Blue Water Sailing Magazine Review - January 2004, p87

Stretched Out

Keeping an even strain on anchor rodes or mooring lines is important, both to avoid undue strain on deck fittings and, in the case of anchors, to reduce the likelihood of the anchor coming loose. With all-chain rodes a nylon snubber can be used, and a variety of makeshift arrangements can be seen simply by walking down any dock.

Shockles, an Oregon-based firm, has come up with what they accurately term a “multipurpose shock absorber” that works for all of the above uses and more. Consider the shock loads on a preventer rigged with a spare sheet. The boom’s movements can put very heavy loads on both the boom fitting and the deck fitting. Place a Shockles parallel to the preventer, with the line taking the full load only after the enclosed, multiple shock cords of the Shockles have taken the kinetic energy in a gradual manner, and the jarring impact of the intermittent loads will virtually cease.

Shockles come with an anodized marine-grade aluminum carabiner at each end and the shock cords are enclosed within a nylon tube for chafe and UV protection. We tested the 18-inch size (they also come in 12- and 24- inch sizes) and found it would stretch to twice its length. Shockles claim their devices are tested to a breaking strength in excess of 1,200 pounds, and, although we did not pull one until it broke, we did put a static load of 300 pounds on it. There was still some stretch to the Shockles and no evidence of any wear after an hour of bouncing the load up and down. The Shockles gets the BWS seal of approval, and we think we will discover more uses for this device as time goes on. It might keep the boom from swinging back and forth when we are at anchor, for example. Contact Shockles at 888-557-6464 or visit the company’s website at www.shockles.com.