Fancy Leather Boat Hooks

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mikehar

mikehar

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
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94
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Gallivant
Vessel Make
Northern Marine 64
Does anyone have a good source for those fancy leather boat hooks? FendMaster if FL looks interesting, but I'm not sure they are still in business.

Yes, I know they are expensive.
No, I don't want to make my own. :)

-mike
 
WTF are leather boat hooks?

Add: oh, ok, clicked on above links.
Stunned
 
Last edited:
Just as another approach to consider......


On the past two boats I installed a sail track around the areas where fenders might hang. In most places it's in the lip of the overhead of the companionway, but there are a few on outside surfaces where needed.



Then sliding "cars" that can be positioned anywhere along the track and locked into place. Then the fender lines have snap clips that hook to the sliders. You can clip a fender to any slider, position it wherever you want, and easily move it if needed. Then when no longer needed, unclip the fender and stow it.


It works well, and the total cost was probably about the same as one of the fancy leather hangers.
 
Personally I just use the adjustable fender hangers Taylor Made sells (the vinyl strap ones). Same idea of just putting it on the rail wherever you want. And I've found that if you snag a fender, the hanger will break before you can apply enough force to hurt any part of the boat (of course you then have to retrieve the fender from the water).
 
twistedtree said:
Just as another approach to consider......


On the past two boats I installed a sail track around the areas where fenders might hang. In most places it's in the lip of the overhead of the companionway, but there are a few on outside surfaces where needed.



Then sliding "cars" that can be positioned anywhere along the track and locked into place. Then the fender lines have snap clips that hook to the sliders. You can clip a fender to any slider, position it wherever you want, and easily move it if needed. Then when no longer needed, unclip the fender and stow it.


It works well, and the total cost was probably about the same as one of the fancy leather hangers.
Click to expand...

Sounds incredibly complicated vs a bowline or clovehitch
 
I had 4 of them for the N46. When the N446 was dropped I gave them to a friend. I suspect he put them on eBay. I bought them used.
 
I can probably tie a clove hitch faster than using on of those.
 
Good fender hangers are handy if you're coming back to the same dock frequently as they'll maintain the height (provided each fender goes back in the same spot). Otherwise they don't save much time vs just trying the fender on.
 
Look 3 half highest or a clove hitch is fine. Just admit, you can’t afford a $1,200 fender hook. It’s ok to be poor. ����������LOL
 
tiltrider1 said:
Look 3 half highest or a clove hitch is fine. Just admit, you can’t afford a $1,200 fender hook. It’s ok to be poor. ����������LOL
Click to expand...

This is what separates the men from the boys.

Real Men know how to tie a clove hitch and aren't afraid to use it to fasten their fenders at the base of their stanchions. Much faster than adjusting a $1200 gismo and just as quick to remove.

I also admit that I am too poor to own a single $1200 fender hanger. In fact my whole supply of 10 fenders, all with lines and custom spliced loops at the fender end wouldn't be worth a boat buck. If I had fender hangars that fancy I wouldn't have any place to stow them as there is no safe on my boat.
 
koliver said:
This is what separates the men from the boys.

Real Men know how to tie a clove hitch and aren't afraid to use it to fasten their fenders at the base of their stanchions. Much faster than adjusting a $1200 gismo and just as quick to remove.

I also admit that I am too poor to own a single $1200 fender hanger. In fact my whole supply of 10 fenders, all with lines and custom spliced loops at the fender end wouldn't be worth a boat buck. If I had fender hangars that fancy I wouldn't have any place to stow them as there is no safe on my boat.
Click to expand...

I was makinG A joke, hence the LOL at the end. Let’s be honest, you can’t tie a clove hitch as fast as one can pull a line through a cam cleat. You can tie a lot of clove hitches for $100. Also, $1200 is cheap when you own 200’ yacht.

While $100 fender hooks are not necessary for most, they do have a necessary place in the world.
 
Don’t know about that, I can tie a clove hitch pretty quickly.
 
Could be DIY using a sailboat mainsail cleat.
 
twistedtree said:
Just as another approach to consider......


On the past two boats I installed a sail track around the areas where fenders might hang. In most places it's in the lip of the overhead of the companionway, but there are a few on outside surfaces where needed.
Click to expand...

While I haven't gotten around to doing this I've always thought it was the cleanest, most versatile setup.
 
twistedtree said:
Just as another approach to consider......


On the past two boats I installed a sail track around the areas where fenders might hang. In most places it's in the lip of the overhead of the companionway, but there are a few on outside surfaces where needed.



Then sliding "cars" that can be positioned anywhere along the track and locked into place. Then the fender lines have snap clips that hook to the sliders. You can clip a fender to any slider, position it wherever you want, and easily move it if needed. Then when no longer needed, unclip the fender and stow it.


It works well, and the total cost was probably about the same as one of the fancy leather hangers.
Click to expand...

i like this too. many boats have awkward placement of things to tie a fender line onto. boats with lifelines, for example, have very limited places you can hang a fender. this solves all that, and things come off fast and easy to clear the deck.
 
Bmarler said:
i like this too. many boats have awkward placement of things to tie a fender line onto. boats with lifelines, for example, have very limited places you can hang a fender. this solves all that, and things come off fast and easy to clear the deck.
Click to expand...


I just doesn't let me demonstrate my knot-tying prowess, which admittedly it limited to just a few knots.
 
You can certainly make your own hook with an Alibaba cam cleat and a piece of steel that you powder coated in your own oven. I like the looks of my Boatleather hooks but more importantly my crew likes the fact that they are quick and easy. My crew is not the best with knots but awesome with kitchen utensils.

Some of my Boatleather hooks are 20 years old and the leather still looks good which amazes me considering they have lived outside for 20 years.
 
I use these with great success.
Fastfender.com
 
It is good to learn a few basic knots and hitches. In an emergency isn’t the time to be teaching them.
 
tiltrider1 said:
You can certainly make your own hook with an Alibaba cam cleat and a piece of steel that you powder coated in your own oven. .
Click to expand...

Or you could bend 3 mm aluminium flat bar and cover it in glued on Eva foam
And if the Alibaba can cleats aren't for you use the $20 Ronstan ones
Profit ;)
 
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