Practical Sailor 12/2004
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Simple. not overly expensive, and very practical, the Bungy will certainly give your boat a smoother ride atanchcr or at the dock, and it ccxiid save hardware—or the boat itself—via its abscrptional elongation. PYI. 8CO/523-7558. www.pyiinc.com Tack tick (Layline). 800/542-5463 wvw.ltybne.com Rayovac, 800/237- 7000. wwwsayovac ccm Surface Dive. 8(0/513-3950. wwwsurfacedive. com Si-Tex. 727/5785734. www.sl-tex.ccm Zodiac/Bombard'Avon 410/643 4141. mw.zodiexi.com Pettit.800'22l -4466. wwv.kopcoat.com Fluke. 800/443-5853. wwv.tluke.com Futuna 360/834-9300. www.furuno. com Bungy. Scandvik. Jnc.. 80/535 60(0. www.scandvik.com The Bungy The last Gear of the Year item is a favorite. The choice of the Bungy was very easy, because it's new. not terribly expensive, and very practical. (Of course, anything ■practical” we tend to like.) The Bungy made its debut in the Chandlery column of our July 15 issue. This product is simply a one-piece molded rubber glob that can be used singly or in multiple numbers to provide stretch in any line up to 3/4 inches. The photo above explains how this snubber works. It very effectively eases the shock load on any line. Better yet. unlike all other snubbers, it can be attached to any line without freeing the line or having to tie knots or make loops. In our in-house test of the Bungy. the device gave 2-1/4 inches of stretch with a line tensioned to 200 pounds. Three or four bungies on the same line would give up to about 12 inches of elongation, if tensioned to about 550 pounds. That's a good load for an anchor rode in very stiff winds. The Bungy could also be used with a preventer, soft boom vang. or mooring line, and would certainly tame the jerking that often occurs when towing a dinghy. Per Stalquist. of Scandvik. saw the Bungy in Sweden and grabbed a bunch to sell in the U.S. In our opinion, they're pricey (at $29.90 for a pair) but so intelligent that they're irresistible. ■ Practical Sailor