Engineering:Pelican hook

A pelican hook being closed.

Short description: Nautical rigging device

A pelican hook is a piece of nautical rigging hardware

It is composed of a hinged link held closed by a circumferential link capable of being released under load. Small examples are held closed by hand while the retaining link is displaced while larger examples are hit with a hammer or sledge hammer to release.

The asymmetric appearance of the two hinged pieces is similar in appearance to a pelican's beak. It is frequently used to secure ships' anchors and life raft canisters but has many other applications.

External links

• "Shiploading: A Picture-Dictionary of Shiploading Terms". The Navy Department Library. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/s/shiploading-picture-dictionary.html. Retrieved 25 November 2016.  Includes illustration of Pelican hook, under "Hooks".