Any Experience with the HOOKNIFE???

[Sumner]

Considering where we are using our Endeavour (Florida mostly) we are considering buying...



...a HOOKNIFE.....

LED lighting, soundproof, Sailor's Solutions Inc.

to possibly deal with getting...



...tangled up with a crab pot line.

Does anyone have one? Had experience with one? We have a dinghy and would hope to use it from there, but could go in the water if warranted.

Thanks,

Sumner and Ruth

[mbianka]

Talk about a specialty tool. I would be very careful if you are using it in an inflatable. IMO If you are willing to go in the water a serrated bread knife might be just as useful and probably a lot cheaper too.

[FSMike]

You might consider mounting some Spurs (I think that's the name) or a competing product on your shaft. They will cut the lines at first contact.
To keep the fishermen happy it's best to not snag the lines in the first place.

[tropicalescape]

I have a hook knife mounted on my tow wench,they do come in handy when you have got to cut away fast or you only have one hand to work with,they also sale hook knifes made from plastic with opposing razor type blades,great for arimed fibers such as nomex and kevlar etc...

[HopCar]

That looks like a very clever design. Can you see your prop from the surface and reach it with a pole? It wouldn't work for me without my getting in the water but I might be able to use it floating on the surface next to my boat with just a mask and snorkle.
I have Spurs so I don't need it. If I didn't have the Spurs, I'd probably buy one.

[RDW]

My limited experience is that the line will be much too tight to get the hook in the right place to be effective. I have Spurs (line cutters) but on one occassion I was just at idle engine speed and it killed the engine and the other time it was amsteel line. Both times I have to work hard (diving with snorkle) cutting from the outside in to get anything done. Just my 2 cents.
RDW

[hpeer]

I had one, used it to cut a line from the prop. Worked fine. Not real rugged, I broke it somehow, can't recall. Will likely get another since I have a nasty habit of wrapping the prop.

[Maine Sail]

When you need it it will be the best investment you've ever made. We've had one since Sailors Solutions began offering them. My granfather had one when I was a kid and until Sailors Solutions brought it back I assumed they were long gone. Ours is mounted to the longest Sure Hold adjustable pole they make and sits in a fishing rod holder on the stern push pit.. When you need it they are indispensable and really, really, really work well...

[LeaseOnLife]

Originally Posted by RDW

My limited experience is that the line will be much too tight to get the hook in the right place to be effective. I have Spurs (line cutters) but on one occassion I was just at idle engine speed and it killed the engine and the other time it was amsteel line. Both times I have to work hard (diving with snorkle) cutting from the outside in to get anything done. Just my 2 cents.
RDW

+1

Only had to do it twice, but each time the line was tightly wrapped, no chance to get this tool in between.

Dirk

[Matt Johnson]

Had it happen to me a few weeks ago.... line was way too tight to get this tool on. Wouldn't have worked for us.

I have the Shaft Shark (prop line cutter), but it didn't cut a single strand on the double braid line. It was my genoa sheet...1/2" and it didn't do anything! Horrible!!!

[gettinthere]

Originally Posted by Maine Sail

When you need it it will be the best investment you've ever made. We've had one since Sailors Solutions began offering them. My granfather had one when I was a kid and until Sailors Solutions brought it back I assumed they were long gone. Ours is mounted to the longest Sure Hold adjustable pole they make and sits in a fishing rod holder on the stern push pit.. When you need it they are indispensable and really, really, really work well...

How about the many comments of line wrapped tightly around the shaft?

[Sumner]

Thanks guys. The boat in the yard next to ours has the spurs and they didn't look like they would work on our boat for a couple reasons, but reminding me of them made me look again and I came up with the Prop Protector...



Prop-Protector | Rope and Weed Cutter

....It isn't quite as good as the spurs, but if it looks like it will fit between the prop and cutlass bearing when we get back I think we will order one.

I'm also thinking we will get the HOOKNIFE with a long pole like MS suggested. I can see it working on a line that is tightly wrapped as it actually has the 3 cutting edges on it ....



...two on the outside so you don't necessarily have to hook it like in the one picture. You can saw/cut the line also. I think with the long pole I could reach that area without getting in the water. Some places over on the west coast the water isn't clear anyway. I think I'll put some marks on the hull just above the water line to help locate the area.

If worst comes to worst I could still dive on it and we carry good knives. I just found out a couple years ago when our rode wrapped about some brush underwater that I can't hold my breath underwater like I use to be able to . I also have a full and partial wet suit on board and after the other deal diving without one now also have a weight belt.

Thanks again and hopefully we never have to use any of this. So far we have avoided 10,346 crab pots in Florida ,

Sum

[Dockhead]

Looks like a useful device!

I second the recommendation to fit a rope cutter to your shaft - our Ambassador Stripper saved our bacon last summer when we got tangled up in a pot line off Sark in a viciously strong tidal current. We would not have been able to get in the cold water in such a current.

The line was caught in our rudder, and we also used a serrated sailor's knife cable-tied to a boat hook. I was surprised how well the cable ties worked to fix the knife firmly to the boat hook.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Talk about a specialty tool. I would be very careful if you are using it in an inflatable. IMO If you are willing to go in the water a serrated bread knife might be just as useful and probably a lot cheaper too.

Funny you should say that. I have a number of cheap but fearsome bread knife about a foot long around the pilothouse. About four motivated strokes and you are through 1/2 inch line. Repeat as needed. The handles are plastic so you can run a bit of line through them, but I usually just have them on magnets (it's a steel pilothouse) by the companionway. They cost about five bucks each at a close-out.

[Calypso52]

Would not consider sailing to Maine without my hookknife. Used it several times. Just be careful, it is WICKED sharp. I don't take the sheath off until the moment before I use it.
And I have a serrated cutter disk on the shaft too! They serve different purposes.
I have 100% success record. My friends who have borrowed it have never picked up a pot.
And if you are sailing in the vicinity of bad guys, it would be an excellent perp disuader if one were trying to come down the companionway. A multitool!