Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

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?

LdB

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"L D'Bonnie" wrote in message
m...
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?

LdB


I sail in the SF bayarea... in the bay and less frequently offshore.
Certainly, the water temp or even the wind temp doesn't approach 32 degrees,
but it can easily get below 50 plus wind-chill. Hypothermia is always an
issue even on summer days in the more protected areas where shorts and tees
are possible.

As you said, layers is going to be the answer, mostly. It's not unusual to
have 4 or 5 layers at our disposal, along with a variety of
hat/glove/footwear combinations.

I've used a fairly low-end foul weather jacket/pants set up for most of the
years (~25) sailing here. It was purchased at WM... something similar to
this, but not breathable (it's old): http://preview.tinyurl.com/3y6tbd. My
recollection is that it was about $200 then. If I had it to do over, I would
get breathable, but you can still do this at a very reasonable cost.

Now certainly, the musto is a great jacket. I'm not sure it's worth the
extra $600.

I think you'd probably do fine with either hi-tech layering or wool
layering, both of which will add value should you go in the water. Of
course, at the temps you describe, nothing short of a drysuit will keep you
for very long... also true out here, btw.

I'd say save the money on the high end stuff and invest in a good
layering/hat/glove/footwear combination.

You could also give Pineapple a call and describe the situation. They're
good people.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

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

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

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.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"L D'Bonnie" wrote in message
m...
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?

LdB


The Mustang people have quite a selection. The 'floater' jackets used to be
very popular up here in spring/fall.
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/produ...uct.php?id=148

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

Subject

Back when I sailed on the Great Lakes in cold weather, wore a
snowmobile suit.

Picked it up at a K-Mart on a "blue light special".

Light weight, warm and LOW cost.

YMMV

Lew

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

L D'Bonnie wrote:
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?


It also depends on how much $800 is to you; which partially depends on
your income & partly on your personality.
I'm a cheapskate, I wouldn't buy an $800 jacket to sail in unless I
knew it had a couple of self-tailing winches and a new set of kevlar
sails in the pockets.


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.


The best place to start with cold weather clothing is with a good set
of capilene longies. These aren't very expensive. I've got a set of
water shedding hunting trouser that were also inexpensive and can be
worn inside a pair of cargo pants. Put on foul-weather bibs over that
and you've got 4 layers that will keep your lower half (generally the
wetter & less active half) warm & mostly dry down towards freezing. Do
the same for your upper half and you can sail quite comfortably...
without restricting movement too much either.... for not much more
than that $200 jacket cost all by itself.

One thing that can be added for insurance is a set of wooly (or
microfleece) under-bibs that keep your core body temp up.

These are a bit on the pricey side, you could shop around
http://www.whitecapsfoulweathergear....t_id=c2agi1512



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


Anybody who actually wants to, will not be hiding indoors!

BTW another item that really *really* helps on cold days.... and as a
skipper, I was always acutely aware of how effective and as a
cheapskate, how COST-effective.... a nice steaming round of tea or
cocoa.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

wrote in message
...
L D'Bonnie wrote:
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?


It also depends on how much $800 is to you; which partially depends on
your income & partly on your personality.
I'm a cheapskate, I wouldn't buy an $800 jacket to sail in unless I
knew it had a couple of self-tailing winches and a new set of kevlar
sails in the pockets.


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.


The best place to start with cold weather clothing is with a good set
of capilene longies. These aren't very expensive. I've got a set of
water shedding hunting trouser that were also inexpensive and can be
worn inside a pair of cargo pants. Put on foul-weather bibs over that
and you've got 4 layers that will keep your lower half (generally the
wetter & less active half) warm & mostly dry down towards freezing. Do
the same for your upper half and you can sail quite comfortably...
without restricting movement too much either.... for not much more
than that $200 jacket cost all by itself.

One thing that can be added for insurance is a set of wooly (or
microfleece) under-bibs that keep your core body temp up.

These are a bit on the pricey side, you could shop around
http://www.whitecapsfoulweathergear....t_id=c2agi1512



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


Anybody who actually wants to, will not be hiding indoors!

BTW another item that really *really* helps on cold days.... and as a
skipper, I was always acutely aware of how effective and as a
cheapskate, how COST-effective.... a nice steaming round of tea or
cocoa.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King




Tea is better than coffee... don't get so jittery and more people will use
it... unless you need to stay awake.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

L D'Bonnie wrote in news:47f3f083$0$517$6c5eefc5
@news.maximumusenet.com:

My boat is a 21 foot weekender. I'm not
concerned with sinking,

A recipe for disaster. Without a survival suit for every person aboard,
you won't last 15 minutes, maybe not 10.

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/integrity/
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/produ...p?id=421&mc=13

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resou...icles/hypother
mia/index.php

"THE 4 CRITICAL PHASES OF COLD-WATER IMMERSION

I. First 5 minutes - Immediate Shock
The subject experiences the gasp reflex – the sudden gasp of air as
result of the shock, the inability to hold breath, hypertension and
increased cardiac output. Most casualties in this phase succumb to
drowning or heart attack before hypothermia can even begin to set to in.

