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Above-deck boathook storage

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Where do you store your boat hook above deck? On the mast? A shroud? Stanchions? Just keep moving it around cuz it's always in the way?

While we're at it, where do you store your emergency rudder (tiller) tubes?
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Here is some info on our boat's emergency tiller components, if that's what you mean.
I have the extendable boat hook stored on the radar stern post -- upper part thru a SS ring, and the part with the 'hook' dropping down an inch thru another D ring fastened to the post, low down.
 
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nquigley

Sustaining Member
I hang a pair of boat hooks in the companionway (a spare in case I lose on in the heat of battle) - with their hooks through the ladder's stbd side handle. I find they are close enough at hand there. I should hang one under my bimini frame but haven't done that yet.
My emergency rudder parts are on a shelf on the forepeak - I know - not a good place ... will have to re-think that ;-)
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
I keep a pair of boat hooks in the cockpit, one on the port side and the other starboard. The tops of the hooks hang on part of the "permanent" bimini frame. (I've had some skin cancer already so I keep in the shade as much as I can behind the helm). The bottom of the boat hook goes through a short section of PVC pipe that's screwed into the cockpit wall. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that part. It's about a 3 to 4 inch length that has an inner dimension (I think about 2 inches) to accommodate the end of the boat hook. It also has two holes drilled into one wall of the PVC for screws, where I flattened the outside of the pipe by sanding it down to sit against the cockpit wall, and two larger holes on the opposite side that allows me access to the screws with a screw driver. I use to have plastic clamps there that I bought from West Marine that I could snap the boat hook into but they kept breaking. With the short piece of PVC pipe in place I lower the handle into it and then hook the top onto the bikini frame. It all keeps the hooks from banging around when heeled over but allows quick access to them when docking, pulling a dinghy close to the boat, retrieving a hat, etc.

IMG_0343.jpeg

As for the emergency rudder, I keep that in the port locker in the cockpit and the tool to remove the plate over the rudder post is on a hook at the nav station, all where I can access them right away.
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Usually one is tucked inside the handrail, just ahead of the companionway. Not a great spot. They should be in the sail locker. But when you need one, you need it NOW.
Someone helped themselves to my good one at the marina, and didn't put it back. :mad:

I have yet to find a good place for the auxiliary (wind vane) rudder and oar. They're dumped at the bottom of the sail locker, but really need a dedicated rack to keep them ready and protected from damage. I'd leave them home in the garage, but they're in harms way there too. Tres awkward stuff to store.
 

tpcorrigan

Member II
We too keep one, the beat up one, on the port saloon top hand rail and a much better one in the quarter berth next to the engine compartment and companion way ladder. sits nice there. No one has stolen the beat up one in 4 years!
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Love the ideas. The Ericson aftermarket design team scores again! And who doesn't love a 5-minute project that solves an old problem?

20200424_215448.jpg ....................... 20200424_215326.jpg
Emer Tiller ...................... Boat Hook
In Locker

Thanks everyone.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Got out to the boat and took a couple of pix. Our pole is easy to access, stored on the stern radar pole. You lift up the pole a couple inches and then it slides down -n-out thru the upper larger D Ring.
This is really the same system that a friend of mine has used for decades on his boat, only on one of his shrouds -- his SS rings are seized to the shroud, larger ring for the upper and smaller ring for the point to drop into, low down. I believe that the pole is mounted on the inside face of the shroud wire to avoid lines snagging on it.

We also carry a spare extendable 'boat hook' pole, courtesy of a WM half-off sale some years ago; altho not as immediately handy, stored in the cockpit locker.
 

Attachments

  • Upper D ring, in strap.jpg
    Upper D ring, in strap.jpg
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  • Boat Pole lower end.jpg
    Boat Pole lower end.jpg
    131.9 KB · Views: 38

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Boat hook design is my issue.

The standard boat hook has a rubber handle at one end and a combo point and hook at the other. Neither is very good at fending off another stern.

Backing out of the slip is the threat for me. Our reverse transom puts point of contact low. The sterns behind me have swim platforms, dinghy davits, many compound curves, and no good place for a boat hook to securely fend off. Pilings are not in reach, since the sterns stick out beyond them three feet.

