The smell of a boat is often caused by bacteria feasting on dead skin cells and oils left behind. To control odor in boats, follow these rules: 1) dry your gear, 2) ensure the material fits your boat, 3) add bleach to kill odor-causing bacteria, 4) rinse with fresh water, and 5) dry your gear between sailing.
To prevent bad smells, identify the source of bad smells, take steps to prevent them from coming back, and use eco-friendly methods to keep your sailboat smelling fresh and clean. Toilet plumbing in the heads can also be a source of boat smells, particularly if the wrong grade of pipework has been used.
Mold is the number one place where boat odors live, and re-waterproofing methods include spray, wash, and wax. Never store foul weather gear when it is wet. Re-waterproofing methods include soaking gear in warm water and vinegar, agitating it in warm soapy water, and rinsing thoroughly. If all else fails, try soaking in a mixture of bleach and dish washing soap, rinsing thoroughly after sailing, and washing them in a bucket with soap every now and then.
If you must smell swet all the time, try a balsam room freshener (plug-in type) from Bath and Bodyworks. Open the zippers and wash right side out, then inside out. Some suggest using white vinegar or cider vinegar, but I have no idea if grapefruit essential oil can be mixed with the vinegar solution.
Brush off any dirt or sand, rinse thoroughly with fresh water, and then wash by hand in lukewarm water with a soap or cleaner that’s non-chlorine bleach. The best way to mitigate gear odor is not to let it get too stinky in the first place. Drying out socks and undies during sailing can help mask the smell.
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How do you get rid of bad smell in vessels?
Baking soda and waterBaking soda is very effective in absorbing foul odour. It can neutralize the onion odour in the utensils. For this, mix the soda in water and make a paste.
Apply this paste on smelly utensils. After applying it for half an hour, wash the utensils. The odour is gone!
Coffee powderKeep some coffee powder inside the smelly vessel. The pungent smell of coffee powder will neutralize the odour of onions.
White vinegarWhite vinegar has powerful cleaning and deodorizing properties. For this, fill a vessel with an equal amount of white vinegar and water.
How to get rid of boot smell?
Smell buster king (baking soda). Baking soda is an antibacterial agent, and it absorbs unnecessary moisture from your work boots, which helps to banish the bacteria that causes the smell. It is very simple to use, some people sprinkle it inside the shoes directly. It works well for canvas shoes and sneakers, but leather boots or suede shoe can get brittle. To avoid that, make a sachet and place it in both shoes, leave it over 24 hours.
The baking soda will do the job, but you have to make a routine for this ritual. So, create a shoe corner with baking soda sachets stored in a box. Drop on in as you remove the shoe.
High moisturizer absorbent (Corn starch). Cornstarch is an alternative to baking soda when it comes to getting rid of work boots stinginess. It is also called Arrowroot powder that helps to neutralize odours and absorbs moisture.
How do I stop my running gear from smelling?
Tips for Preventing Sweaty-Smelling Workout Clothes in the FutureOpt for Moisture-Wicking Activewear. … Try Antiperspirant and Glycolic Acid. … Air Out Workout Clothes If You Can’t Wash Them Immediately. … Know That More Detergent Isn’t Better. … Never Use Liquid Fabric Softener on Activewear. … Add a Laundry Sanitizer.
Is your favorite workout tank or pair of leggings tinged by a sweaty smell that just won’t go away—even after you’ve washed it more times than you can count? You’re not alone. This “perma-stink” is a fairly common phenomenon, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. So how can you get a sweat smell out of clothes once and for all?
We spoke to a dermatologist and laundry expert to break down the science behind a pesky activewear smell. Plus, we rounded up pro tips for how to get those workout clothes smelling fresh again—and how to properly wash activewear in the future to actually remove odor-causing bacteria.
Why Do My Workout Clothes Smell Sweaty, Even After Washing Them?
How do I stop my boat shoes from smelling?
