Posts tagged ‘gear’

Sep 21

The good, the bad and the ugly: Mid-race kit review

One months racing from Southampton (UK) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on the Clipper 68′s has revealed some kit failures and success stories.

For now my experience limits to Leg 1 and hot and sunny conditions, where the most important items are a hat, sunglasses and sun cream. Hugh in the photo shows exemplary combined sartorial virtue and sun protection whilst enjoying sunshine on board Visit Finland somewhere between Madeira and Rio de Janeiro.

All opinions are my own, based on experiences out on the ocean. I do not have any affiliation with the brands mentioned, but if someone wants to send gear for testing & review, that would be grand!

Clothes

Too many clothes. And they’re too tight. It is really possible to survive with very little. I could probably cull half of my clothes easily. Now in the hindsight I’d leave home close-fitting shirts. Work shirts need to be loose enough so that they do not rub arm pits (longer lasting freshness). Warm weather tops must not have sleeves (longer lasting freshness). For a XS sized lady a XL sized t-shirt works great as a haphazard cover-up when venturing to heads straight from the bunk. Read more

Nov 29

3 Comments

Fourth!

Team Lion has secured a fourth place on the seventh racing weekend of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. The race was held in freezing temperatures as the cold weather front from Scandinavia had taken hold of the whole Great Britain last week. During the night temperatures plummeted to -2 C, and the race day had only slightly higher temperature of zero degrees and light winds of 6-7 knots.

We had an interesting start as we sneaked behind the committee boat to the start line, and crossed it about 5 seconds late. This didn’t hamper our race too much though, and we were able to catch up the top dogs and even chased down some big boats of the previous class who started 5 minutes earlier. The higher the position, the more carefully the team keeps an eye on other boats movements. “See that fishing boat at 1 o’clock?” “Puma is gybing at 11.” “Why Incognito is taking a different course?” “Are we heading to the right mark for sure?” Super good team work. Shame that the race course was shortened mid-race, we didn’t get a chance to do any starboard roundings and catch up the leader pack even more.

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Half of the crew spent the Saturday night on board because of the early start at 7am. This could have required a little bit more planning, as most of us had a three-season sleeping bags that were inadequate for the below zero temperatures. The radiator was fairly inefficient, so most of us spent half night awake freezing and adding layers one by one, and laying like mummies without turning and tossing, as the mattress provided a little bit warmth that was not to be wasted by changing positions. I have not been carrying my waterproof sleeping bag to the Hamble races, as it is far too heavy for the sprint races at 5kg. Next weekend I’ll just prepare better by wearing more layers overnight and possibly by bringing a cherry stone warmth pillow for feet. I have innate dislike of hot water bottles, as in my native land wet and warmth do not go hand in hand. In my mind it is madness to rely on a rubbery bottle that may start leaking any moment, rendering the dry coldness even worse, to wet coldness. Cherry stone or wheat pillows are much better, however they require either a microwave or gas oven for heating up, which of course is not an option on long distance races. However in Hamble I can ask the staff of the marina restaurant for a radiating 2.5 minute, 800 watt favour.

Cold lessons learnt

When it gets cold, work! My fingers are exposed to cold all the time, and therefore they tend to resemble more like spatulas than nimble digits. However, after initial painfully cold stiffness they warm up when fiddling with sail setup, ropes and other bits and bobs, and in the end I found that it isn’t too bad to do winter sailing with fingerless gloves after all. I’d anticipate that sail changes on offshore races are heaven sent in coldness, and anyone on a foredeck should be warm after that exercise (given the waves don’t wash all that away).
Henri Lloyd mid-layers are far better than anticipated. This waterproof and windproof garment with fleece and teddy lining became my instant favourite for below zero conditions. Without any exaggeration they are a brilliant piece of kit. I wore merino wool cold weather base layers, a thin fleece top, HL Blizzard mid-layer salopette, HL Fusion jacket and the HL Blizzard mid-layer jacket over everything. I was more than comfortable – very toasty and even considered removing the Fusion jacket when wrestling with sails. Five stars.
Find a solution for cold feet. I have poor circulation in extremities, meaning my toes start freezing after a while no matter how good boots and socks I wear. This is especially annoying in the sleeping bag and prevents from getting proper rest. First natural remedy is hearty food before bedtime – fatty food gives the body more energy for warmth. (40% of the energy on food goes to warmth production, so it’s easy to see how bangers and mash with brown sauce will give more warmth than a cesar salad. Arctic expeditions eat butter pasta soup for a breakfast, for very good reasons…) Second solution could be heat sachets that react with air to heat up. These can be found from outdoor stores, however I’d do some research for tiny packs that can fit the boots too. This might be the moral booster on offshore races when it gets really, really cold.
A hat with ear flaps and below-chin strap is far superior than a regular cap. It is useful to be able to secure the hat so that it will not slide anywhere and is not in danger of being lost in the heat of the action.

