Gear Review: Shockles

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -Albert Einstein

Traditional bungee cords and shock cords are about as simple as it gets. Given Einstein's words above, in some ways they're too simple for use on a boat. Whether I use the thick type that is made from cheap rubber or those that have braided elastic rubber sheathed with a thin layer of synthetic fiber, they always seem to suffer from UV rot fairly quickly.  Both of these types are also not up to jobs requiring more strength and stretching power, such as snubbing an anchor line.

But fear not, the same innovative company that makes a boat-specific solar light has taken on the challenge of making a shock absorbing product that can withstand the rigors of the marine environment on a cruising boat. Shockles come in a variety of lengths and sizes, some of which have a tested breaking strength of over 2,500 pounds. They also feature very high quality stainless steel captive carabiner clips on each end, which is a huge upgrade from the metal "S" hooks on most bungee cords. I used a couple of Mini Shockles this past summer on the sailboat and found them useful for a variety of tasks that were once the duty of wimpy Walmart bungee cords that I'd replace several times throughout the season.

Mini Shockle lashing the tiller on Island Bound while hove to
Where I found the Mini Shockles most useful was for lashing the tiller to leeward when heaving to (I'll soon be writing a post about our technique for heaving to). The shockles provide the perfect balance of stretch and pull to keep the tiller safely where it needs to be. The Mini Shockles were also useful for securing our big 33lbs claw anchor to the bow when not in use, and for holding the boom to the side of the boat when at anchor or the dock to clear room in the cockpit.  I also used them as an anchor snubber in calm conditions, though if you plan to do the same you should really invest in the heavier duty purpose built "Anchor Snubber Shockle".  

The uses for these stretchy little friends are only bounded by your ingenuity...

...use them as an anchor snubber.
...or for absorbing shock from the dinghy painter.
...or quieting noisy halyards.

Or...

Ready to get your own Shockles? Get them here:




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Favorite Affordable Bluewater Sailboats

Image
I've always said that my favorite boat is whichever one I currently own. Being able to call it "mine" makes it my favorite by default. My first boat was a $400 derelict that I loved (still love) deeply. And she loved me back. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other boats I love that I'd like to call "mine" someday. The following is my personal ranking of my favorite affordable (available for ~$50k) sailboats. I've rather arbitrarily set the price limit around $50k and called it "affordable" in hopes that one day one of these boats might fit my budget and help my family and I to sail far and live free. Also note that other than the top 3, these rankings change in my head almost daily and I really struggled to narrow the list down to just 10.   As you peruse my list, you'll notice that they're all bluewater cruisers . You won't find any modern designs, fin keels, spade rudders, sugar scoop transoms, carbon fiber
Read more

Go Small and Go Now! 5 Pocket Cruisers to Take you Anywhere

Image
"Go small, go simple, go now!" -Lin & Larry Pardey Iconic cruisers Lin and Larry Pardey are well-known among cruising enthusiasts for the above statement. Can it really be that easy? Grab yourself a small boat, outfit it properly but simply for offshore work, and get going while your dream and your body is still alive! Lin and Larry not only made the statement, they lived it. If you're looking to do the same, maybe some of the micro- or pocket-cruisers I've listed below can serve as your "go small" portion of the equation. Going small and choosing one of these or several other pocket cruisers will lead to trade-offs. Of course first and foremost you'll be giving up length, both on deck and at the waterline. This often leads to less storage space, less weight capacity, and slower sailing. But the upside is presumably less maintenance (less paint, less wood, fewer systems) and more affordable expenses. For example, replacing the sails or rigg
Read more

Escape to the Sea: How to get from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean

Image
Let's say winter's chill was something you could no longer take as a Great Lakes sailor. Or perhaps you just want to extend your sailing season beyond the boundaries of summer. What options do you have?  You could just opt for a bareboat charter somewhere in the Caribbean and consider the itch scratched. But then you'd miss out on all the adventure of moving a boat between the Great Lakes and the Caribbean. And you wouldn't be sailing  your  boat. I'm here to convince you that the best option is to sail your own boat south. What follows is an overview of the route you could take to get you and your boat to warmer water and weather from the Great Lakes. Route 1: St. Lawrence Seaway (including Lake Champlain shortcut) You're adventurous if you choose this route. From most starting locations in the Great Lakes, you'll also be seeing the most scenery and passing the
Read more