Boathook loop or boathook use... at a mooring ball? Not aftermarket thing...

Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
So the obvious solution to all mooring issues is to invite those two ladies from the video to help. They seemed to have it well in control.
 

genec

.
Dec 30, 2010
188
Pacific Seacraft Orion27 HP: San Diego, M: Anacortes
So the obvious solution to all mooring issues is to invite those two ladies from the video to help. They seemed to have it well in control.
Hey, works for me... can they show up next week? GRIN
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
Oh and was in Maine this past week, sailing with friends. In the mooring field at Portsmouth the buoys had another float on the end of the pennant, with about a 4 foot fiberglass rod sticking up. Grab the rod, haul the pennant aboard and drop it onto cleat. neat set up.

On the other hand, I can't remember EVER seeing a mooring here in Texas (or anywhere on the gulf coast). Anchor or dock is your choices
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
I picked up whats called a quickdraw at REI for this purpose. It's two carabiners tied together see link.
Yup. That. the Johnson Grab n Go is kinda the same concept. I'd just tape a giant carabiner to my boathook and save $100 but I'm cheap and I rarely need to loop the top of a ball. If it's not blowing or strong currents, I'd just get the loop on the ball by the stern then walk it forward like I posted before.

There's all kinds of moorings. In Catalina the moorings have a float with a fiberglass rod sticking up that you snag an pull aboard. That's hooked to the bow mooring line, and there's a "slime line" that you walk back to the stern for a stern mooring line. Yup, fore-aft moorings. They're really close together though, particularly at Avalon.
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
Is it called a pennant, or a pendant?
Well, the island websites call it the "Pick up line" - so that's no help.
To me, a "pennant" is a flag. An "Pendant" is a short line hanging on something. Autocorrect can... well.... mess that up. (Kinda like "Bridle" and "Bridal" -- why in the world do so many yotties have newlyweds hanging from the bow... )

To crew, it's "Grab that big stick.. pull it up... grab that big rope thing and hook it to the boat..." etc.. :)
 
Jun 11, 2004
1,621
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
Well, the island websites call it the "Pick up line" - so that's no help.
To me, a "pennant" is a flag. An "Pendant" is a short line hanging on something. Autocorrect can... well.... mess that up. (Kinda like "Bridle" and "Bridal" -- why in the world do so many yotties have newlyweds hanging from the bow... )

To crew, it's "Grab that big stick.. pull it up... grab that big rope thing and hook it to the boat..." etc.. :)
We have always called it the mooring wand.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Yup. That. the Johnson Grab n Go is kinda the same concept. I'd just tape a giant carabiner to my boathook and save $100 but I'm cheap and I rarely need to loop the top of a ball. If it's not blowing or strong currents, I'd just get the loop on the ball by the stern then walk it forward like I posted before.

There's all kinds of moorings. In Catalina the moorings have a float with a fiberglass rod sticking up that you snag an pull aboard. That's hooked to the bow mooring line, and there's a "slime line" that you walk back to the stern for a stern mooring line. Yup, fore-aft moorings. They're really close together though, particularly at Avalon.
No - the Grab n Go is not the same concept at all. You should look at it more carefully.
It attaches to your boat hook with a slide fitting that is clamped to the shaft of your boat hook. The fitting allows the GnG hook to slide off when pulled in the "away" direction but keeps it attached to the boat hook while you have some slight tension on the attached line.
When it's time to unhook the GnG hook, you snag the coated cable loop at the back of it with your boat hook, and the hook pulls right off (the gate on the GnG hook is spring-hinged two ways). It's a great accessory and IMHO a "must have" when picking up a mooring that doesn't have a usable pendant.
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
The Robship Mooring Hook looks like the perfect thing for those PIA mooring balls and ask me about it was so windy trying to hook the ball that my boat hook got bent like a pretzel,yes in Florida it is very hard hooking those impossible mooring balls and yes on calm winds and no current with my wife at the helm and me at the bow with hook and extra lines.
I have used the cowboy roping around the ball with a line tied to the bow cleat and than tie off the lines.
And always wear good heavy gloves so if slime or even worst barnacles on the rope, for sure we have easy days and many bad days securing to a mooring ball and than some of the problems once secured to the ball when wind or current cause ball banging against the hull or make sure to keep line as short as possible so not to getting the mooring ball rapped around your keel which have seen in Ft Myers beach mooring balls.
I really think the Robship Mooring or docking hook a good idea and pretty sure my wife would agree.
Nick
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Who puts out a mooring like that for sailboats...seriously? Maybe a rowboat or fishing craft where you can reach over the gunwales and thread a line through. If there's a trick for doing with a boat hook, I'd be happy to be tutored.
Basically every commercial mooring in the Caribbean , unless they have a trailing line to snag, haul aboard and attach your lines to.
 