Niall shows how to helm in cold weather

More photos on Flickr:

Jul 25

6 Comments

Brain-picking, Jamaican style

If you already didn’t know, the Clipper Round the World Race 09-10 finished in Hull on Saturday 17th July. What a great event it was! It was quite exciting to think that next time it’s going to be us entering the marina on those Clipper 68′s. It’s going to be a fantastic journey getting there, ploughing on through training and making a full circle in between start and finish.

I had a privilege of delivering Jamaica Lightning Bolt back to Gosport with her excellent skipper, Pete Stirling, and crew. During this trip the crew shared their thoughts and learnings, and I’m faithfully relaying the message. It may be a jumble of topics, but like sails on a heap, there’s still some use for them.

Check your wet gear

You wouldn’t jump out of a plane without checking your parachute. Never, ever assume that your sponsored, waterproof garments are indeed waterproof. When you’ll receive them, wear the full kit and take a cold shower for five minutes. Wear the smock hood to see that it covers your full head. Check that the wrist cuffs will not let water in. You should notice if the water gets in somewhere. Then, test your salopettes: sit in a bathtub full of cold water in upright manner and wait for a cold sensation of water leaking in. Lift your ankles though, so that the water doesn’t get in from the ankle cuffs!

Do the same to your boots, but fill them up with water (inside). Place them over e.g. newspaper or something that will reveal if water seeps through. Round the worlders need to budget for at least two pairs of boots. Leather boots require regular cleaning and care that is difficult to do on an ocean going race boat, therefore their lifecycle may be reduced to months only. Nobody could recommend any specific make or model of boots that performed really well in a race (Dubarry’s seem to get strong support though), therefore pack your waterproof socks, you will need them sooner or later!

The last thing you want is to discover a manufacturing flaw that leaves you drenched in the first rain shower, when it’s still four weeks to go until the stopover. Nonfunctional, sponsored clothing will be eventually replaced at no extra cost, but it won’t help you mid-Atlantic.

Layers

Thermals are your best friends. As a rule of thumb, you’ll need to carry one set of thermals per week. Round the world crew may survive with 4 sets in total, and just wear each set for 8-10 days on the longer legs. (Or longer, if you’re wo/man enough. There’s a story about this lady crew member who wore her thermal bottoms for the whole southern ocean leg, so her leg hair grew through the fabric during weeks. She got a free, accidental depilation when she eventually changed the layers!) Merino wool is the best material for thermals, but there are lots of technical layers too. Icebreaker brand is my favourite by far, they’ve been performing fantastically on mountains, camping and in cold climates. However, a note about merino wool: you should use it as a base layer only! When merino wool is regularly exposed to salt water, it loses its good qualities and starts breaking down. So, get appropriate materials for each layer.

Mid-layers, you must have them! All round the world crew MUST get mid-layers, you will not survive colder climates without them. Don’t even try, you’ll die a horrible hypothermic death. Mid-layers can be worn as wet weather gear in milder climates, so they are very versatile. Practically mid-layers give you another waterproof layer under the outer foul weather gear, giving extra protection when a storm forces cold water down your neck. For Clipper race crew it might be worth getting Henri Lloyd mid-layers, because the sponsored foulies and HL mid-layers are designed to work together, and the technical fabrics complement each other. Do the same waterproof check for them though before setting out to sea!

Socks. As mentioned, you’ll need waterproof socks (e.g. Sealskinz) for the leaking boots. Wear them with liner socks. Those you can find from any outdoor shop selling trekking gear. Liner socks are very thin socks that prevent chafing on extended walks, but they also make waterproof socks more comfortable. Keep sharp items away from the socks, e.g. cut & file your toenails regularly. And by the way, check that your waterproof socks are indeed waterproof.

