A quick-release hook for lifeboats and offshore rigging

A quick-release hook has been developed for applications in which release-under-load capability is essential. The design is an adaptation of a towing block developed at MIT for side trawlers. The new device has been deployed aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alert for two years as a part of its rigid hull inflatable rubber boat handling system. The hook has proven successful and judged a key element of the launch/retrieve operation. This paper details the design, fabrication, and operation of the hook and describes the operational environment in which the prototype was deployed. Other marine applications are discussed as well as the advantages over existing hardware.