A Polite Request

[CambridgeCabby]

To any hirers and privateers ,whether old hands or first timers , please refrain from using those bl***y boat hooks to fend yourselves off from other boats , this year we have seen multiple crews doing so .

If you must use something then may I suggest the soft end of the mop , it is far less likely to damage the other boats gel coat (or wood varnish) .

Rant over , and thank you 

[MauriceMynah]

I think it worth mentioning that the mop gives far better "grip" where a boat hook will slide about. A hook is for pulling towards you and not pushing away.

[Broads01]

Alas I think you may be preaching to the converted on here but I understand your predicament. 

[CambridgeCabby]

24 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

Alas I think you may be preaching to the converted on here but I understand your predicament. 

Understood , but hoping those enjoying or due to enjoy The Broads for the first time come across the NBN in their “research” and they recollect my polite request , perhaps a futile attempt but any chance to stop one more offender from causing unnecessary damage to someone’s boat is worth a try   

[floydraser]

Congratulations, you stopped one more offender - me! Probably. I would never have thought about it if you hadn't mentioned it. In fact, I'll get a new mop for the boat with that purpose in mind. The old one has a bent shaft after I modified it to clean the bilge under the water pump board.

I would hope the situation to use it in anger wouldn't occur too often anyway.

[MauriceMynah]

Especially for the single handed boater, I find a walking stick a useful piece of kit, with of course a thick rubber end.

[tim]

I must be very naive, why would anyone think it was a good idea use a metal ended hook on a boat?

I think it's only ever been used to pull stuff out of the water that Mandy has dropped!   

[ChrisB]

Obviously people have never picked up a swinging mooring.

In Winter when boats are ashore we would do it all the time on Barton, Malthouse, Wroxham. No dragging or mud.

[marshman]

Yes Chris you are right of course - but all my offshore ones were the ones with a double hook at the end and no spike. Never seen the point of a point!!!

[DAVIDH]

It's probably just that the inexperienced see the boat hook and without proper instruction, assume it's designed for the job of fending off other boats. The instruction that it's for hooking things towards you should be engraved on the handle - not that anyone would read it!

[BroadAmbition]

The clue is in the name - boat  ‘Hook’ Not boat fend off

Griff 

[Malanka]

Been interrupted several times by the thump thump thump of the boat hook head impacting the nice varnished cabin sides of Malanka, leaves a lovely crinkled cracked ice look to the varnish, very stylish. Also the thump thump thump of the SCREW holding the head of the mop onto the shaft doing the same thing. please DO NOT USE MOPS EITHER.

One sixteen year old mouth bigger than brain numpty stepped up and offered to fight me when I pointed out that was a bad idea and please desist. Or words to that effect. I had to take a step back as his mouth breathing halitosis stench was overwhelming.

We have two boat hooks one about ten feet long and another one in the wheelhouse that is an excellent medium staff, for those who are familiar with the term. That one is great for grabbing harness or whatever of person or hound in the water, and or winning arguments with nettles.. 

Rant over..

[Meantime]

The telescopic boat hooks are the best. Handy for fishing things out the water, but have a habit of collapsing as soon as any pressure is placed upon them, frequently dumping the person putting pressure on it over board!

[Meantime]

2 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Especially for the single handed boater, I find a walking stick a useful piece of kit, with of course a thick rubber end.

Maurice, I've heard you describe yourself as the forum idiot before, but never!!!! 

[BroadAmbition]

Thick rubber end 

Brilliant LOL  

Griff

[Malanka]

We had an aluminium extending one in the stern well, we got rid of it as it kept falling on my head when we used the rear toilet at night time. It was nowhere near as good against nettles as the short wooden jobbie. 

[rightsaidfred]

1 hour ago, DAVIDH said:

It's probably just that the inexperienced see the boat hook and without proper instruction, assume it's designed for the job of fending off other boats. The instruction that it's for hooking things towards you should be engraved on the handle - not that anyone would read it!

Some boat yard staff tell new hirers to use it 

Fred

 

[vanessan]

28 minutes ago, rightsaidfred said:

Some boat yard staff tell new hirers to use it 

Fred

 

Some boatyard staff need their heads knocked together then! Don’t they realise their boats will need repair??

[Timbo]

1 hour ago, Malanka said:

the short wooden jobbie

Undisputed boat hook wranglers were Uncle Albert and Great Uncle Bert (Lock Keeper on the Stainforth). Watching  the pair of them cajole a pile up of Tom Puddings with a boat hook and a fender each to extract black n white beasts (Fresian Cows) that had fallen into the cut was a thing of wonder.

[floydraser]

So how about a boat hook with a solid rubber ball (about tennis ball size) on the other end? Mine has a bit of string hanging out of it with a disc on, as if it should be doing something but I could hollow out a ball and make an improvement.

[Hylander]

We used to moor next to a couple and every time they came into moor she (Irish Ma Larking) would get their darn boat hook and push off from our boat which we had, just at great expense had painted by Moonfleet.   She was one of these that you could not tell anything, she was always right.    We soon found a new mooring.

[Polly]

We hired Zoe last year and were told to use a boat hook. I made it clear that that was not going to happen!