I had to analyze all this when teaching my daughter how to depart the slip in reverse, with prop walk and wind to be accounted for. I would stand there with my boat hook ready--wondering how effective any emergency effort would be.

IN my case, a padded crossbar would work better than the traditional boat hook end. You could fend off a stanchion. You could fend off a slippery gunnel, or piling, or even a Monitor vane tubing. My two pointy-end boat hooks are useless for that. But a crossbar is impractical, and wouldn't store well.

Just some thoughts on how a boat hook is false security in my particular case.
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
Boat hook design is my issue.

The standard boat hook has a rubber handle at one end and a combo point and hook at the other. Neither is very good at fending off another stern.

Backing out of the slip is the threat for me. Our reverse transom puts point of contact low. The sterns behind me have swim platforms, dinghy davits, many compound curves, and no good place for a boat hook to securely fend off. Pilings are not in reach, since the sterns stick out beyond them three feet.

I had to analyze all this when teaching my daughter how to depart the slip in reverse, with prop walk and wind to be accounted for. I would stand there with my boat hook ready--wondering how effective any emergency effort would be.

IN my case, a padded crossbar would work better than the traditional boat hook end. You could fend off a stanchion. You could fend off a slippery gunnel, or piling, or even a Monitor vane tubing. My two pointy-end boat hooks are useless for that. But a crossbar is impractical, and wouldn't store well.

Just some thoughts on how a boat hook is false security in my particular case.

Christian, I’ve never consider a boat hook useful in an emergency situation. Stopping a 10k pound E32 with a boat hook from hitting a piling or dock would seem to be a last ditch and almost futile effort. Better to let the boat hit and call the fiberglass repair guy later then getting someone hurt or going overboard with a boat hook. Good boat handling is the best way to reduce boat damage. But, I do use a boat hook every time I back into my slip. That’s right, I back in. I position myself outside the marina so that when I go into reverse the prop walk turns me into the fairway. Takes a bit of practice. Then I stand on the other side of the wheel facing the stern as I guide the boat down the fairway only going as fast as I’d like to hit something. Again practice and patience. Once the boat is into the slip and the spring line is attached at the mid cleat, I shift into reverse at zero throttle. This keeps the stern near the dock and then I use a boat hook to pick up the stern lines from the dock. Go forward and do the same with the bow lines. I always tell passengers and even remind my first mate not to get any body parts between the boat and anything outside of the boat. That includes using the boat hook to fend off.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
In any tight marina there is going to come a time every boat winds up "sideways" and unable to maneuver. Need a plan to fend off.

I agree completely that crew is not to try to prevent an actual collision.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
In any tight marina there is going to come a time every boat winds up "sideways" and unable to maneuver. Need a plan to fend off.

I agree completely that crew is not to try to prevent an actual collision.
Hi,
A good set of properly sized fenders placed on BOTH sides, and fender boards if pilings are an issue, are essential in my opinion and help to avoid damage. All too often I see boats coming into dock with only one fender on the dock side, often power cruisers that tend to go sideways quickly in a wind due to high cabin and lack of keel. Just poor seamanship in my opinion.
Frank
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Reminds me of a story I'll never forget that happened to a family friend.

He and his family we're spending a lot of time on the boat. The fifteen-year-old daughter got used to "pushing off" from things; pilings, docks, other boats, whatever.

A few months later she gets her driver's license. She's approaching a brick post that houses a keypad to open a gate. Realizing she's a little too close and about to scrape the car, she instinctively tries to push off from the post.

She caught her hand between the brick and the car, requiring multiple surgeries. Habits can be hard to break.
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
Hi,
A good set of properly sized fenders placed on BOTH sides, and fender boards if pilings are an issue, are essential in my opinion and help to avoid damage. All too often I see boats coming into dock with only one fender on the dock side, often power cruisers that tend to go sideways quickly in a wind due to high cabin and lack of keel. Just poor seamanship in my opinion.
Frank

Maybe I'm biased (Yea, I'm probably biased.) but I've observed during my years of sailing that more power boaters are worse at docking then sailboaters. Even those PBers (as we call them) that have bow thrusters. Had one last year on our dock that had only two speeds in forward and reverse and they would be "fast" and "faster". He bounced off of a half dozen boats and many more pilings with a "first mate" (probably his wife) that was scared to death gripping her boat hook and swinging it wildly in a futile attempt to fend off what her Captain was aiming his boat towards. We sailors on the dock came a running and told him to shut his engine down and then threw him lines to pull his boat into the dock. It was scary for awhile. No boat hook was going to help solve his problems.
 

kapnkd

kapnkd
With the older style Teak handrails on our E32-II, we simply rested the boathook alongside the handrail with the hook end catching one rail support.