Step 3: Deodorise. Deck shoes are often worn without socks but this can lead to unpleasant odours! You can effectively deodorise yourboat shoes by sprinkling some baking soda into the shoes and leaving it to sit for a few hours, or overnight. Then simply shake out the baking soda for fresh smelling shoes.
Step 4: Condition the leather. Apply a leather conditioner such as theDubarry Boot and Shoe Conditioner or the Fairfax andFavor Natural Leather Cream to bring back the water repellent quality of your deck shoes and add stain resistance. Use a clean cloth, sponge or soft brush to gently work the conditioner in. Scuffs, creasing and areas where the foot flexes may need particular attention. Wipe off any excess conditioner and leave to dry naturally.
Step 5: Protect the decks!. Using a protective spray after conditioning will help keep your decks ship shape and looking their best! A protective spray such as theDubarry Boot and Shoe Protector will maintain the water-repellent finish of the leather and offer high resistance to stains, so your deck shoes look smarter for longer. Simply apply a fine layer of the spray in a well-ventilated area and leave to dry. Additional layers can then be applied as needed.
How do I keep my suit from smelling?
Store in Dry Environment. It’s recommended that you store your suit in a dry environment to protect against foul odors. When stored in a moist, humid environment, suits are more likely to develop foul odors. This is because moisture from the air will land on the suit and absorb into the fabric. When this occurs, the suit will develop mold and mildew; thus, contributing to foul odors.Even if you don’t see any visible mold or mildew on the suit, it’s probably there. Thankfully, this problem is easily avoided by storing your suit in a dry environment. Assuming you don’t already own one, invest in a humid gauge to measure the humidity level in your home. If it rises above 60%, use a dehumidifier to lower it. Humidity levels above 60% indicate excessive airborne moisture, which subsequently contributes to mild, mildew and foul-smelling odors.
Rub It With a Dryer Sheet. A fast and easy way to make your suit smell clean is to rub it with a dryer sheet. You don’t have to necessarily place your suit in the dryer. On the contrary, this could actually backfire by damaging your suit. Instead, simply rub a dryer sheet across the surface of the fabric. Dryer sheets are designed with special chemicals that remove static electricity while leaving fabrics smelling nice and clean in the process. Best of all, they only cost a few bucks per box. If you wear a suit on a daily basis, keep a box of dryer sheets in your car. This way, you can easily remove bad odors from your suit.
Wear an Undershirt. If perspiration is causing your suit to smell funky, consider wearing an undershirt with it. Suits, especially those made of highly absorbent fabrics, are likely to hold perspiration. When you sweat, moisture produced by your body will seep into the suit’s fabric, causing it to smell funky. To prevent this from happening, try wearing an undershirt. Instead of absorbing into the suit, perspiration will absorb into your undershirt. Many guys always wear an undershirt with their suit for this very reason. As a side benefit, though, an undershirt adds an extra layer of insulation, protecting from the cold weather. Just remember to choose V-neck cut undershirt that’s not visible from the outside.
How to stop sailing boots from smelling?
Or sink the stink Gear deodorizer solutions these products Don’t just mask odors they contain enzymes. And other natural ingredients that neutralise odor causing organisms.
How do you fix smelly runners?
- Sprinkle some baby powder on your feet or socks. If your feet start to sweat during the day, reapply the baby powder to keep your feet dry. Baby powder may help keep your feet and shoes dry, reducing the risk of bacteria growing on your feet and shoes. Baby powder can help to neutralize odors and deodorize your shoes.
- Teabags may fight the bad odor. Black tea contains tannins, which are extremely useful in killing the bacteria found inside shoes. Place a couple of tea bags in a pot of boiling water and let steep for several minutes. Remove the bags and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Place the cooled tea bags on your shoes and let them sit for nearly an hour. Remove the tea bags and wipe off the excess liquid.