II. Next 15 minutes – Inhalation of Water
The subject fails to keep afloat or swim and has little ability to grasp
or climb into things such as overturned vessels or life rafts.
Typically, these individuals drown due to excessive inhalation of water.

III. 30 minutes - Onset of hypothermia
Stages of Hypothermia:
37° C is considered normal body core temperature. When core temperature
drops to 36.1° C, muscle tone becomes affected. Most people have
experienced this feeling of tension in their back and neck when they’ve
become chilled. At a core temperature of 35° C, one is considered mildly
hypothermic. Most immersion experiments with human test subjects are
terminated at this point for ethical reasons. At a core temperature of
33.9° C, subjects experience amnesia, but of course don’t remember it!
Another 1.1° C drop down to 32.8° C; apathy that is a lack of sensation
or feeling can be experienced.

At 32.2° C one is considered profoundly hypothermic and starts to lose
the ability to shiver. At 31.1° C, shivering ceases. Shivering is a
human’s only method of increasing their internal heat generation, thus
once it stops, and core temperature starts falling rapidly. At 30° C,
heart arrhythmias occur. Death follows at 25° C; however the majority of
people would have drowned before ever getting to this point.

IV. 30 minutes – Risk of Re-warming Shock after Rescue
Upon removal from the water, there is a continued drop in a subject’s
core temperature and a collapse of arterial pressure due to hydrostatic
squeeze. Extreme care and proper re-warming procedures must be followed
to effectively attend to the subject.

HOW CAN HYPOTHERMIA BE PREVENTED ?
In-water Tactics
When you’re in cold water, don’t swim unless you can reach a nearby
boat, fellow survivor or floating object. Even good swimmers drown while
swimming in cold water. Swimming lowers your body temperature.

If a nearby floating object is large, pull yourself up onto it. The more
of your body that is out of the water, the warmer you’ll be. Don’t use
drownproofing methods that call for putting your face into the water.
Keep your head out of the water to lessen heat loss and increase
survival time.

Use of the HELP position will lessen heat loss. If there are others in
the water, HUDDLE together for warmth. Keep a positive outlook; it will
improve your chances of survival.

Always wear your PFD. Even if you become helpless from hypothermia, your
PFD will keep you afloat."

The difference is they find a cold, dead body floating in his
PFD.....or, they find a barely alive cold body floating in his
rudimentary survival suit that saved his ass....Your choice.

It CAN happen to YOU....

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

On Apr 2, 10:56 am, L D'Bonnie wrote:
http://www.pineapplesails.com/musto/...1647jacket.htm

That's a lot of money. I really like the Gill line and I recently
retired my old (ca 1990) west marine 3rd reef pvc stuff (mostly
packing tape) in favor of Gill. I'm hard pressed to see that the
Musto coat is twice as much jacket as the penultimate Gill coat
(Atlantic) but it is twice the price. In the ocean in temps down into
the 50's the Gill Key West line is adequate as a top layer. I've got a
buddy who swears by the Stearns work suit for cold weather work on the
ocean. However, my guess is that you are looking at day sailing for a
couple of hours in fair weather and as long as you don't fall in I
can't really see spending a lot of money on a jacket thats designed to
keep you dry when you're getting hammered by ocean waves. I think
something along the lines of the Key West stuff would be fine as a
shell if you want to be yachty but a good outer-layer from someplace
like www.campmor.com or www.basgear.com (shop around) would likely be
just as good and cheaper and they carry all the underlayering you'll
be wanting. www.defender.com is a decent place to start if you are
interested in the Gill or Sterns. Get lots of layers. Oh, yeah, it's
hard to find gloves that keep you warm and allow you to handle lines.
I used some shooter's gloves that have short fingers but a mitten like
top that you can pull over you fingertips when you aren't using them
on my last trip to New Zealand. They were ok for modestly cool
weather but for real winter weather you might try neoprene sailing
gloves.

-- Tom.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"Larry" wrote in message
...
L D'Bonnie wrote in news:47f3f083$0$517$6c5eefc5
@news.maximumusenet.com:

My boat is a 21 foot weekender. I'm not
concerned with sinking,

A recipe for disaster. Without a survival suit for every person aboard,
you won't last 15 minutes, maybe not 10.

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/integrity/
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/produ...p?id=421&mc=13

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resou...icles/hypother
mia/index.php

"THE 4 CRITICAL PHASES OF COLD-WATER IMMERSION

I. First 5 minutes - Immediate Shock
The subject experiences the gasp reflex – the sudden gasp of air as
result of the shock, the inability to hold breath, hypertension and
increased cardiac output. Most casualties in this phase succumb to
drowning or heart attack before hypothermia can even begin to set to in.

II. Next 15 minutes – Inhalation of Water
The subject fails to keep afloat or swim and has little ability to grasp
or climb into things such as overturned vessels or life rafts.
Typically, these individuals drown due to excessive inhalation of water.

