Boat Hit

[Hylander]

When we moored at Waters Edge many moons ago.   Our neighbours,  especially the wife took great delight in coming into Moor using the boat hook.  We had just paid £8,000 for the boat to be repainted by Moonfleet.  All I can say is we quickly found another mooring at Richardsons. 

 

 

[Wussername]

Ah! The Boat Hook.  One of the Quay Rangers at Ranworth has one. A poke here a poke there. Here a poke, there a poke, every where a poke poke.. Like Boadicea and Her Daughters he would stand proudly on the Quay.

Others on the prow of their boat would emulate the prowess of the beholder of the Boat Hook. As they would approach private and hirer alike all would stir, and peer very closely like meerkats through gaps in curtains or stand at the helm. To survey. Surreptitiously, as to avoid recognition, confrontation.

Some would venture onto the deck, nonchalantly, as if to examine a fender, or indeed to take “the air”

It is a dangerous thing in the hands of those who are not aware, who are not accountable.

A new variant has arrived. The Mark 1 collapsible. Made of plastic. Has been known to collapse under pressure leaving the prodder,  pusher, somewhat  vulnerable to the vagaries of fate. A plop in the bob and bobbing up and down stuff.  

Beware of the Boat Hook and all its followers.

[CambridgeCabby]

There is a certain privateer whose wife is always armed with their boat hook when coming in to moor which she gleefully uses to fend off the already moored boats .

Once at Ranworth they approached Pipedreams , the lady poised like a medieval jouster lance at the ready, only to encounter my very own St George aka Katie who let the lady know very plainly that she was not to use the offending boat hook anywhere near our gel coat.

We now refer to our own boat hook as a “******* ****” which is their boats name 

[marshman]

She might retreat before an appropriately handled quant on Albion!!!! To think, I used to throw them around like matchsticks; not sure I could even lift an end these days!!!!!

The joys , or not, of getting old!!!!!

[mikeyboy1966]

I’m starting to think myself lucky I’m on the Ouse,

most of the boats are privately owned,and,

up to now the hire boats have been well skippered.

tho last week we were lucky enough to watch a crew on a hire boat from a safe distance and it was absolutely hilarious.

but that’s a different story.

the day boats in the locks,

don’t get me started.

[mikeyboy1966]

I do think though,the narrow boat owners must have a laugh at our expense when waiting to lock,

no mate,after you.!

[FlyingFortress]

17 hours ago, Wussername said:

Ah! The Boat Hook.  One of the Quay Rangers at Ranworth has one. A poke here a poke there. Here a poke, there a poke, every where a poke poke.. Like Boadicea and Her Daughters he would stand proudly on the Quay.

Others on the prow of their boat would emulate the prowess of the beholder of the Boat Hook. As they would approach private and hirer alike all would stir, and peer very closely like meerkats through gaps in curtains or stand at the helm. To survey. Surreptitiously, as to avoid recognition, confrontation.

Some would venture onto the deck, nonchalantly, as if to examine a fender, or indeed to take “the air”

It is a dangerous thing in the hands of those who are not aware, who are not accountable.

A new variant has arrived. The Mark 1 collapsible. Made of plastic. Has been known to collapse under pressure leaving the prodder,  pusher, somewhat  vulnerable to the vagaries of fate. A plop in the bob and bobbing up and down stuff.  

Beware of the Boat Hook and all its followers.

Good points as always 👍

As an example of how dangerous a boathook can be in the wrong hands.

Moored at Ranworth last year down the side.

Had been chatting to our next door neighbor on a large well equipped hire boat. He was decrying the lack of experience of some hirers as he had a yachtmasters certificate.

He then did a pre departure briefing instructing the crew exactly what their roles would be. All very professional except the bit where the other male crew member was to fend off with the boathook. Thankfully not my boat. 😥

The shout "Fend off" was heard followed by a splash. Yes the boathook had slipped on the fibre glass and the fendee was in the water.