- Tea tree oil is a wonderful product to reduce smelly shoes. A sprinkle of a few drops of tea tree oil through the shoe may reduce and prevent any odor. If you are tempted to apply tea tree oil directly to the skin, please make sure it is heavily diluted with other carrier oils, such as coconut oil.
- Cedarwood has natural antifungal properties making it a great deodorizer. Place the cedarwood insoles inside your shoes to help them stay smelling fresh for longer.
- A specially formulated odor remover spray can be an amazingly effective way to get rid of smells in shoes. Most sprays like this will contain bacteria and/or enzymes that eat away the things that cause the bad smell and provide a quick fix.
- A great natural deodorizer is a baking soda. This can help to absorb bad smells and leave your shoes much fresher. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda inside your shoes and leave it overnight. Be sure to dust out the baking soda before wearing your shoes again. Put a mixture of baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch in a pair of cotton socks and stick in the shoes overnight alternatively.
- White vinegar can also be used to neutralize odors and remove the bacteria found in shoes. You should use a vinegar and water solution to battle the odor. In a spray bottle, mix one cup of vinegar and one cup of water. Spray the solution inside your shoes and allow them to dry. The vinegar will eliminate the odor and keep your shoes smell fresh for hours.
- Add some cloves to your stinky shoes. Tie a handful of cloves in a handkerchief and place them in each shoe. Let them sit for a few hours. For exceptionally bad-smelling footwear, leave the cloves longer or until the smell is gone.
- Place a soap bar inside your shoes overnight. The porous nature of soap will help eliminate the odor.
- The core reason for smelling shoes comes from your feet’sperspiration. As your feet sweat and the moisture seeps in the boot’s material, bacteria and fungi thrive in warm, humid conditions. By washing your feet often with antibacterial soap, you will kill bacteria and the smell that comes with it.
- Changing your socks often for a fresh pair will reduce the buildup of smelly bacteria. When you choose your work socks, avoid cotton if you can because it absorbs moisture (including sweat) rather than wicking it away from your skin. This makes them smell more quickly and will leave your feet damp and uncomfortable. Woolen or bamboo socks are best for wicking moisture.
Having extremely sweaty feet is called plantar hyperhidrosis, and here are some products to counter the condition.
How do you deodorize scuba gear?
How can you keep this from happening? Keep things clean and dry! For cleaning and disinfecting, antibacterial dish soap works fine, or even just warm water. It’s better not to use a bleach solution since bleach is a corrosive agent and can damage the internal working parts of your regulator. After disinfection, it’s important to keep things dry! Dump all that water out of your second stage and let it dry out of direct sunlight to keep funkiness to a minimum.
We all know that there are two kinds of divers out there: those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie about it. Whichever type you are, it’s important for you, your wetsuit, and your dive buddies that you get that funk out!
Here at the shop we use a product called Sink the Stink, and it does just as its name implies! It’s actually a suspension of ‘good’ bacteria that love to munch on all the smelly organic matter that’s produced by the ‘bad’ bacteria that munch on algae, urine, and other such stuff that finds its way into your suit. A cap full in a bucket or bathtub full of water and a good soak will make that gnarly suit fresh and clean smelling again, no rinse necessary!
How do you freshen a wetsuit?
Washing Your Wetsuit Freshwater rinses aren’t enough to keep the deterioration of saltwater at bay. Every month or so rinse thoroughly and immerse your suit in cold fresh water and add special neoprene soap/shampoo (available at any surf shop). Follow the instructions on the bottle, and do one final rinse to be safe.
Adding some TLC to your wetsuit care routine will not only keep it fresh, clean and stink-free for longer, a little diligence will prolong your suit’s lifespan. For proper wetsuit maintenance, follow these easy cleaning and storage tips.
The Basics: How To Care for Your Wetsuit. After every session, follow these instructions on how to change out of, rinse and dry your wetsuit. This will not only give your wetsuit a longer life, but it will also keep it fresher.