III. 30 minutes - Onset of hypothermia
Stages of Hypothermia:
37° C is considered normal body core temperature. When core temperature
drops to 36.1° C, muscle tone becomes affected. Most people have
experienced this feeling of tension in their back and neck when they’ve
become chilled. At a core temperature of 35° C, one is considered mildly
hypothermic. Most immersion experiments with human test subjects are
terminated at this point for ethical reasons. At a core temperature of
33.9° C, subjects experience amnesia, but of course don’t remember it!
Another 1.1° C drop down to 32.8° C; apathy that is a lack of sensation
or feeling can be experienced.

At 32.2° C one is considered profoundly hypothermic and starts to lose
the ability to shiver. At 31.1° C, shivering ceases. Shivering is a
human’s only method of increasing their internal heat generation, thus
once it stops, and core temperature starts falling rapidly. At 30° C,
heart arrhythmias occur. Death follows at 25° C; however the majority of
people would have drowned before ever getting to this point.

IV. 30 minutes – Risk of Re-warming Shock after Rescue
Upon removal from the water, there is a continued drop in a subject’s
core temperature and a collapse of arterial pressure due to hydrostatic
squeeze. Extreme care and proper re-warming procedures must be followed
to effectively attend to the subject.

HOW CAN HYPOTHERMIA BE PREVENTED ?
In-water Tactics
When you’re in cold water, don’t swim unless you can reach a nearby
boat, fellow survivor or floating object. Even good swimmers drown while
swimming in cold water. Swimming lowers your body temperature.

If a nearby floating object is large, pull yourself up onto it. The more
of your body that is out of the water, the warmer you’ll be. Don’t use
drownproofing methods that call for putting your face into the water.
Keep your head out of the water to lessen heat loss and increase
survival time.

Use of the HELP position will lessen heat loss. If there are others in
the water, HUDDLE together for warmth. Keep a positive outlook; it will
improve your chances of survival.

Always wear your PFD. Even if you become helpless from hypothermia, your
PFD will keep you afloat."

The difference is they find a cold, dead body floating in his
PFD.....or, they find a barely alive cold body floating in his
rudimentary survival suit that saved his ass....Your choice.

It CAN happen to YOU....


I do not like sailing when the weather is cold I rather be inside.
However if I have to, excluding extreme weather, for cold weather sailing I
wear the following:
I am more comfortable with natural fibbers.
As for base layer (underwear) I like a blend of silk and wool for the top
and bottom see
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...wear&noImage=0
On top of the underwear I prefer a pure natural virgin wool sweater like the
Guernsey or better.
see http://www.channeljumper.com/?gclid=...FQmNHgodEl-aXw
For the final layer I use a breathable and waterproof (not repellent) ski
jacket with a high collar and hood and matching downhill pants.
As heat is lost at the extremities I wear a good pairs of waterproof and
breathable insulated ski gloves with appropriate headgear. For my feet I
wear a good pair of Smartwool socks see
http://www.bluerivertrading.com/smartwool.asp#
If its raining very hard I switch to breathable raingear. In case we have a
white out (heavy snow) my wife and I always carry out down hill ski goggles
on board.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

wrote in
:

I do not like sailing when the weather is cold I rather be inside.
However if I have to, excluding extreme weather, for cold weather
sailing I


That doesn't really matter. You can die of hypothermia right off the
Southeast coast, right here in Charleston...for a good part of the year.

Look at the core temps and effects of them. If you get down to under 90F,
you're in serious trouble....The water sucks it right out of you.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

In article ,
Larry wrote:

A recipe for disaster. Without a survival suit for every person aboard,
you won't last 15 minutes, maybe not 10.

See http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP13822/menu.htm for details.

HTH

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:12:16 +0000, Larry wrote:

L D'Bonnie wrote in news:47f3f083$0$517$6c5eefc5
:

My boat is a 21 foot weekender. I'm not
concerned with sinking,

A recipe for disaster. Without a survival suit for every person aboard,
you won't last 15 minutes, maybe not 10.

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/integrity/
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/produ...p?id=421&mc=13

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resou...icles/hypother
mia/index.php

"THE 4 CRITICAL PHASES OF COLD-WATER IMMERSION

I. First 5 minutes - Immediate Shock
The subject experiences the gasp reflex – the sudden gasp of air as
result of the shock, the inability to hold breath, hypertension and
increased cardiac output. Most casualties in this phase succumb to
drowning or heart attack before hypothermia can even begin to set to in.

II. Next 15 minutes – Inhalation of Water
The subject fails to keep afloat or swim and has little ability to grasp
or climb into things such as overturned vessels or life rafts.
Typically, these individuals drown due to excessive inhalation of water.

III. 30 minutes - Onset of hypothermia
Stages of Hypothermia:
37° C is considered normal body core temperature. When core temperature
drops to 36.1° C, muscle tone becomes affected. Most people have
experienced this feeling of tension in their back and neck when they’ve
become chilled. At a core temperature of 35° C, one is considered mildly
hypothermic. Most immersion experiments with human test subjects are
terminated at this point for ethical reasons. At a core temperature of
33.9° C, subjects experience amnesia, but of course don’t remember it!
Another 1.1° C drop down to 32.8° C; apathy that is a lack of sensation
or feeling can be experienced.

