concerns about the weight as you mentioned in your post. And which version (length) did you buy please?

 

[pvb]

How did you find this in practise? Thinking of getting one but have some concerns about the weight as you mentioned in your post. And which version (length) did you buy please?

Before you buy, check out the Handy Duck. Lightweight hook, lightweight floating telescopic fibreglass pole, very easy to use. I'm often singlehanded, and use my Handy Duck to pick up moorings.