A second hire boat was attempting to take the vacanted space and had a fixed boarding ladder on the stern and as they had stopped their engine I tried to manoeuvre the man towards the stern and asked if they could cast off their dingy to assist. Unfortunately the boarding ladder had been crushed and was useless so with the help of a couple of large bystanders got him to the quayside and dragged him out thankfully no worse for wear. No lifejacket of course. 😳

During the subsequent retrieval of the dinghy and stopped hire boat I spoke to the helm who said she was a first timer and didn't know what to do except switch off the engine. I assured her that she had done exactly the right thing 👍

So what do we make of that? 😐

A qualified helm putting his crew in danger, and a first timer showing remarkable common sense 

[Smoggy]

No qualification teaches common sense unfortunately.

Anyone aiming a boathook at my boat will get a swift gobfull!

[FlyingFortress]

Just as an afterthought to the above tale.

I did use my boathook to steer the guy in the water as I offered it to him and he grabbed it as he already had hold of a thrown Life ring albeit not mine and without a rope attached.

I did not use my boathook like a harpoon 🤣

[FlyingFortress]

1 minute ago, Smoggy said:

No qualification teaches common sense unfortunately.

Anyone aiming a boathook at my boat will get a swift gobfull!

Can't argue with that Smoggy 👍

[addicted]

16 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

There is a certain privateer whose wife is always armed with their boat hook when coming in to moor which she gleefully uses to fend off the already moored boats .

Once at Ranworth they approached Pipedreams , the lady poised like a medieval jouster lance at the ready, only to encounter my very own St George aka Katie who let the lady know very plainly that she was not to use the offending boat hook anywhere near our gel coat.

We now refer to our own boat hook as a “******* ****” which is their boats name 

Well Done Katie, I must say anyone approaching our boat with a boat hook gets very short shrift, whenever we see someone who seems to be intending using the business end of a boat hook. we always advise them to use the handle end instead.We were once moored in the cut, alongside the Dolphin hotel in St. Ives on the  RGO when a hire boat moored just at the entrance decided to turn round  at that point instead of going down into the basin where there was  plenty of room to turn and was heading straight for the side of  a beautiful much loved Colvic moored behind us opposite. The wife on the hire boat was stood on the bow, boat hook poised,  to make matters worse it was it was one of  those very old boat hooks  with  a large metal hook! I spotted what she  was about to do at the last moment. Just as she was about to stick the boat hook in the side of the Colvic I yelled Nooo! Fortunately I was in time and she stopped. The horrified owner of  the Colvic had seen thewhoile tihing unfolding from the bridge and came running back to his boat full of fervent thanks. The woman in the hire boat had the cheek to say " We have a boat of our own you know and I know what Im doing"

 

Carole

[Smoggy]

Boathooks are very useful gadgets and certainly have their place but the name "boatHOOK" kinda gives the game away and probably why they were never called "boatspears".

[floydraser]

It seems that using a boat hook to fend off is a natural reaction to a situation to those who are inexperienced and know no better. If I hadn't read about the upset it causes on here I wouldn't have known, and probably a hirer wouldn't either. I would be careful who you shout at in real life; in anecdotes we all come off best, in real life the person you shout at could have the rest of the rugby team below decks!

I remember suggesting fitting something like a rubber ball over the other end of a boat hook, or something designed for the purpose of fending off without causing damage.

[Smoggy]

Or just use a mop.

Not on MM's boat though as that would cause damage too....

[floydraser]

56 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Or just use a mop.

Not on MM's boat though as that would cause damage too....

There you go then, put the mop on the end of the boat hook. Sorted. 

[Smoggy]

22 minutes ago, floydraser said:

There you go then, put the mop on the end of the boat hook. Sorted. 

A grabbing tool with a mop head? I thought BoJo had resigned.

[marshman]

Yes - anyone here tried to pick up a mooring with a mop?

Thought not.....!!

[Smoggy]

14 minutes ago, marshman said:

Yes - anyone here tried to pick up a mooring with a mop?

Thought not.....!!

Not yet but they may try now, I don't guarantee success.

The mop suggestion is more about idiots that think a boathook is a fending device.

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, marshman said:

Yes - anyone here tried to pick up a mooring with a mop?

Thought not.....!!

Is there anywhere on the Broads where a cruiser would need to pick up a mooring? 

[Meantime]

2 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Is there anywhere on the Broads where a cruiser would need to pick up a mooring? 