- Use a clean mat, towel or a plastic tub that’s big enough to stand in. When you change out of your suit, stand in the tub or on the mat so your suit doesn’t touch the ground. This keeps debris and harmful chemicals from getting on your wetsuit. The plastic bin will make it easy to get a good rinse.
- Rinse your suit in cool freshwater as soon as possible, washing it thoroughly – inside and out.
- With your suit inside out, hang it halfway through the middle of a clothes hanger. Don’t hang it from the neck or shoulders or they will stretch out.
- Hang your wetsuit in a shady place, ideally with a breeze. Avoid direct sunlight as UV rays break down neoprene.
- After a few hours – or when the outer side feels dry – flip your suit right side out and continue the drying process in the shade. Don’t leave your wetsuit outside overnight or it’ll be damp in the morning.
- Once your suit is fully dry, store it on a wide-shoulder hanger until your next surf.
How to get the smell out of sailing gear?
Rinse your gear with fresh water after use, to get rid of all the little nasty microbes that splash on you and to rinse the funk from your body off it. You may opt to soak the gear in water for a bit with mild detergent, but avoid the machine.
Thread starter 12345 ; Start date Sep 21, 2010 ; This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
I aired it out, gave it a warm shower and the smell is no where near as bad but it still lingers.
Put the smelly stuff in a small room with it leave for a day or two…no smell.
How do I make my wetsuit not smell?
How to Avoid a Smelly WetsuitRinse your wetsuit thoroughly after each use: Once you’re done surfing for the day, give your wetsuit a full flush with fresh water. … Hang your wetsuit to dry: After rinsing, let your wetsuit drip-dry in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight.
Ever experienced the sheer rankness of a half-soggy wetsuit left in your car’s trunk for a couple days? Sure you have. It’s never good. The car stinks, your suit stinks, and soon, when you reluctantly drag it on, you will stink too.
Why do wetsuits develop an unpleasant odor? It’s due the build-up of bacteria and other microbes transferred into the suit from both the marine environment and from your own body.
It doesn’t have to be this way. With a little willpower and some simple tips (below), stinky suits are easily avoided.
Have other good ideas or tricks about clothing? Share them in the comments! If you still want more information on this topic, check out another angle/thoughts from Roger Barnes: youtube.com/watch?v=zHa7cGcV2uI (highly recommend Roger’s website otherwise as well!). I wrote the script/ideas for this article already a while back, but in the meantime also Dan & Kika from Sailing Uma have also posted a article on the same topic. Quite interesting to see the things that we agree (and don’t necessarily agree) on! Have a good one everyone!
Very interesting, Juho. I agree with your comments about wool; my family’s base industry for the last 170 years or so has been wool growing (including fine grade Merino) so perhaps I’m biased. Certainly, sizes should not be tight, socks should include a small % of artificial fibre and for close innerwear fine wool wins. Two other qualities of wool need mention; wool dries from the inside out, ie your skin will feel dry first which is an immediate comfort. Those horrid poly sweaters (jumpers) will leave you shivering for much longer. The other quality (one I hope you don’t ‘need’) is wool’s resistance to burning. Unless fibres such as cotton or artificials are treated to be fire resistant the results of burning poly clothing can be catastrophic. An extra quality I think you might have mentioned is wool’s lack of body odour. Wool is certainly worth its higher price, for land-based outerwear it’s much more classy, long lasting and it’s easy to grow more of it, a word to the rams about how pretty the ewes are this year and voila, more wool :)). PS (edit) Do you have any particular thoughts about marine Goretex?