Hagar

.
Jan 22, 2008
45
Catalina 42 Olympia Washington
We use a snap shackle and boat hook fitting from Bosun's Supply. The 4" version is about $20 including the fitting for the boat hook.

http://www.bosunsupplies.com/Mooring-Hook-Kit/

It has always worked well for picking up the "ring on ball" moorings we have in the PNW. I spliced a 25 foot long piece of double braid to the eye and we snag the bouy ring with that. The other end is on one of the cleats. The trick is to keep tension on the line to hold the shackle to the fitting until it is hooked, then pull back on the boat hook. Once things have settled in we haul it in and pass a loop of heavier mooring line through the ring and pull off the snap shackle. A couple of extra steps but I would not want to depend on the snap shackle for a mooring even though it is pretty stout.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
We have the Robship Mooring Hook and haven't used it in 5 years. The dock ring or cleat needs to be large enough to have the hook slide through. If not the hook will get jammed and then become a PITA to get loose without dropping into the water. Many different mooring set-up along the East Coast so you need a variety of ways to tie up.

All U Get
 

genec

.
Dec 30, 2010
188
Pacific Seacraft Orion27 HP: San Diego, M: Anacortes
We use a snap shackle and boat hook fitting from Bosun's Supply. The 4" version is about $20 including the fitting for the boat hook.

http://www.bosunsupplies.com/Mooring-Hook-Kit/

It has always worked well for picking up the "ring on ball" moorings we have in the PNW. I spliced a 25 foot long piece of double braid to the eye and we snag the bouy ring with that. The other end is on one of the cleats. The trick is to keep tension on the line to hold the shackle to the fitting until it is hooked, then pull back on the boat hook. Once things have settled in we haul it in and pass a loop of heavier mooring line through the ring and pull off the snap shackle. A couple of extra steps but I would not want to depend on the snap shackle for a mooring even though it is pretty stout.

Yeah, I think I will ultimately get one of these... it makes sense, it is simple and inexpensive. I too like the idea of threading a heavier line through after "everything is settled...," not to mention that it is then easier to cast off that line later, as both ends can be made loose, for whatever reason.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
We use a snap shackle and boat hook fitting from Bosun's Supply. The 4" version is about $20 including the fitting for the boat hook.

http://www.bosunsupplies.com/Mooring-Hook-Kit/

It has always worked well for picking up the "ring on ball" moorings we have in the PNW. I spliced a 25 foot long piece of double braid to the eye and we snag the bouy ring with that. The other end is on one of the cleats. The trick is to keep tension on the line to hold the shackle to the fitting until it is hooked, then pull back on the boat hook. Once things have settled in we haul it in and pass a loop of heavier mooring line through the ring and pull off the snap shackle. A couple of extra steps but I would not want to depend on the snap shackle for a mooring even though it is pretty stout.
The CS Johnson Grab n Go hook is similar, but it also lets you remove it with a boat hook. The sprung gate travels both ways, so it will pull off if you snag and pull the white coated cable loop with your hook. Not secure to leave the boat on it, but as you noted, it's handy to have a quick hook capability until you can rig a stronger and more secure connection.
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