Accessories

Wearing Buff® headwear

Ladies and long-haired gentlemen, get a Buff. It will keep your hair away from your face, serve as a neckerchief, scarf, headband, balaclava, hairband and maybe it will also make a cup of really good coffee if you’ll ask nicely.

Bring a sailing knife. This may save your life or limb if you’ll get sucked in a winch, are being held by a lifeline underwater, or whatever cuttable thing threatens your or your fellow crew mates life. There are many makes, but Pete Stirling, the skipper of Jamaica Lightning Bolt, recommended Leathermans. You must not use the knife for any other purpose, it needs to be sharp when you really really need it. There are couple of knives attached to the boom by the snake pit and on the helm pulpit.

Waterproof marker pen. You must mark all your clothing in a way or another – write your name on the jacket, salopettes, mid-layers, everywhere. There will be 18 identical foulies on board, and you don’t want to spend precious minutes looking for yours in a chaos that precedes watch change! Mark your boots too with a ribbon, rubberband etc. tied to the loop behind the boot. Mark your lifejacket with ribbon, sticker or similar – there will be 20 identical ones on board and you don’t have always time to start inspecting the ID numbers!

Waterproof watch with a timer / alarm function. You’ll need to know what time it is to get on deck in time for your watch. You’ll want to check how long you’ll still need to suffer cold and wet on watch. You’ll want to know when you’re going to get food. You’ll must know when to serve food. Above all, you’ll want to know how long you can sleep before it’s time to go again. Don’t go without a watch, mate. It can be a very basic one, as long as it tells what time it is.

Wraparound sunglasses with strap fastening. Many Jamaican crew, especially guys wore sunglasses that have a strap fastening around the head. They fit tightly and do not fall off in action. What action, you’re asking. Imagine holding a rope with both hands, looking up (your cap sliding over eyes when hitting the high collar on the back), then looking down to your hands and hey presto your normal sunglasses will be dangling somewhere around your mouth. Gill does some pro racing goggles, that even keep splashes out of your eyes. Many seemed to wear Oakleys, which are horribly expensive though! I’d recommend looking around before buying. The type of sunglasses you need depends on your task on the boat. If you’re doing a high action role like bowman, get the strap ones that will not fall off in any circumstances.

Floating torch with a white & red light switch. These torches are mainly marketed for plane crews and sailors. They are particularly useful because you can use the white light in a bunk, red light around navigation station during night time to keep your night vision. Keep this torch in a pocket when on night watch. Because the torch floats (obviously being waterproof), it can be an additional signaling device, should one go overboard in the night time. (Now remind yourself of the first rule of MOB!)

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Health and safety

For the sake of your backside, bring something to sit on a deck. Everyone of the crew suffered from ‘yotty-botty’, a rash caused by ~~sandpaper-like deck surface~~ sitting on deck wearing wet gear and poor hygiene. There are variety of boat cushions on markets, but choose one that is light and small! Also, this might be bought together for the boat, as there are just so many cushions that can fit on the pit. Some clothing manufacturers do padded trousers / shorts, that might be an option too. Update 13 March 2011: I’m not convinced anymore about the necessity of cushions, so better check with the skipper before hauling in bulky stuff. I’d do first leg as a tester, and if a cushion is required, buy it from Brazil.

Bring Sudocream. It’s the snake oil for everything, including yotty-botty. It’s actually cream for treating nappy rash, but great for soothing, healing and protecting skin from various discomforts. It can be used for inflamed skin, rash, sunburn, infections. The boat medics ordered Sudocream for almost everything, and it worked.

Bring talcum powder for your feet. Extended ocean crossings in difficult conditions may leave your feet with less attention than rest of your body, but it’s important to check your feet once a day. Remove the shoes, socks and have a good look for any cracked skin. Put on talcum powder, wear liner socks and then outer (perhaps wateproof) socks. Treat your feet well, they’re walking you around.

Protection against sun. Always wear suncream on deck, even on a cloudy day. Harmful UV rays reflect from the sea and sails too, so practically you’ll get three times more sun you would on land. Bring two white (or light coloured) long sleeved shirts for sunny days, especially if you’re very fair.