I have a pair of LL Bean felt lined boots that came with Vibram soles. A very aggressive tread, good for locking your foot on railings and edges. They support my foot well for long hours. The down side is the uppers are leather, so to keep them dry, they need regular application of Sno-seal. For gloves, I use a merino liner and black jack gloves. The black jacks are cheap and waterproof. They are big enough as to not cut off circulation. I agree with you on taking them off as long as your not putting hands at risk. My outer shell jacket is a Gill offshore. The have an extra pair of fleece lined pockets just above where the pockets on your jacket are, very comfortable for a quick warm of of my hands. A cheap bar towel stuffed into a pocket is good for drying hands before putting gloves back on and if you trash it, no big loss. A bundle of 20 cost about $15.
excellent! I sail in cold water in the New foundland/ Labrador, St-Laurence Golf, and everything is so right, the boots are so good and Canadian!! I do have those boots also for the exact same reason. The pants are so important, I hate it so much loosing my heat on your way specially during night watch, it is so hard to be warm and dry after. Good article ⛵🐋
This is a really interesting article, thankyou! I would love to know the differences between dedicated sailing waterproof gear and the sort of deck gear you can buy much cheaper. I am a deckhand in Shetland, our base and midlayers are pretty much exactly the same as what you describe but add a boilersuit of varying thickness depending on the time of year. What interests me is our waterproofing is totally different to sailing gear but for less than a quarter of the price it seems to be twice as durable. Is the premium purely for comfort? Perhaps a lighter weight? I admit we never really see “arctic conditions” but for about £200 of gear we can work outside a full day in winter, mid 50 knot wind and rain and be fairly dry. I wear Stormline and Grundens but some of the boys get by with just Elka with no bother. I’d love to see a comparison someday.
Hi Juho, nice content, 99% agree with your experience/views. I don’t sail in places as cold as you being based in Barcelona, but have a 10 year old HH fleece which is doing well. It has thumb holes to keep the sleeves in place and has out lasted all the others I have purchased. A HH jacket like yours (newish) and XM salopettes from 2005 which are still good. The biggest problem I have found with sailing clothes is the “one size fits all” attitude. Being 1.88m and slim I have to buy XL size to get long enough sleeves which means there is plenty of material to catch the wind. I used to buy Henri Lloyd deck shoes as they were comfortable and sticky, but their sizes changed, they were always out of stock in my size, so buying mail-order you couldn’t guarantee anything. Being my father was in the Royal Navy, I picked up a lot from the kit he had, mostly natural materials (hard wearing, not combustable like plastic), so I now look for classic materials and design even though it may cost a little more. I do like the SLAM kit, but they no longer make the trousers with a waterproof bum patch, and mine are wearing out after 8 years hard work 🙂
Awesome advice Juho. I took for granted the socks my Finn grandma would make and we could choose at Christmas..50 yrs later, I still wear & love em. I thought I would give my ski patrol jacket away, but now I think it would be fantastic as foul weather gear on my boat. Every sailor should watch this! Well done.
I use silk tights under my Marino Wool……serves many purposes. Silk Breathes yet insulates in cold and cools in heat, dries almost immeaditly without retaining water. Smooth and glides on the skin, so it does not irritate. Silk also keeps Marino from irritating……try considering Alpaca as a “giant step” above Marino. I buy Alpaca 100% blankets and cut & sew/fashion our own clothing. Alpaca is MUCH better than Marino but not well known due to advertising and notority.
The things on the end of your jacket sleeves to keep the water out are called cuffs. Just the same term as any other sleeve! Exactly the same as a dry-suit which has cuff-seals as well as a neck seal. Since you are working with HH maybe you could suggest a system to reduce the bulk in the jacket around the waist? As some others have posted if you are tall you need to buy bigger to get sleeve length which results in spare fabric in the jacket body which tends to catch the breeze and potentially flap around. A draw-string or strap, or a belt of some sort, adjustable from outside would help in that area? As regards gloves, again as others have suggested if your wrists are warm and covered then you will not get cold hands so long as you are active. If you are busy and your hands are nice and cosy, and then pause for a while, a jacket or clothing with pockets to warm your hands is a good idea.
On this side of the pond we are taught to have a close fitting base layer to absorb/wick away sweat. Also all other layers should be loose so that the sweat can evaporate and have a place to go that is not your your other layers. I feel like your top base layer is way too loose – I’ve never worn something that loose – maybe I’m wrong I do agree that the base layer should be thin. As its sole job is to get sweat away from you so that you don’t feel cold and not to keep you warm.