Only a private boat on a private swinging mooring, however boat hooks are useful for sometimes retrieving items from the water. The handle of a dog lifejacket, or as an aid to rescuing someone in the water as FF did.

[floydraser]

1 minute ago, Meantime said:

Only a private boat on a private swinging mooring, however boat hooks are useful for sometimes retrieving items from the water. The handle of a dog lifejacket, or as an aid to rescuing someone in the water as FF did.

OK, I get that, but googling "boat hook" and they all seem to be a general shape with a hook and a pointy bit sticking forward. What's the pointy bit for? What I'm getting at is: could the boat hook be redesigned to be more fit for inland cruising. So a hook's a good idea but could the outer part be more gelcoat friendly for pushing?

[Smoggy]

Mine is a double hook with no pointy bit, still wouldn't put it against a boat though.

[RumPunch]

IF I ever were to use it to fend off, I'd be inclined to use the 2" wide rubber covered blunt end

[MY littleboat]

On 05/10/2022 at 20:10, Meantime said:

Sorry to hear you were hit, but good that everything is ok. We need to bear in mind that in the event of any accident the other party should stop and exchange details, however as annoying as it might seem, saying sorry is to admit liability, which most insurance policies expressly insist that you never admit liability even if you are at fault.

Unfortunately, unlike motor insurance, and even though on inland water under which Broads Bylaws exist alongside other navigational rules, the duty of a Master of a Vessel (even if a hirer) is to stop and ensure those details are given. There is no 'designed for the Broads' boat - unless you have a wherry or commercial craft, and ours, for instance, is particularly thin in places. A few years ago, another of our boats, sustained thousands of pounds of damage from a swipe and go. Now we always have a camera - it is sad that boating has come to this as accidents - especially when inexperienced skippers who are on holiday often, and sometimes private owners too, feel that this sort of behaviour is acceptable.

Saying sorry is not an admission under maritime collision liability and, if you read the literature from your insurer, that is often made perfectly clear!

 

Even the Broads Authority give guidance in their video series of what to do:

 

[MY littleboat]

On 12/10/2022 at 12:09, FlyingFortress said:

Good points as always 👍

As an example of how dangerous a boathook can be in the wrong hands.

Moored at Ranworth last year down the side.

Had been chatting to our next door neighbor on a large well equipped hire boat. He was decrying the lack of experience of some hirers as he had a yachtmasters certificate.

He then did a pre departure briefing instructing the crew exactly what their roles would be. All very professional except the bit where the other male crew member was to fend off with the boathook. Thankfully not my boat. 😥

The shout "Fend off" was heard followed by a splash. Yes the boathook had slipped on the fibre glass and the fendee was in the water.

A second hire boat was attempting to take the vacanted space and had a fixed boarding ladder on the stern and as they had stopped their engine I tried to manoeuvre the man towards the stern and asked if they could cast off their dingy to assist. Unfortunately the boarding ladder had been crushed and was useless so with the help of a couple of large bystanders got him to the quayside and dragged him out thankfully no worse for wear. No lifejacket of course. 😳

During the subsequent retrieval of the dinghy and stopped hire boat I spoke to the helm who said she was a first timer and didn't know what to do except switch off the engine. I assured her that she had done exactly the right thing 👍

So what do we make of that? 😐

A qualified helm putting his crew in danger, and a first timer showing remarkable common sense 

As a skipper of nearly 40 years, I can honestly say that I am as prone to mistakes as anyone - and that is alot of boating every year and not a 2 week holiday once a year for 10 years (Which equates to about 5 months irregular experience...) As you get older you get wiser and realise that over confidence exists in all sports and past times... Human Factors leads to mistakes with the vast number of air accidents, for instance, occurring in the cohort of 'experienced amateurs.'

In my professional life I work for the emergency services and attend ALOT of Broads incidents and I find 2 things are common (Without exception, but my personal experience. sorry no double-blind trials on this one...)

1. Women listen to safety briefs very carefully and are quicker to react with the cautious drills (ie engine off) and are less likely to make a situation worse and subsequently ask for help early.

2. The more serious incidents often involve those who 'perceive' that they are experienced and do not match option 1.

Sadly - I have never been able to establish the reason why those in category 1 need to bring 15 bags of stuff with them for 2 days afloat though!!!!