The boat hook is a piece of nautical equipment. It is used for grappling other boats, retrieving lines and maneuvering floating objects such as logs or rafts or even people in life vests from the safety of a boat deck or dock. A boat hook consists of a long handle, usually a pole made of wood or metal, with the hook at the end. The hook is a single hook, and on its back (pointing straight out from the handle) is a knob or a spike. The hook is used to grab hold of boat railings, docks, ropes and etc; the knob or spike is used to push objects away. Given this, it tends to be long - 1.5 to 2 meters (4.5-6 feet) generally, sometimes longer.

Given humanity's normal tendencies, it should be pointed out that the boathook makes a pretty darn good weapon in an emergency, and many a sailor has grabbed one in a pinch or boarding action.

The boat hook:

                                                               ==
                                                                 \\
                                                                  ||
                                                                 //    __
|==========================================================|=|==//----/  \
|==========================================================|=|========\__/

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.