On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:56:13 -0500, L D'Bonnie wrote:

I sail on a large Northern lake. There are many days when all I need
is shorts and a T shirt. There are also days when that sort of dress
would be a bit inappropriate. My boat is a 21 foot weekender. I'm not
concerned with sinking, but there is always a possibility of going
into the water. I live on the shore of the lake and intend to have my
boat in the water as soon as the ice is gone. I see no reason why I
can't sail just because it's 32 degrees and raining. Not as many
water skiers and Sea-doo's to dodge on those days.

I've never owned any sort of foul weather boating gear and would
appreciate some advice on what is practical before I make any
purchases. There is a wide choice of gear available with prices to
match.

At the lower end is this paddlers jacket in the $200 range

http://www.kokatat.com/product_detail.asp?code=tta

At the other end is this jacket that's nearly $800

http://www.pineapplesails.com/musto/...1647jacket.htm

I don't mind spending money on products that are worth their value.
Is a jacket like the $200 one adequate for cold weather sailing or
is it worth considering the $800 price range?

I would expect on a really cold day I would still need additional
layers of clothing with either jacket as well as suitable gloves,
boots and pants.

Sailing is the bottom line. What do I need to get out there and
sail in reasonable comfort while the rest are hiding indoors?

You might look into the various hand warmers on the market. If you do
get wet and cold, one of those in your pocket could work wonders on
cold fingers, even if protected by gloves or mittens.

Chuck

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Ski season is just coming to an end with lots of ski clothing going on
SALE. Lots of polar fleece, lots of Goretex, etc. etc. 40-50% off
should entice you for essentially the same type and quality of
'boating' togs at 3X the price. Think 'layers'. I use Goretex side-
zip ski pants for my 'foulies'; a GoreTex shell 'anorak' for my
foulies jacket, ditto for gloves ... again about 1/3 the (end of
season) price than 'boaters' stuff.