At 32.2° C one is considered profoundly hypothermic and starts to lose
the ability to shiver. At 31.1° C, shivering ceases. Shivering is a
human’s only method of increasing their internal heat generation, thus
once it stops, and core temperature starts falling rapidly. At 30° C,
heart arrhythmias occur. Death follows at 25° C; however the majority of
people would have drowned before ever getting to this point.

IV. 30 minutes – Risk of Re-warming Shock after Rescue
Upon removal from the water, there is a continued drop in a subject’s
core temperature and a collapse of arterial pressure due to hydrostatic
squeeze. Extreme care and proper re-warming procedures must be followed
to effectively attend to the subject.

HOW CAN HYPOTHERMIA BE PREVENTED ?
In-water Tactics
When you’re in cold water, don’t swim unless you can reach a nearby
boat, fellow survivor or floating object. Even good swimmers drown while
swimming in cold water. Swimming lowers your body temperature.

If a nearby floating object is large, pull yourself up onto it. The more
of your body that is out of the water, the warmer you’ll be. Don’t use
drownproofing methods that call for putting your face into the water.
Keep your head out of the water to lessen heat loss and increase
survival time.

Use of the HELP position will lessen heat loss. If there are others in
the water, HUDDLE together for warmth. Keep a positive outlook; it will
improve your chances of survival.

Always wear your PFD. Even if you become helpless from hypothermia, your
PFD will keep you afloat."

The difference is they find a cold, dead body floating in his
PFD.....or, they find a barely alive cold body floating in his
rudimentary survival suit that saved his ass....Your choice.

It CAN happen to YOU....


In essence if you go over the side and are not retrieved fairly
quickly you probably will die.

Even in tropical waters the water is usually cooler then body
temperature so it just takes a little longer.




Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

wrote in message
...
On Apr 2, 10:56 am, L D'Bonnie wrote:
http://www.pineapplesails.com/musto/...1647jacket.htm

That's a lot of money. I really like the Gill line and I recently
retired my old (ca 1990) west marine 3rd reef pvc stuff (mostly
packing tape) in favor of Gill. I'm hard pressed to see that the
Musto coat is twice as much jacket as the penultimate Gill coat
(Atlantic) but it is twice the price. In the ocean in temps down into
the 50's the Gill Key West line is adequate as a top layer. I've got a
buddy who swears by the Stearns work suit for cold weather work on the
ocean. However, my guess is that you are looking at day sailing for a
couple of hours in fair weather and as long as you don't fall in I
can't really see spending a lot of money on a jacket thats designed to
keep you dry when you're getting hammered by ocean waves. I think
something along the lines of the Key West stuff would be fine as a
shell if you want to be yachty but a good outer-layer from someplace
like www.campmor.com or www.basgear.com (shop around) would likely be
just as good and cheaper and they carry all the underlayering you'll
be wanting. www.defender.com is a decent place to start if you are
interested in the Gill or Sterns. Get lots of layers. Oh, yeah, it's
hard to find gloves that keep you warm and allow you to handle lines.
I used some shooter's gloves that have short fingers but a mitten like
top that you can pull over you fingertips when you aren't using them
on my last trip to New Zealand. They were ok for modestly cool
weather but for real winter weather you might try neoprene sailing
gloves.

-- Tom.

Douglas Gill was a lace manufacturer who loved sailing and eventually turned
part of his factory over to manufacturing sailing clothing. I believe he
kept on manufacturing lace, but astute marketing grew the sailing gear side
of the buisiness until it was his main product.

I was also involved in the manufacture of waterproof clothing, mainly for
the North Sea oil rigs, so I do know a little about the finer points of
quality and value in this field. The main diference between our stuff and
sailing clothing was that ours had also to be fire-retardant, and price was
not an issue (after the Piper Alpha disaster that is!)

As a lifelong amateur sailor, I have examined most of the better-known makes
of foul weather gear over the years and can tell you that Gill sailing gear
is second to none in terms of value for money and quality of manufacture. It
would be wouldn't it? If the boss sails, he must be aware of the problems we
all face!

No doubt much of the present stuff on the market emanates from the
developing countries like China, indeed I would be surprised if the Gill
organisation had not availed itself of the cheaper manufacturing facilities
in these areas, but whilst admitting that I have not personally bought foul
weather gear for a few years now, Gill would still be the first clothing I
would look at before comparing prices and quality with the rest.

Hope this helps.

Dennis.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"Larry" wrote in message
...
wrote in
:

I do not like sailing when the weather is cold I rather be inside.
However if I have to, excluding extreme weather, for cold weather
sailing I


That doesn't really matter. You can die of hypothermia right off the
Southeast coast, right here in Charleston...for a good part of the year.

Look at the core temps and effects of them. If you get down to under 90F,
you're in serious trouble....The water sucks it right out of you.

