Foul Weather Gear Question

[EliotR]

hi, im new to the site. I need some advice on purchasing foul Weather gear and equipment.

I plan on crewing on passages from NY/Eastcoast down to florida and further south. I know that different times of year require different levels of gear....but I am not sure where to begin. please advise.

Eliot

[EliotR]

Any suggestions for a website for purchasing qualty gear cheaply besides the usual

[bljones]

It's all about layering. Four seasons ago I bought a set of "Third Reef" foulies from West Marine. They have proven to be sufficient 12 months of the year. From October to May I simply bulk up underneath with polar fleece shirts and long underwear. I used to have a set of Wetskins foulies which are cheaper but don't breathe nearly as well. I was a hot sweaty mess with fogged up glasses whenever I wore them, no matter what season, and they stank worse than a hockey bag by the end of the only year I wore them.

[jackdale]

You are going to get two very different suggestions:

1) Buy the stuff the commercial fisherman use; PVC coated foulies. It is waterproof; after all that is what you see on The Deadliest Catch.

2) But the high tech breathable stuff with taped or welded seams. After all that is what you see on the Volvo races.

I am in the latter category because I do not have to clean fish guts off my foulies.

In cold climates I wear

Polypropylene underwear
A wind shirt
Fleece second layer
Helly Hansen Offshore bib pants
Gill Atlantic Jacket

I stay warm and dry, even on a dodgerless boat with waves washing the deck in the North Pacific.

[EliotR]

thanks guys...what about warmer climates?

[jackdale]

In really warm climates, in a squall, get the soap out and have a shower.

[EliotR]

Been there done that. I was down in Tortola last month.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by EliotR

thanks guys...what about warmer climates?

Depends on how warm we are talking about. Our weather around here varies from minimum in the dead of winter of 10c and gets up to 40c height of summer. Not tropical all year round and most certainly not as chilly as PNW.

We recently did a 24hour race where it was coldish (I guess minimum at night was down below 15c) plus rain and hail. Miserable conditions but I stress not freezing cold. Certainly the worst conditions I have ever been in over that length of time.

My gear is Gill Offshore jacket , Burke Southerly Offshore Bib pants, Burke Southerly SeaBoots. I wear a sleeveless vest under that but beyond that nothing special clothing wise other than I avoid blue jeans and cotton socks. I am happy wearing cotton underwear, cotton pants, cotton shirts.

But but but .... this has to be taken in the context of our climate. Were I to rug up like Jack I'd die from overheating. Were I to be sailing in colder climes I'd be moving away from the cotton but for me it works because I like the feel of cotton and don't particularly like synthetics. Silk would be nice but I'll be keeping synthetic longjohns on board for when we head further south.

I love the jacket and the pants. They are comfortable, dry and importantly they keep out the wind chill. My previous pants (I think they were Ronstan) kept me perfectly dry but did nothing to keep out the wind. First big lesson I learnt from doing coldish offshore coastal stuff. Its the wind wot gets to ya. Chills you to the bone and seemingly legs suffer the most.

The boots are for the plank. Bought them to replace standard rubber boots but they are not good enough for warmth. Jack mentioned Sperry Fathom on the seaboot thread a week or so back. I'm thinking to go that way.

For mine gloves are still the weak link.

[killarney_sailor]

An idea for (possibly!) getting a deal of foulies. Do your homework before so you will know what normal prices are. Go to a big boat show on the last day. Check out who is selling the kind of gear you want and what their prices are (perhaps do this before you go to look at the boats). Go back to the booth in the last hour or so of the show and see what kind of deal you can strike. Often prices will be marked down because the vendors would prefer not to have to pack everything up and take it back to their stores/warehouses. Don't be afraid to do a little haggling. I got a very nice price on some very expensive Henri Lloyds at the Toronto show years ago this way. Of course, they may have sold out of what you want, but that is life. The Defender warehouse sale in March generally has very good prices and you can get them online.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by killarney_sailor

An idea for (possibly!) getting a deal of foulies. Do your homework before so you will know what normal prices are. Go to a big boat show on the last day. Check out who is selling the kind of gear you want and what their prices are (perhaps do this before you go to look at the boats). Go back to the booth in the last hour or so of the show and see what kind of deal you can strike. Often prices will be marked down because the vendors would prefer not to have to pack everything up and take it back to their stores/warehouses. Don't be afraid to do a little haggling. I got a very nice price on some very expensive Henri Lloyds at the Toronto show years ago this way. Of course, they may have sold out of what you want, but that is life. The Defender warehouse sale in March generally has very good prices and you can get them online.

Well said. We got our Gill stuff at theSydney boat show for quite some few buckazoids off retail and yep it was the last day.