Sometimes products come along that make you question why no one has thought of them before. And that was definitely my first impression when I got hold of a Seabung to test. It is simple to use, and while very expensive for a small amount of plastic, the savings compared to lifting your boat make it worth considering for some.

You may well have heard of this product before if you watch the venture capitalist TV programme Dragons’ Den, on which Seabung won investment. [During that programme the founding father and son, John and Sam Ford, showed the coverage Yachting World had given them in the New Gear March 2014 as proof of potential of Seabung.]

The Seabung has various uses, such as replacing seacocks, logs/sensors or simply for carrying onboard as a safety bung. While I would not be comfortable carrying only this and no wooden bungs, I did find it useful when I had problems with my speed sensor.

Throughout one day I removed the sensor from its through-hull fitting and replaced it numerous times – and the Seabung worked just as advertised. The polyurethane dome is flexible enough to be pushed through a seacock using the plastic stem, before reforming its circular shape. External water pressure then seals it to the hull. www.seabung.com

Tested by Henry Bomby