During the deep clean I found also bottles of dry shampoo, which might be a good way to keep your hair clean in between weekly lukewarm showers. Nobody bothers showering when it gets really cold, so dry shampoo and wet wipes may be a winner combo on North Pacific.

Facial on the go: Exfoliating cleansing cloths. Facial skin will be exposed to salt, wind and a wide range of temperatures, and the body will not get thorough scrubbing as often as usually on land. Even though beauty products probably aren’t very necessary for the boat speed, some may want to exfoliate dead cells from the surface of their skin. Especially this may be a good idea for people with combination or oily skin to treat blocked pores. For me this isn’t a matter of aesthetics only, but also comfort, as inflamed pores can be very painful! And I don’t particularly fancy the thought of someone pointing a TV camera to my face when stepping to pontoon after 5 weeks at sea. (This coming from someone who suffered acne as a teenager, it definitely wasn’t great, and I’d rather not go back there if I can prevent it!)

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Storage strategies

Carabiners. They’re great for hanging your stuff bags from the edges of your bunk. See next.

Waterproof stuff sacks. Your life will be in a bag for many months, so it helps to be organised. Put small things into small bags, and big things into big bags. This way you’ll find whatever you’re looking for faster. Label each bag with that marker pen. (‘Woolly undies’ said one bag on board Jamaica Lightning Bolt.) Bring one gargantuan one that takes in everything, as you might need to quickly stuff all your belongings into it for some emergency tack that will otherwise send everything flying across the boat. (Oh, that’s also one of the reasons you’ll need to label all your gear’n'stuff. They will fly around.) I can warmly recommend Mountain Equipment Wet & Dry Sacs, those ever reliable companions of many hiking trips. They have a vent, so that you can squeeze the air out and therefore stuff your kit in smaller space. Invaluable!

Nylon bag for your laundry. All laundry goes into same bag, so that on port you’ll just find it, grab the washing powder, couple of coins and you’re almost sorted.

Waterproof sleeping bags and some other kit has already been discussed before, so have a look at older posts.

That’s it for now. Next time I’ll write about Life on Boat and Getting Along with Various Types.

Main photo credit: onEdition.

Feb 25

My name is Riikka and I am short.

Generally I’m happy to be one of vertically challenged earth-people. Take example a recent flight to California: I could stretch my legs while seated, stand up without hitting my head to the overhead lockers and curl up on the seat. Very convenient. Shortness is somewhat less convenient in rush-hour trains, as there is constant threat of having someone’s elbow in your mouth or nose an inch away from armpit which isn’t yours. The latter especially is best avoided in the summertime.

I am constantly reminded of how it feels to be a child, because my feet seldom reach to the floor when sitting on a regular chair in office, restaurant or other public spaces. But that’s ok, it’s nice to swing your feet around. It keeps you grounded.

Then let’s talk about clothing. It seems to be impossible to find trousers that fit without a need to chop off extra 15 cm of the trouser legs. It’s probably worth mentioning that I have been wearing skirts and dresses at work for eight years, as they are much easier lengthwise. It’s always a daunting task to buy technical trousers for outdoor sports, or sleeping bags for that matter. Therefore I was ecstatic finding that Ocean Sleepwear does SHORT sizes of their ocean going sleeping bags. But because of some freak mess-up I was delivered a REGULAR size – suitable for 190 cm tall guys. Extra 40 cm space in your feet is not only nuisance from bulk point of view, but it’s also a matter of heat. The more space there is in your sleeping bag, the colder it is. Not great for someone with a sluggish circulation in extremities.

It was most disappointing. Now there’s no time to get a replacement, so I need to decide whether to return this sleeping bag and try finding a temporary synthetic sleeping bag, or go ahead and try to sell it as second hand later.

If someone in London / nearby wants to buy a bright yellow, 3-layered waterproof sleeping bag in size Regular, let me know right now. See specs on Ocean Sleepwear website.

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My mother once snapped while shortening trouserlegs (we’re all petite in my family): “Girls, make sure to find tall and long legged spouses to avoid this misery!” Thanks for the advice, mom. I’ll do my best.