Thank you for the article sharing your wisdom/experience in much colder climates than most of us will ever experience. All of your advice was spot on, though I would perhaps dispute some matters related to merino (Aotearoa NZ supplies a lot of the world’s merino fleece, and we have quite a bit of experience using it here). First, it is important that the inner merino layer is close to your skin. Personally I don’t like tight clothing, but it is important that the merino layer is close to your skin because this enables this first layer to wick body moisture away from your skin. It is much warmer if it is in contact with your skin without air spaces. Secondly, regarding mixing polyprop with merino – I don’t agree with this, because it once again has the potential to create the stinky problem that you avoid by using merino. Another common mixture used in NZ is possum fur (this is fur from the Australian possum which is a vermin in NZ destroying our native forests and birds, not the American opossum). Avoid buying products that mix possum fur with merino (particularly socks) – it feels nice at the start and is very warm, but the fur will quickly wear away, leaving a skeleton of merino. Finally, I really support your advice to use a substantial outer jacket for sailing, with a big hood and wrist seals. I have also had to use ski goggles sailing in big winds when spray is driven into your eyes when you are on the helm – the result is painful, and it blocks your vision. It may look stupid, but it works!
Hey Juho, great article as always. For boots “muck boots” or dock boots are really nice, since it’s a warmer kind of rubber/neopren boot. Also if it’s really cold I prefer Baffin or the big Sorel boots over these tiny caribou ones you have. About mittens, another option would be tougher leather mittens. I think mine are goat leather with some sheep wool inside and it’s not that thick of a lining but stronger leather than what Hestra works with, so you loose some grip but they last like forever. And with puffy jackets. I prefer synthetic ones because these don’t care about moist and sweat as much as downs. But to be honest, I mostly wear a big woolen sweater, which is really robust, long lasting and still keeps warm when wet.
Hello, great vids as a winter carpenter and ski tourer i found the Neos voyager over boots amazing, i wear my tennis shoes inside of them to work or hike if im ski touring i wear my ski boot liners inside ive had mine for 4 yrs now and show little sighns of wear they’re light,pack small and waterproof. You can wear your down booties in them for extra warmth and comfort. Enjoy thankyou!!
Excellent advice and very good points not the least about the actual sailing clothing. Coming from a northern country I can only agree with a lot of the other things you say. Your remarks about removing the gloves and using bare hands are very sensible and something I have employed even when pulling wet fishing ropes on the sea ice in Antarctica. It can be a bit cold in the beginning, but the hands get used to it and then one is ok, as long one is working.
Salopettes are brilliant. I have a pair of 30 year old Musto ocean going which were expensive back in the day but are still totally waterproof and no tears or holes. I actually use them as motorcycling rain gear and they are bulky enough to be worn over my jacket so brilliant for core waterproofing. Amazingly the seat seams are still good after so much use. Lots of useful information in this article. Thank you.
I will say that Merino blends are totally fine, if they’re blended with the right things. Here in NZ, where a lot of merino comes from, it’s easy to find merino blended with possum fur (which is shockingly warm) or even alpaca wool (very soft and warm) but generally always wear natural fibres – not for some kind of BS “health guru” crap but because it tends to be better at wicking moisture and remaining warm when wet
Hi there. First I will thank You for Your fantastic website. And then a couple of comments from a old, salty sailor. You can find “normal” woolen underwear in stores that sell work clothes (or places where fishermen buy there work clothes). It will cost You around a quarter of the price of merino wool and it is nearly as good, and ALOT more durable. It is a bit more bulky than Merino wool. Wool works well for the reasons You gave, and because one of the generic features are, that it keeps warm even when damp or wet. I would go for an outer shell that is produced for sailing. It will work better in that harsh environment, and will keep on working for longer. All other clothing will wear out faster, even good quality hiking gear, because it is not produced in the same way, and in the right materiales, as ocean gear is. It is possible to find actual outer shells made for sailing for a decent price, if You look a bit on the internet or in small, not so flashy shops. If You are having trouble drying out Your fisherman working gloves, I suggest You either turn the inside out for drying (which You probably already have tried) or buy a cheap dryer for ski boots (works well with sailing boots as well) It can be used where ever You have access to 240V. I’m really looking forward to Your new boat project.
