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