First I wanted to prove that I could actually construct a poll using the forum mechanics.
Second, I have a thing about people with bare feet. You tread on them, they have to move slowly , they cannot do certain jobs on the boat blah blah blah
Not so sure about the bare foot slippy business - surfers wax their boards and don't wear deck shoes. In certain climes and even on the East Coast occassionaly when its hot, bare feet are OK until ... the first time a winch handle or worse lands on your tootsies or turning quickly to see the avocet the crew just pointed out your big toe makes contact with the CQR stowed neatly on the deck ... once bitten ...
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First I wanted to prove that I could actually construct a poll using the forum mechanics
[/ QUOTE ] You have failed there then because you have allowed people to vote for both options! Rather de-feets the object of the poll. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I have not added it to my list of things I allow people to do on my boat, thus I voted yes I do allow people to make their own decisions about what they wear or not.
Added to this, after having to turn around in the narrow harbour entrance 2 weeks ago, with a silly current, to retrieve one of her Dubarry's I would actually encourage people not to, or at least wear shoes that do not require a small mortgage to replace. On the up-side, Dubarry's float well!
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First I wanted to prove that I could actually construct a poll using the forum mechanics
[/ QUOTE ] You have failed there then because you have allowed people to vote for both options! Rather de-feets the object of the poll. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
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As a yottie , and therefore a Conservative voter , I felt I should be truly democratic and offer the full range of options - so there !
Dee feet is not an option at the next one by the way.
We went for a little sail along the coast a few days ago, with some friends from Caledonia who also brought along some of their friends...... we ended up with 10 pairs of feet on board, and none of them wore shoes, and they all survived OK!
In fact they were probably better off without shoes, as nobody had deckshoes with them, and flip flops (or 'go-forwards', as they are called here) are positively lethal on a boat.
Out here in low latitudes I almost always sail bare foot, although I will usually wear a pair of shoes on night watches when on passage.
Prefer bare feet, so long as it not freezing cold. Get better grip than most "deck" shoes. Need to keep deck-level sharp bits well taped though. In summer, when sailing, its not uncommon not to put on shoes for days at a time, after which it gets quite difficult!
Certainly had a collection of stubbed toes and scratches over the years, but worth it for the grip.
After a struggle to berth at Malahide with wind and current blowing us off (genoa winch needed to winch us onto the pontoon) I dashed about on the pontoons helping the others in our flotilla of 10 to berth. One bloke said - you've got a 38 ft yacht and you can't afford a pair of shoes?
I have taken to wearing Dubarrys in my middle age, but only to keep warm. I don't mind cold feet, but cold feet make it harder to keep core temperature up. If I'm warm enough, footware is a bloody nuisance - you have to take them off to don waterproof trousers, and boy, do they stink!
The main down side of bare feet is stubbed toes. I managed to kill both big toenails in an exciting end of season sail last September, and they have only just regrown to a cosmetically acceptable length.
Show me a shoe or boot that allows you to pick things up without hands.
Quite often have bare feet when pottering. Stubbed toes are an acceptable hazard. I also like jumping overboard if the weather is warm. Not done much swimming this year tho' - and fortunately I live on a ridge so not likely to see much flooding.
Not voted because I don't own a boat but I've been crew on boats where there is a 'no bare feet' rule. One skipper wouldn't even allow open sandles / flip-flop type things which, I thought was a bit over the top. Mainly because they are my preference in good weather.
If I did / when I do own a boat I think I'd prefer crew to be shod whilst underway if only to reduce the risk of injury.
Wearing Shoes is the same as wearing lifejackets - put them on when you need them on (ok - just before hand preferably) and if I sail without shoes on then they are ready to hand and quick to put on.... mostly sail with them on, but those hot summer days (don't remember them ... too long ago!) when you're gonna be sat there for a couple of hours - you really don't need the shoes...
Fine weather, teak decks, no problem. As it gets fresher people usually have boots on by then, so it never is a problem. People only stub there toes once...
Haven't voted because I have yet to go out when the weather would allow for bare feet . Started off with trainers ( no grip on wet decks ) tried alternative footwear ( slightly more grip but not enough ) moved on to dekkies but not the mortgage types and found they give me enough grip to be confident on deck . Been out on stinkers and hankies in less than the best weather but if the four inch gash I got from a yet to be located stray bit of steel rigging is anything to go by , I'll keep the tootsies firmly in footwear
I will add that this was not a forumites boat /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif but it chuffin well hurts
As long as they don't go numb then I always sail with bare feet. I've slipped far more times wearing my boots. I'm yet to do myself an injury and I can't actually think of an operation on board that would be made safer when wearing shoes.