Re: gloves… mitts are better if you can at all use mitts do so. I have never found any gloves that do not leave my fingers cold. A soon as my fingers are separated they get cold. It is possible that I just have larger hands than the gloves are made for but I buy the biggest I can get and the fabric in between the fingers keeps the blood from circulating as well. In fact I find that a wool sock that covers the wrist up to the base of my fingers while leaving my fingers and palm bare work better than gloves. When not using your fingers simply touching the palm of the hand will warm them up. I have also found that after 30 minutes or so, my body seems to warm up the hand and fingers from excess heat from working, so this may not be so true while sailing. Note: that I work outside for 3 to 4 hours at a time but not maybe as cold as there (-3C is about the coldest). Wool socks are the only ones that don’t stink within 30 minutes. Plastic ones stink( can smell them through light shoes), cotton ones smell “ropy” after a few hours. However, cotton shirts, while not as warm as wool are not too bad. I have heard that buck skin (brain tanned) socks are even better than wool. I find felt insoles under the feet are very helpful. If wool is too thick even a thin leather insole can help. Maybe take some (clean) wool insoles when fitting footwear. (felt insoles are washable, I keep three or four sets in rotation and buy them in 10 packs)
Sailing early and late seasons in Sweden I have found the Dubarry crosshaven boots outstanding when it comes to breathability, dryness and comfort/grip. If you get a bigger size and squeeze in a pair for woolen socks you will likely be very very warm and dry. Before getting the dubarry I always believed one could only choose two from being dry, warm or breathing but never all three at once!
I’m inspired to get into sailing. Ready to add diy fittings onto my kayak and canoes. I feel like an expert sailer. I expect to get wet, have lots of fun; (just what women said when I was young) I hope not to forget everything and drown when I hit the water. A virgin sailer. I picked up lots of off grid tips too. Thank you.
Pretty good recommendations Here in Wisconsin, I started wearing HH poly propylene when it first came on the market in the 1980’s but graduated to Spyder base zip LS Tops and Cabelas polar weight tops and bottoms for warmth. I then top it off with H.Loyd HH or Gill pvc sailing foulies. For warmth on top I use a Cabelas waterproof breathable snow mobile jacket w a hood. If I’m on a cold delivery ill take a pair of waterproof insulated hunting bibs. I top it off with a Cabelas co2 PFD. It’s been a pretty good working system for 35 years. I sail in Lake Michigan here in Milwaukee until the harbor freezes solid.
I used to go sailing in wet weather wearing plastic waders with boots, wool jumper, plastic raincoat. I looked more like a fisherman or a farmer than a sailor but I was warm & dry. Then I bought wet weather foulies boots, pants and jacker and looked like a sailor but after 5 hours in heavy in an open cockpit I was freezing cold and soaking wet.
The felt liners from Sorrell last longer than the boots, I keep them. Try on rubber deck boots with sole liners plus thick and liner socks all on about 1.2-2 US sizes over normal. Some made with neoprene foam though expensive and not lasting as long. Same things I found with gloves, inner liners, rubber work, hardware stores sometimes saving at 25% of the fishing supply.