That way the hook was readily at hand, in one constant spot, clearly visible to all and the handle end easily slid over out of the way from the handrail for it’s intended grabbing purpose. (My original boat hook was a straight pole - before the telescoping poles came along.

As for reverse engine torque, we learned early on to use it to an advantage. I was able to get a slip that was to my port side. So when pulling in, the sideway stern movement in reverse snugs me up close enough to simply reach over by hand for my stern line.

When pulling out, the rudder is first positioned hard right, engine then engaged in reverse and with a hard shove on the stern dock post just before power is then applied counteracting the hand shove as the boat gets momentum and the rudder better controls that pesky torque.

While addressing boat hooks and dockage: Using engine torque and a series of forward and reverse positions coupled with a bit of rudder help, the boat can pretty much be spun around 180 degrees in a tight spot.
 

1911tex

Sustaining Member
We keep our some-what expensive expandable 2 boat hooks stored in the port quarter berth while docked. When leaving to sail, first thing is doing as BOLO does as indicated above..rest each hook on each side of Bimini "V" supports, but instead of Bolo's great idea using pvc for the handle end, we have a conventional commercial pole snap in clamp. Never leave the boat unattended with good poles in view. We also engraved and black marker highlighted "stolen from" our TX bow number into the pole. Same with all our portable metal items including finger pier step stool, and even the yellow 5 gal diesel fuel plastic container. When full, fuel alone cost more than the containers.
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
I keep a pair of boat hooks in the cockpit, one on the port side and the other starboard. The tops of the hooks hang on part of the "permanent" bimini frame. (I've had some skin cancer already so I keep in the shade as much as I can behind the helm). The bottom of the boat hook goes through a short section of PVC pipe that's screwed into the cockpit wall. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that part. It's about a 3 to 4 inch length that has an inner dimension (I think about 2 inches) to accommodate the end of the boat hook. It also has two holes drilled into one wall of the PVC for screws, where I flattened the outside of the pipe by sanding it down to sit against the cockpit wall, and two larger holes on the opposite side that allows me access to the screws with a screw driver. I use to have plastic clamps there that I bought from West Marine that I could snap the boat hook into but they kept breaking. With the short piece of PVC pipe in place I lower the handle into it and then hook the top onto the bikini frame. It all keeps the hooks from banging around when heeled over but allows quick access to them when docking, pulling a dinghy close to the boat, retrieving a hat, etc.

View attachment 33405

As for the emergency rudder, I keep that in the port locker in the cockpit and the tool to remove the plate over the rudder post is on a hook at the nav station, all where I can access them right away.

Visited my boat today cause it was launched yesterday. (Yay!) So I took some additional images of my boat hook storage. Please excuse the winter crap on deck that I haven’t cleaned up yet.
D59A1D6E-D9E8-45F1-91AD-A1A9259DA932.jpeg20E68F68-69D4-4F7F-8F18-921508C8C375.jpeg78886745-1EA7-406B-A838-8B782E3D62CC.jpeg
 

steven

Sustaining Member
I have two. One in a pvc sleeve strapped to the backstay, mostly so I can get my stern mooring line off the piling. (I lie bow in. Easier to back out than to back in)
And another tied to the cabin top rail with the hook aft and inboard. Doesn't snag the jib sheets that way. Handy for use on the foredeck.

I had a really strong one of wood not telescoping that could be used to hold the boat off a pier. The telescoping aluminum ones are too flimsy for that. Lost it a couple of years ago pushing out of the mud from the bow. Meant to replace with a used one but didn't yet get around to it.
 
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