Does anybody make UV-proof bungees?

[Greenheart]

I bought what I reckoned was the best-reviewed brand of bungees, from Amazon.

After a year or so in continuous use, they are utterly decrepit. Some much older ones that were already on the boat, have stood up better...

...but I don't know who made those, or where they were bought.

Does anybody make bungees which are genuinely (proven to be) resistant to the terrible withering effects of a life outdoors?

Perhaps the solution is to buy relatively expensive chandlery shock-cord, and add stainless hooks?

 

[Poignard]

[...]

Perhaps the solution is to buy relatively expensive chandlery shock-cord, and add stainless hooks?

I now make my own.

Hog-ring pliers and s/s hog rings are not expensive, and shockcord is not expesive bought online.

The s/s hooks do cost more than I expected though

 

[Greenheart]

And, does the shockcord last better than the equivalent used for ready-made bungees?

 

[Poignard]

And, does the shockcord last better than the equivalent used for ready-made bungees?

I think they do.

 

[William_H]

Just on the subject of bungee cords with steel hooks on each end. Had a tragedy a few years back when a teenager working at a super market was collecting trolleys from the car park. They used a bungy to hold the trolleys together. The stretched bungy let go. The hook came around and hooked his jugular in his neck. He was dead in seconds. Freak accident but it could have been his eye.
The moral is beware bungee with hooks. I make my own from bulk shock cord. I lash a loop into one end and a plastic hook on the other end. Search Results
However I have moved to use sail ties for the main sail. Being a length of narrow webbing with a loop sewn in one end. Works well and easily adjusted. ol'will

 

[Saltram31]

Shock cord is sheathed in polypropylene .Deteriorates quickly with UV. Not sure of your application ,but you can sleeve it with bunched up 25mm polyester tubular webbing .

 

[Hydrozoan]

I have quite a bit of relatively fine shock cord in various external applications, but use (if they are needed at all) rounded plastic hooks for safety reasons Trem Nylon Hooks Gael Force Marine. One just has to accept that any shock cord will need replacing after a few seasons.

 

[michael_w]

Black shockcord seems to last longer than white.

 

[Neeves]

We had shock cord to control the blocks for our runners on our X-99. They lasted the 4 years we owned her. Ask the X-Yacht dealer if their yachts might still use them and if they are able to tell you the source.

Not very helpful I know - sorry.

Now bungee is a consumable, we buy reels (from HK) and simply replace as necessary

Jonathan

 

[RumPunch]

I'm ex RAF. Our Jaguar canopies were held up by great big bungee cords. We wrapped them with white PTFE tape to act as UV protection - it could slide over itself as they expanded / contracted

 

[Poignard]

Just on the subject of bungee cords with steel hooks on each end. Had a tragedy a few years back when a teenager working at a super market was collecting trolleys from the car park. They used a bungy to hold the trolleys together. The stretched bungy let go. The hook came around and hooked his jugular in his neck. He was dead in seconds. Freak accident but it could have been his eye.
The moral is beware bungee with hooks. I make my own from bulk shock cord. I lash a loop into one end and a plastic hook on the other end. Search Results
However I have moved to use sail ties for the main sail. Being a length of narrow webbing with a loop sewn in one end. Works well and easily adjusted. ol'will

I have one of these shockcord sail tiers which is quite handy for a quick stow.



I arrange it so that the nylon toggles come up over the port side of the boom (I stand on the starboard side) so that if I accidentally let one go it flies away from me and not at me.

 

[Derek ide]

I have heard that rubbing high protection sunscreen onto exposed shock cord would help. I have done it and convinced myself that it worked. Any chemists out there who would care to comment.
I have used it recently on the exposed fabric of zips that I had to replace due to UV exposure.