I believe you Larry. When I was in the Congo one night the temperature went
down to 70F. The next morning we found people dead from hypothermia on the
side of the road. The change from 100F + down to 70F was too much of a drop
all at once.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

In article ,
Marc Heusser d
wrote:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP13822/menu.htm

From the conclusions:

....
Even a lifejacket, if not worn properly or without a spray hood, does
not guarantee the victim protection from drowning.
....
Even with rescue resources on scene when the people went into the water,
the shock of the cold water and period of time these people were in the
water proved significant in this casualty.
....
*From all the combined research on cold water accidents and scientific
research, it has become clear that sudden immersion in cold water, i.e.
below 15°C is very dangerous, it should be avoided if at all possible.
Furthermore, a conscious decision to swim (and rescue oneself) or stay
floating still in the water should not be taken lightly without
assessing the pros and cons. It has now been shown that a person¹s
swimming ability in warm water bears no relationship to that in cold
water.
....
Wherever possible, entry into water below 15°C should be avoided. Direct
entry into a life raft should be the objective.
....

So the old saying that you should never leave a boat unless it leaves
you is still the essence - and having a spare "boat".

HTH

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"Marc Heusser" d wrote in
message ...
In article ,
Marc Heusser d
wrote:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP13822/menu.htm

From the conclusions:

...
Even a lifejacket, if not worn properly or without a spray hood, does
not guarantee the victim protection from drowning.
...
Even with rescue resources on scene when the people went into the water,
the shock of the cold water and period of time these people were in the
water proved significant in this casualty.
...
From all the combined research on cold water accidents and scientific
research, it has become clear that sudden immersion in cold water, i.e.
below 15°C is very dangerous, it should be avoided if at all possible.
Furthermore, a conscious decision to swim (and rescue oneself) or stay
floating still in the water should not be taken lightly without
assessing the pros and cons. It has now been shown that a person¹s
swimming ability in warm water bears no relationship to that in cold
water.
...
Wherever possible, entry into water below 15°C should be avoided. Direct
entry into a life raft should be the objective.
...

So the old saying that you should never leave a boat unless it leaves
you is still the essence - and having a spare "boat".

HTH

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

In principle I agreed with you.
Your statement "Wherever possible, entry into water below 15°C should be
avoided. Direct
entry into a life raft should be the objective."

Direct entry into the life raft requires you to jump into the water first.
By the time you are in the life raft (depending on your ability and physical
condition) it could take anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes and more. In
the Bay of Fundy the water temperature is always 40F (about 4C) all year.
By the time you are in the life raft you may well be subject to acute
hypothermia.
Last month during our yearly training we concluded that wearing your
survival suit before jumping into the water to get into the life raft could
safe your life.

....

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

wrote in message
...

"Marc Heusser" d wrote
in message ...
In article ,
Marc Heusser d
wrote:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP13822/menu.htm

From the conclusions:

...
Even a lifejacket, if not worn properly or without a spray hood, does
not guarantee the victim protection from drowning.
...
Even with rescue resources on scene when the people went into the water,
the shock of the cold water and period of time these people were in the
water proved significant in this casualty.
...
From all the combined research on cold water accidents and scientific
research, it has become clear that sudden immersion in cold water, i.e.
below 15°C is very dangerous, it should be avoided if at all possible.
Furthermore, a conscious decision to swim (and rescue oneself) or stay
floating still in the water should not be taken lightly without
assessing the pros and cons. It has now been shown that a person¹s
swimming ability in warm water bears no relationship to that in cold
water.
...
Wherever possible, entry into water below 15°C should be avoided. Direct
entry into a life raft should be the objective.
...

So the old saying that you should never leave a boat unless it leaves
you is still the essence - and having a spare "boat".

HTH

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

In principle I agreed with you.
Your statement "Wherever possible, entry into water below 15°C should be
avoided. Direct
entry into a life raft should be the objective."

Direct entry into the life raft requires you to jump into the water first.
By the time you are in the life raft (depending on your ability and
physical condition) it could take anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes
and more. In the Bay of Fundy the water temperature is always 40F (about
4C) all year.
By the time you are in the life raft you may well be subject to acute
hypothermia.
Last month during our yearly training we concluded that wearing your
survival suit before jumping into the water to get into the life raft
could safe your life.


I would like to add another comment concerning life raft.
The probability of the life raft to open as it touches the water is very
good.
However, how many sailboat owners have their life raft inspected every year
and carry out the regular maintenance?
Having a survival suit is a good thing. But you have to be able to get into
the suit quickly. This requires practice.
We have learned that the best way to put your survival suit on is to do it
while sitting on the floor. Better to do it ahead of time.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

In article ,
wrote:

In principle I agreed with you.
Your statement "Wherever possible, entry into water below 15°C should be
avoided. Direct
entry into a life raft should be the objective."

Actually it was the statement from the mentioned report, not mine.

Direct entry into the life raft requires you to jump into the water first.
By the time you are in the life raft (depending on your ability and physical
condition) it could take anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes and more. In
the Bay of Fundy the water temperature is always 40F (about 4C) all year.
By the time you are in the life raft you may well be subject to acute
hypothermia.

Worse, much worse, if you read the report:
You could die of a heart attack immediately entering the water, and you
could loose all your force within minutes to grab a rope etc.

As the report is based on analysis of real events I tend to take it
seriously (also my medical training suggests that it is sound advice).

The report strongly recommends agains entering the water at all, if
anyhow possible. Of course a survival (dry) suit helps.

I do hope never to be in that (real) situation ;-)

And training entering 4C water without survival suits is most likely
plain dangerous.

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

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.