Jan 31

Ocean-going shopping list

I’m hectically collecting the kit for the yacht race training starting in the end of February. It’s going to be cold and wet seven days, hence I’ve been keenly listening to anyone who has experience crossing an ocean. London Boat Show was a great place to meet crew members from previous races (and a few fellow crew members of the next one). They shared insights and gear recommendations, which I will now pass on to the great Internets for the profit of all budding offshore sailors like yours truly.

PLEASE NOTE: I do not receive compensation for listing any of these goods. The manufacturers have NO connection to me or my sailing adventure. These are simply tried, tested and liked.

1. Ocean Sleepwear waterproof sleeping bag
Three-layer system adapts to all conditions in the yacht thanks to layers that can be taken apart for tropics and put back together for arctic areas. The two inner bags are made from pile and outer shell is waterproof. It’s machine washable and durable. This sleeping bag is not as compact as the regular camping bags, but then again they’re going to be stationary in a bunk bed all the time. Yellow bags seems to be the choice of smaller sailors, given the manufacturers had run out of stock when I ordered mine. This sleeping bag is very expensive, but worth every penny considering the convenience of keeping dry and warm.

2. Lifeventure Microfibre Trek Towel
This is part of my regular hiking and camping kit. It’s lightweight, compact and very quickly drying towel, treated with antibacterial formula. Naturally the material does not feel as nice as a regular towel, but the benefits of this one are much greater than the inconvenience.

3. Dubarry sailing boots
Sailing boots come in all guises. A decent pair of boots is required for the race, but the type depends on the budget and the legs one is going to sail. I was recommended Dubarry boots by one Clipper sailor lady. I asked Dubarry to recommend me boots that are suitable for a round the world yacht race. Their Ultima boots fit my ‘strong’ calves best (with a stretchy bit to accommodate muscles), so that’s the pair for me. Good news for small people, their smallest size is UK3 (Europe 36). It’s good to keep in mind though that the pair should be spacious enough to accommodate warm socks in cold climate, and swollen feet in hot climate.

4. Long sleeved jumpers
Wool jumpers are not recommended as they absorb water and stay wet. I will rely on my hiking kit and bring thermal fleece jumpers. They are quick-drying, somewhat windproof and very warm when combined with other layers. They can be found from any outdoor equipment shops really. Mine are from mountaineering shops, brands such as Patagonia and Berghaus.

5. Waterproof cap, gloves & socks
Well, this sounds dodgy – who wants to wear waterproof socks? Doesn’t it mean that the inside might be as wet as outside if they do not breathe properly? I can see the benefit of a waterproof cap and gloves though. Sandy recommended Sealskinz beanie and socks, and I’m going to test their waterproof grip gloves too. It looks like Sealskinz products can be bought mainly from cycling equipment shops here in London. Who knows, maybe these products are tried and tested by countless of bike couriers.

6. Sailing gloves.
I got my Gills from Oceanleisure. They stock various brands and sizes, also XS!

7. Icebreaker thermal underwear & layers
Ok, let’s say it loud and clear: I LOVE these guys with passion. Icebreakers are inseparable part of my outdoors kit despite being much more expensive than their synthetic competitors. Why they are so great? Their products are 100% merino wool, meaning they are completely biodegradable unlike any synthetics. They are ethically manufactured garments with transparent supply chain. Their wool is supplied by hand picked farms that must meet the animal welfare requirements. When it comes to fibre itself, merino wool feels dry and does not smell even after weeks and weeks of use without washing. It’s a hands down winner in a confined space where a concept of personal hygiene becomes slightly less -err- personal.

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Other stuff that we should bring to training includes a torch, sailing knife, sunglasses, sunscreen, hard wearing trousers that dry easily, deck shoes, seasick pills and personal wash kit.

There are some other brands specialised to sailing: Henry Lloyd, Helly Hansen and Musto. I was told that there are factory outlets at towns through the Home Counties, e.g. Swindon and Bicester, where the merchandise is heavily discounted. It might be a good idea to make a day trip to one of those with a bunch of sailors, sometime later this year.

Check out also other posts about gear.

The Great Escape to Oceans

Posts tagged ‘gear’

The good, the bad and the ugly: Mid-race kit review

Clothes