The previous owner was a canny Scotsman and the tool is a spurtle. A spurtle is a Scottish kitchen tool dating back to the 15th century. It's a rod-like instrument that is traditionally used to stir porridge and prevent it from becoming lumpy and later for scraping remnant oat grains from the quaich (wooden serving bowl). Tradition calls for using a spurtle only with your right hand and only in a clockwise direction – otherwise, you risk invoking evil spirits and bringing on bad luck. That's my best guess, for what it's worth.

Looks like a shaft key for an inboard propeller.