When faced with sailing from New England at the start of winter, I had
to buy some decent clothes. The 'real' suits I saw cost roughly $1,800.
I think that fair price but I needed a one trip outfit. I don't ever
want to try that stunt again.

So instead I visited stores which cater to commercial fishermen - those
guys in the north Atlantic on trawlers year round.

I saved a lot of money and got decent if not really spiffy looking
clothes. The salesman also understood what I needed more than I did.
Worth a trip if you have commercial fishermen nearby.

-paul

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"L D'Bonnie" wrote in message
m...
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?

LdB


I'm in a position now where I don't care what it is, I buy the best for the
job. I refuse to buy compromise stuff and "bear with it" any longer.

For sailing stuff, I now buy Musto. I'll be buying one of those jackets in
a couple of years, too (don't need it at present)

Funnily enough, even though I live in Western Australia, I've bought stuff
from Pineapple too. They were great first time around but recently when I
tried to buy something it wasn't so good.

For a middle layer, perhaps you could consider what the other posters said
about end-of-season ski clothes - since there is no snow in Western
Australia as a rule, I don't know much about that but the others seemed to
be knowledgeable on the topic.

Hoges in WA

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"L D'Bonnie" wrote

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.

Cold weather boating:
#1 Stay in the boat, and keep the water out. Remind yourself that swimming
= funeral. (others have covered this)
#2 Regardless of #1, wear your PFD.
#3 Good quality, all-purpose raingear is really nice. In my family, we
get "the best" Gore-Tex gear from LL Bean. Long, not short jackets, and
lightweight Gore-Tex pants. Baseball-style caps under the hood help shed
spray/driving rain and improve visibility. Gore-Tex (or rubber fisherman
style)gloves. Boots. Unfortunately, kid-sized gear is hard to come by in
Gore-Tex.
#4 "Sailing" foul weather gear tends to be bulky, uncomfortable,
single-purpose, and expensive.
#5 For colder (winter in Maine) weather, layer poly long underwear, and
fleece sweaters. Cover-the-ear hats. Extra hats and gloves for when you
drop them. If you overheat, switching to a lighter (or no) hat will cool
you off in a hurry.
#6 Discomfort will lead you focus on yourself, huddle out of the elements,
and generally lose your focus. Stay comfortable.
#7 Bright colors for everything. Visibility trumps fashion.
#8 Did I mention PFD's?

Sal's Dad

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

"Hoges in WA" wrote in message
...

"L D'Bonnie" wrote in message
m...
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?

LdB


I'm in a position now where I don't care what it is, I buy the best for
the job. I refuse to buy compromise stuff and "bear with it" any longer.

For sailing stuff, I now buy Musto. I'll be buying one of those jackets
in a couple of years, too (don't need it at present)

Funnily enough, even though I live in Western Australia, I've bought stuff
from Pineapple too. They were great first time around but recently when I
tried to buy something it wasn't so good.

For a middle layer, perhaps you could consider what the other posters said
about end-of-season ski clothes - since there is no snow in Western
Australia as a rule, I don't know much about that but the others seemed to
be knowledgeable on the topic.

Hoges in WA

Today raingear like Gill, Musto or many other are made with waterproof and
breathable material
In your neck of the wood you have the best merino wool.
A tightly knitted fisherman merino wool sweater over a good base layer and a
waterproof and breathable material jacket may be all you need.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

On Apr 3, 5:53 am, "Sal's Dad" Sals...@nospam--betts-hyphen-
orourke.net wrote:
#7 Bright colors for everything. Visibility trumps fashion.

Yeah, why do they sell blue with spume highlights jackets? I know it
would take a miracle to get rescued from cold water buy why stack the
odds even more by wearing sea camo? I'm a big fan of orange or yellow
and reflective tape.

-- Tom.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

Try www.grundens.com/

Commercial fishing stuff.

May or may not be for you.

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

Clothing for cold weather sailing Thanks for all the replys
 

Sal's Dad wrote:
"L D'Bonnie" wrote

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.

Cold weather boating:
#1 Stay in the boat, and keep the water out. Remind yourself that swimming
= funeral. (others have covered this)
#2 Regardless of #1, wear your PFD.
#3 Good quality, all-purpose raingear is really nice. In my family, we
get "the best" Gore-Tex gear from LL Bean. Long, not short jackets, and
lightweight Gore-Tex pants. Baseball-style caps under the hood help shed
spray/driving rain and improve visibility. Gore-Tex (or rubber fisherman
style)gloves. Boots. Unfortunately, kid-sized gear is hard to come by in
Gore-Tex.
#4 "Sailing" foul weather gear tends to be bulky, uncomfortable,
single-purpose, and expensive.
#5 For colder (winter in Maine) weather, layer poly long underwear, and
fleece sweaters. Cover-the-ear hats. Extra hats and gloves for when you
drop them. If you overheat, switching to a lighter (or no) hat will cool
you off in a hurry.
#6 Discomfort will lead you focus on yourself, huddle out of the elements,
and generally lose your focus. Stay comfortable.
#7 Bright colors for everything. Visibility trumps fashion.
#8 Did I mention PFD's?

