Boat Hookie

Sometimes you can get tired of laying on long epoxy parts. The sentiment hit me 2 days ago. As a diversion I picked up the rudder construction again, fiddled with the kick up controls, but didn't come to a happy resolution yet so, I decided to craft a boat hook.

Most of my computations, receipts, notes and drawings for this project have been kept in this notebook.

In it is my rough sketch of a long, light and sturdy boat hook. The hook is a scrap of hard oak and the shaft is of glued cedar. At just over 8' it should store well in the boat and float handle end up if dropped overboard. We'll see about that.

I had thought about lashing the parts, but dowelled things instead. I gave it a flat blunt nose for more pushing off surface. Some progress pics:

Rough cut with jig saw.

tapered with jack plane and belt sander

Finessing with files.

Rough cut for scarf.

Joined, dowelled and coated with "soup".

Shaped end.

All in all I have maybe 3 hours in this thing. It is handier, lighter and I think prettier than any of the several aluminum and telescopic versions I currently own. With a single coat of the "soup" (equal parts turpentine, tung oil, and pine tar). It is not the best smelling sauce, but it can grow on you. Maybe not for the rest of the family.

The kayak paddles I've put it on have worn very well. It also won't give you blisters like varnish can. Easy to apply, it simply wipes on and buffs off after 20-30 minutes. These pictures show it wet, but after a few coats there is a nice satin sheen developed.

Well, back to the long epoxy parts.