US Navy Grapnel USN GRAPPLING HOOK

[Sainte.mere.eglise]

Hi

 

This kind of grapnelwas found abord the wreck of a ship in the Normandy coast. Do you know exactly what is it ?

 

Thank you for your help

Best regards

Bob from France

[manayunkman]

Looks like it went on the end of a pole.

[Bob Hudson]

That doesn't look like a grapnel, more like a boat hook, which fits on the end of a pole. Typically a boat hook has one curved arm and one straight one, but both are curved on this.

 

Here's the standard style:

 

[RustyCanteen]

I concur with FS, it would have been used with 'whaleboats" and other small craft.

 

RC

[Sainte.mere.eglise]

Thank you very much for your replies

[Salvage Sailor]

Yep, boat hook, but not U.S.

 

I've got a USN boat hook & a grappling hook in my warehouse. When I dig them out I'll post some photos for reference.

[Salvage Sailor]

Here's a USN Boathook that came off of a YTB (Yard Tug Boat) at Pearl Harbor. As Rusty said, it is also commonly used on Whaleboats, gigs, and other small craft throughout the fleet.

[Salvage Sailor]

The shaft 9 feet long, is made of solid oak & has a groove cut into one side. It's finished with a heavy coat of boat varnish.

[uplandmod]

That's a cool hook!

[Salvage Sailor]

Yep, boat hook, but not U.S.

 

I've got a USN boat hook & a grappling hook in my warehouse. When I dig them out I'll post some photos for reference.

 

USN 15 FATHOM GRAPNEL i.e. Grappling Hook - Standard USN galvanized Grapnel with one fathom case hardened chain and fourteen fathoms of Manila line (for you landlubbers, 1 Fathom = 6 feet)

[Salvage Sailor]

USN 15 FATHOM GRAPNEL - One Fathom case hardened chain

[Salvage Sailor]

USN GRAPNEL

[Salvage Sailor]

There ya go......That's a USN 15 Fathom Grapnel, prepare to board!

[mikie]

All neat and unusual items, at least to this landlubber. But I did know what a fathom is.

Mikie

[MastersMate]

Minor bit of trivia concerning the groove in the handle of the boathook. It was attached to the hook with the groove aligned with the direction of the hook. In the dark you could tell by feeling the groove, which way the hook was oriented..

 

Concerning the fathom. When I went to the USN Signalman school at Newport, RI, the Chief Signalman explained to us that the fathom was a measurement of 6 feet, the required height to be to enlist in the CG, and was the length of the tack line used to separate flag signal hoists. He noted to us Coasties, the signal bridge 'slang' term for tack line was ENSIGN, meaning 6 feet of nothing..

[Salvage Sailor]

I'm sure he also let you know that 6' was the minimum height for Coasties so they could walk to shore if their boat sank.....

[MastersMate]

Knee Deep Sailors !!!!!

 

We've been keeping an eye on that 12 mile limit since 1790

[wanderingwillys]

On 8/5/2018 at 11:36 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

USN GRAPNEL

 

Any background on where this grapple came from - been looking for one for the WWII 83 footer we are restoring

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Matt,

 

The grapple came from a Natick class YTB after they were decommissioned at Pearl Harbor (Ford Island).  It was either from the Nashua before she was scuttled off of Ewa as a training hulk or the Waxahachie before she went to MDSU-1 as IX-545