Sal's Dad


I bought a lightweight Gortex jacket (unlined), pants, socks and
neoprene gloves. I'm not sure how the socks will work, you pays
your money and you takes your chances. I

The layered approach seems most practical. The gortex clothing is
light and comfortable. It can be worn throughout the year, with warm
layers when required.

I want to thank all for their advice. Snows starting to melt. Couple
weeks the boat will be in the wet. Be assured I do my best to keep
out of the water.

LdB

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

Larry wrote:
L D'Bonnie wrote in news:47f3f083$0$517$6c5eefc5
@news.maximumusenet.com:

My boat is a 21 foot weekender. I'm not
concerned with sinking,

A recipe for disaster. Without a survival suit for every person aboard,
you won't last 15 minutes, maybe not 10.

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/integrity/
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/produ...p?id=421&mc=13

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resou...icles/hypother
mia/index.php

"THE 4 CRITICAL PHASES OF COLD-WATER IMMERSION

I. First 5 minutes - Immediate Shock
The subject experiences the gasp reflex – the sudden gasp of air as
result of the shock, the inability to hold breath, hypertension and
increased cardiac output. Most casualties in this phase succumb to
drowning or heart attack before hypothermia can even begin to set to in.

II. Next 15 minutes – Inhalation of Water
The subject fails to keep afloat or swim and has little ability to grasp
or climb into things such as overturned vessels or life rafts.
Typically, these individuals drown due to excessive inhalation of water.

III. 30 minutes - Onset of hypothermia
Stages of Hypothermia:
37° C is considered normal body core temperature. When core temperature
drops to 36.1° C, muscle tone becomes affected. Most people have
experienced this feeling of tension in their back and neck when they’ve
become chilled. At a core temperature of 35° C, one is considered mildly
hypothermic. Most immersion experiments with human test subjects are
terminated at this point for ethical reasons. At a core temperature of
33.9° C, subjects experience amnesia, but of course don’t remember it!
Another 1.1° C drop down to 32.8° C; apathy that is a lack of sensation
or feeling can be experienced.

At 32.2° C one is considered profoundly hypothermic and starts to lose
the ability to shiver. At 31.1° C, shivering ceases. Shivering is a
human’s only method of increasing their internal heat generation, thus
once it stops, and core temperature starts falling rapidly. At 30° C,
heart arrhythmias occur. Death follows at 25° C; however the majority of
people would have drowned before ever getting to this point.

IV. 30 minutes – Risk of Re-warming Shock after Rescue
Upon removal from the water, there is a continued drop in a subject’s
core temperature and a collapse of arterial pressure due to hydrostatic
squeeze. Extreme care and proper re-warming procedures must be followed
to effectively attend to the subject.

HOW CAN HYPOTHERMIA BE PREVENTED ?
In-water Tactics
When you’re in cold water, don’t swim unless you can reach a nearby
boat, fellow survivor or floating object. Even good swimmers drown while
swimming in cold water. Swimming lowers your body temperature.

If a nearby floating object is large, pull yourself up onto it. The more
of your body that is out of the water, the warmer you’ll be. Don’t use
drownproofing methods that call for putting your face into the water.
Keep your head out of the water to lessen heat loss and increase
survival time.

Use of the HELP position will lessen heat loss. If there are others in
the water, HUDDLE together for warmth. Keep a positive outlook; it will
improve your chances of survival.

Always wear your PFD. Even if you become helpless from hypothermia, your
PFD will keep you afloat."

The difference is they find a cold, dead body floating in his
PFD.....or, they find a barely alive cold body floating in his
rudimentary survival suit that saved his ass....Your choice.

It CAN happen to YOU....


Yes it can happen and yes it has happened. Dumped a canoe, there was
still ice on the lake. Instant soprano.

Very well stated and very good advice. Thanks for the reply.

We live a risk and reward lifestyle. Just leaving the house
increases our chances of never seeing the house again.

Safety and responsible behavior go a long way in making sure
we get to see that house again.

Just the fact that you post here suggests that on some occasion, you
have stretched the risk side of the equation. :)

Good luck keep yous sails out of the water.

LdB

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

Yes it can happen and yes it has happened. Dumped a canoe, there was
still ice on the lake. Instant soprano.



Talk about instant soprano! This is what can happen! Warning, don't
watch if you don't like magicians! Note the red overboard marker!
http://users.skynet.be/pdauwe/ursula_martinez.wmv
G

Clothing for cold weather sailing
 

On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:25:42 GMT, "Dennis Pogson"
wrote:

As a lifelong amateur sailor, I have examined most of the better-known makes
of foul weather gear over the years and can tell you that Gill sailing gear
is second to none in terms of value for money and quality of manufacture.

How does it compare to Henri-Lloyd ? I've always liked their gear.

http://www.henrilloydonline.com/

http://www.henrilloydstore.com/

Clothing for cold weather sailing Thanks for all the replys
 

L D'Bonnie wrote:
Sal's Dad wrote:
"L D'Bonnie" wrote

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.

