At last, a collapsible boathook that works
Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007
I have never seen a collapsible boathook I liked. Even if you can get the twist lock to release, it never seems to retighten securely. The hook spins so you cannot reliably grab or push anything.
I found the answer to this vexing problem in a paint store. I found a 6-foot long roller extension handle that will extend to 11 feet. The inner shaft is hexagonal and can’t spin inside the handle. The adjustment release is a thumb trigger that engages a pin into a hole in the hex shaft. Adjustment locking holes are 6 inches apart and the end of the shaft is threaded for a paint roller handle. I bought a plastic boathook head and epoxied it into the handle threads. As an added bonus, the boathook handle is fiberglass.
I’ve been using this boathook for 10 years.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