Smartwool has been good for me for socks, base layer and gloves. Im running Arc’teryx shells. Kuhl makes a good wool mid layer jacket. I’m ditching my synthetic clothes because of the static it produces. Down should not be a part of a system it doesn’t transfer moisture through to goretex . Nice on dry days when your not sweating… but nylon . The HH coat looks beefy and warm. Been thinking about trying some HH gear. Try the Grunder tall 11″ boots they are grey and orange. Very nice and comfortable all year around, and warm when I wore them in snow…just add socks if you need more warmth, good for shoring the dinghy too because tall.
great article, thanks. regrading the shoes, you should try Muck Boots, very good insulation for the “Arctic Ice Vibram” model, waterproof, 2 versions short/tall (for me short is better) costs around 250e. main cons is that the sole isn’t made for decks, it works for me though. so better try first. good luck for the rest of your adventures.
I don’t know why I’m perusal this I live in central Florida and go boating here also. But things can change I may find myself up North someday, So it’s good info. I admire you guys dealing with such a harsh environment and making an adventure of it. Like I said I live in Florida so I’m horribly spoiled with good weather. I’ve gone boating in January and it was 82ﾟF
I Love This website . I do have a few questions 1) How are these articles sequenced? And how does one know. One misses a lot not perusal them is order. 2) Because I have not been able to which the article in chronological order, I have not seen the answers to stated questions . For example how was ARITICKA acquired ? How come they don’t own it ? They described buying it for 57K dollars and latter they said the did not own it . 3) How do the pay for all the haul outs and surprise maintenance . I counted maybe 6 haul outs . 4) Sailing solo to the frozen edge of land, then skiing down skiing down a mountain again alone is risky beyond normal every day behavior . Can you comment on what you would do if say you twisted an ankle or something like that . Of fell and broke a bone skiing ? All the best pls keep those articles coming . You are certainly living your best life.
Just thinking about gloves,,, I bought Sealskin neoprene, but after time, they seem to get very wet and don’t last very long at all. When I used to windsurf in winter, I used Drysuit gloves which were thick wool inners, with rubber sealed at wrist outers. Considering gripping a boom constantly, they lasted quite well. Think I’ll try that again for yacht sailing.
I remember crawling into my 32F rated sleeping bag, trying to get warm after my watches. And that was in the tropical Pacific wearing fleece and full foul weather gear during watch. I had no sea boots and my jacket leaked. Froze during half of my night watches. Very pricy gear suddenly seems very reasonably priced if you need it but can’t get it. I don’t even want to think about being under-equipped in the Arctic.
Sfx snowmobile closes are allsow wery good against coold and wet sailing. And it breath so it is thin and good. But expensive. But all snowmobiler sailsman gives you good prices if u talk good aboth the brand the sailsman selling. Like feks all Yamaha sellers are good to reduse price on clothes. And they are strong and made for Mountain and snow and ice. Good man, i love all your article here in YouTube. After i see how you lives whit diesel burner on bord a boat in vinter time i did buy that and moved in to a houseboat. Soon i will leave South of norway down to DK and Kiel in germany. And from there i will travle chanels all way down to Middelhavet/middeltarainien to the hot area 😉 Ceep it going and live life and say hi to your good wife. We love your YouTube articles. I see every one of them 😉 Pease and love. Se you if ur coming South to the heat area 😉
Don’t disagree with any of your choices but I find all the usual potter shell hear is just outrageously expensive. As a cheap alternative for less extreme weather I just bought good old fashioned fisherman’s PVC gear complete with welded seams. It is still good enough for northern North sea and the Norwegian sea. By the way of the weather gets tough do you wear goggles too or do they just ice up?
Mostly an add for HH. To buy that stuff here in Australia I’d have to sell the boat. An outer HH jacket and those bib and brace pants are around $3300. My duck down inner layer came from Aldi for about $50. Still going strong after 3 seasons. Mind you it only gets to about 6 deg C here and I’m not chipping ice from the deck.
What do you think about commercial fisherman type gear for sailing? You know like the Grundens or Guy Cotten PVC jackets and bib/overalls? They are cheaper and better at keeping heavy weather out but of course don’t have the breathability that modern goretex materials have, but do you really need that if you aren’t racing and moving around all over the boat constantly?