Cold weather boating:
#1 Stay in the boat, and keep the water out. Remind yourself that
swimming = funeral. (others have covered this)
#2 Regardless of #1, wear your PFD.
#3 Good quality, all-purpose raingear is really nice. In my family,
we get "the best" Gore-Tex gear from LL Bean. Long, not short
jackets, and lightweight Gore-Tex pants. Baseball-style caps under
the hood help shed spray/driving rain and improve visibility.
Gore-Tex (or rubber fisherman style)gloves. Boots. Unfortunately,
kid-sized gear is hard to come by in Gore-Tex.
#4 "Sailing" foul weather gear tends to be bulky, uncomfortable,
single-purpose, and expensive.
#5 For colder (winter in Maine) weather, layer poly long underwear,
and fleece sweaters. Cover-the-ear hats. Extra hats and gloves for
when you drop them. If you overheat, switching to a lighter (or no)
hat will cool you off in a hurry.
#6 Discomfort will lead you focus on yourself, huddle out of the
elements, and generally lose your focus. Stay comfortable.
#7 Bright colors for everything. Visibility trumps fashion.
#8 Did I mention PFD's?

Sal's Dad

I bought a lightweight Gortex jacket (unlined), pants, socks and
neoprene gloves. I'm not sure how the socks will work, you pays
your money and you takes your chances. I

The layered approach seems most practical. The gortex clothing is
light and comfortable. It can be worn throughout the year, with warm
layers when required.

I want to thank all for their advice. Snows starting to melt. Couple
weeks the boat will be in the wet. Be assured I do my best to keep
out of the water.

LdB

I tried the Jacket and pants today. Went out with the dogs for over
an hour on our morning walk.

Sunny, 38 deg F, wind strong enough to sway the trees. I wore the
pants over a pair jeans (no long johns). A T shirt, wool sweater,
and hoodie under the jacket. I was over dressed. Could have done
without the sweater.

The Gortex material is windproof. Unlike department store wind
breakers, this actually works as advertised. It is light, warm
and comfortable and allows a full range of movement. Wouldn't be
posting this if I wasn't impressed.

With another layer or two I would be comfortable in temps. well
below 0 F. We walk every day, even when the temps drop below -40 F.
We're well acquainted with cold weather. :) By the way, the boys are
Man's best friend. Here's a few shots of them. No better mousetrap
than that cat either.

http://www.granite.mb.ca/~lorence/

Thanks Again

LdB

Clothing for cold weather sailing Thanks for all the replys
 

Happy sailing - that Gore-Tex stuff is amazing.

The ice seems to be all out, so I got the dock and a couple skiffs in this
weekend. The Gore-Tex gloves - perfect... The midnight high tide was a
PITA though.

Sal's Dad


207 650 3235
"L D'Bonnie" wrote in message
m...
L D'Bonnie wrote:
Sal's Dad wrote:
"L D'Bonnie" wrote

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.

Cold weather boating:
#1 Stay in the boat, and keep the water out. Remind yourself that
swimming = funeral. (others have covered this)
#2 Regardless of #1, wear your PFD.
#3 Good quality, all-purpose raingear is really nice. In my family,
we get "the best" Gore-Tex gear from LL Bean. Long, not short jackets,
and lightweight Gore-Tex pants. Baseball-style caps under the hood help
shed spray/driving rain and improve visibility. Gore-Tex (or rubber
fisherman style)gloves. Boots. Unfortunately, kid-sized gear is hard
to come by in Gore-Tex.
#4 "Sailing" foul weather gear tends to be bulky, uncomfortable,
single-purpose, and expensive.
#5 For colder (winter in Maine) weather, layer poly long underwear,
and fleece sweaters. Cover-the-ear hats. Extra hats and gloves for
when you drop them. If you overheat, switching to a lighter (or no) hat
will cool you off in a hurry.
#6 Discomfort will lead you focus on yourself, huddle out of the
elements, and generally lose your focus. Stay comfortable.
#7 Bright colors for everything. Visibility trumps fashion.
#8 Did I mention PFD's?

Sal's Dad

I bought a lightweight Gortex jacket (unlined), pants, socks and
neoprene gloves. I'm not sure how the socks will work, you pays
your money and you takes your chances. I

The layered approach seems most practical. The gortex clothing is
light and comfortable. It can be worn throughout the year, with warm
layers when required.

I want to thank all for their advice. Snows starting to melt. Couple
weeks the boat will be in the wet. Be assured I do my best to keep
out of the water.

LdB

I tried the Jacket and pants today. Went out with the dogs for over
an hour on our morning walk.

Sunny, 38 deg F, wind strong enough to sway the trees. I wore the
pants over a pair jeans (no long johns). A T shirt, wool sweater,
and hoodie under the jacket. I was over dressed. Could have done
without the sweater.

The Gortex material is windproof. Unlike department store wind
breakers, this actually works as advertised. It is light, warm
and comfortable and allows a full range of movement. Wouldn't be
posting this if I wasn't impressed.

With another layer or two I would be comfortable in temps. well
below 0 F. We walk every day, even when the temps drop below -40 F.
We're well acquainted with cold weather. :) By the way, the boys are
Man's best friend. Here's a few shots of them. No better mousetrap
than that cat either.

http://www.granite.mb.ca/~lorence/

Thanks Again

LdB