# Ever wondered what that strap on your boat clip/hook was ?



## richg99 (Jun 16, 2012)

We've all seen them. They stick out from the hook about ten inches. Not on all hooks, but the better winches seem to have them.

Well, I think I finally figured it out. They are there so that we can slip the open end around our winch handle. That way, if the little clip/cam that holds the winch in its "locked' position were to be jostled loose, the winch wouldn't spin all of the way out, while your boat slides down the highway. It is a safety stopper, IMHO.

What say you? Rich


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## GTS225 (Jun 16, 2012)

Actually, that's there to use as a pull handle for free-wheeling the hook out. It saves your hands from the hook or cable.

You, however, have found a rather clever secondary use for same.......Kudos to you! =D> 

Roger


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## richg99 (Jun 17, 2012)

Well, no one ever said I didn't think of strange uses for "stuff". Ha Ha thanks..

Now what does "to use as a pull handle for free-wheeling the hook out" that mean?

Rich


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## PSG-1 (Jun 17, 2012)

richg99 said:


> Well, no one ever said I didn't think of strange uses for "stuff". Ha Ha thanks..
> 
> Now what does "to use as a pull handle for free-wheeling the hook out" that mean?
> 
> Rich




My guess is you probably don't know what it means because you are probably one of the boaters who has enough sense to back the trailer far enough into the water where you can run the bow up to the bow roller, eliminating the need to grab the winch cable and walk back to the boat with it....also known as 'free spooling' 

Most boaters who have sense don't ever have to do this. But I see knotheads at the boat ramp all the time who barely back the trailer in, then, they fight and crank the winch for 10 minutes, trying to get the boat onto the trailer....I almost want to walk over and say "_give me that damn thing! Let me show you how it's done one time!"_ But instead, I sit back and get a good laugh at their expense.

Kinda like this mental midget:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Odytr3c0Ac

To do a parody of the "get rid of cable and upgrade to directtv" commercials:

_"When you don't know how to launch a boat, you don't back far enough down. When you don't back far enough down, you have to stretch out a winch cable. When you stretch out a winch cable, you have to wind it back up. When you have to wind it back up, you wear out your rotator cup, elbow and wrist, and people laugh at you. When people laugh at you, they post it to youtube. When they post it to youtube, more people laugh at you. Don't let more people laugh at you. Learn how to handle a boat trailer!"_ LMAO



Anyhow, I think you may have found a good purpose for that loop on the winch strap. Not sure if that's what it's intended for, but it makes sense to me.


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## richg99 (Jun 17, 2012)

Aw shucks, and here I was feeling good until you showed ME in that movie!!! Ha Ha... 

Actually, I could hardly stand watching more than a minute of it. I've had to walk a hook back a foot or so, sometimes, when I misjudge my speed.

I'm up here in the Frozen North of Wisconsin for the summer. I simply cannot believe the guys who take their lives into their hands every time they dock their boats. 

I see old guys ( I am an old guy) who never heard of a --boat hook-. They approach the dock, still moving, and try to grab something with a six inch loop of rope in their hand. They hang their tender bodies out over the water and often come close to being pulled in when they finally do find something to grab.

I've had a boat hook in most of my 25 or so boats. Even modified one for a friend with a pontoon boat that docked at a place with 8 inch round pier supports. Best little addition to any boat, IMHO. 

Rich

https://www.amazon.com/Overtons-Floating-Telescoping-Boat-Hook/dp/B003L8MS7Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1339948184&sr=1-3&keywords=boat+hook+telescoping


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## PSG-1 (Jun 17, 2012)

richg99 said:


> Aw shucks, and here I was feeling good until you showed ME in that movie!!! Ha Ha...
> 
> Actually, I could hardly stand watching more than a minute of it.




Yeah, it's kinda painful to watch this guy struggling trying to put that little boat on the trailer. I'd sure hate to watch him with something bigger, like a 24 foot Boston Whaler...LOL




> I've had to walk a hook back a foot or so, sometimes, when I misjudge my speed.




Some of the ramps I use at low tide have a strange angle, and it requires running the boat almost all the way to the winch roller, then having to pull the vehicle up a couple of feet, until the bow of the boat rises above the roller, and then winching the last foot or so. but never to the degree of that guy in the video...sheesh!




> I'm up here in the Frozen North of Wisconsin for the summer. I simply cannot believe the guys who take their lives into their hands every time they dock their boats.
> 
> I see old guys ( I am an old guy) who never heard of a --boat hook-. They approach the dock, still moving, and try to grab something with a six inch loop of rope in their hand. They hang their tender bodies out over the water and often come close to being pulled in when they finally do find something to grab.
> 
> ...




Yeah, boat hooks are nice items. I've never had much need for one, as I can come right alongside the dock smoothly, regardless of the size boat I'm running. People who've never ridden with me often try to grab the dock when I'm coming in to port, and I have to tell them to keep their hands in the boat, let me bring it to the dock, then tie up. Fingers caught between a gunwale and a dock, or another boat, will likely be crushed.


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## Gramps50 (Jun 17, 2012)

PSG-1 said:


> Kinda like this mental midget:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Odytr3c0Ac
> 
> .



Proves my theory "You can't fix Stupid"


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## overboard (Jun 17, 2012)

a boat hook is a handy item to have. and I like the idea of a safety strap on the handle.
When "employed" by Uncle Sam, the bowhooks on the small boats had to learn to "lasso" cleats in order to tie down the small boats.
half the time the wind was blowing so hard that the coxwains couldn't get the boat close enough to place the line directly onto the cleat.
try that sometime, it was something that had to be learned! I made some really good throws after awhile.
once you got the bow line on the cleat, you could back down on it and work the boat in by taking up the slack when you put it in forward. sometime you would have to "lasso" the stern also, but the bow was usually first.
running small boats in the North Atlantic was an experience!
I think some of the people I've seen at the local lake would still be over there trying to get their boat tied down; 40 yrs. later! :lol: :lol:


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