pied d'elephant 'sleeping bag'

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Back in the day when I misspent my youth on cold, wet Scottish mountains I had a pied d'elephant, a short sleeping bag that covered your legs.

On my recent voyage up the east coast it became apparent that something similar would keep my aging bones warm on cold night watches so contacted one of the UK companies who make those warm robes beloved by wild swimmers as the waterproof covered fleece material looks ideal for my needs. Apparently it is too much hard work to develop a new line for aging sailors (and so allowing me to make my fortune and buy that Boreal 47 I covet).

Does anybody know of any supplier of material that I can make up a pied d'elephant?
 
Sandy said:
contacted one of the UK companies who make those warm robes beloved by wild swimmers as the waterproof covered fleece material looks ideal for my needs.

Does anybody know of any supplier of material that I can make up a pied d'elephant?
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The changing robes I’ve seen fellow paddleboarders use seem to be separate layers of fleece and proofed nylon, not a single special fabric. Both are widely available on eBay.

Pete
 
prv said:
The changing robes I’ve seen fellow paddleboarders use seem to be separate layers of fleece and proofed nylon, not a single special fabric. Both are widely available on eBay.

Pete
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Thanks Pete, I shall need to investigate eBay.
 
Sandy said:
Back in the day when I misspent my youth on cold, wet Scottish mountains I had a pied d'elephant, a short sleeping bag that covered your legs.

On my recent voyage up the east coast it became apparent that something similar would keep my aging bones warm on cold night watches so contacted one of the UK companies who make those warm robes beloved by wild swimmers as the waterproof covered fleece material looks ideal for my needs. Apparently it is too much hard work to develop a new line for aging sailors (and so allowing me to make my fortune and buy that Boreal 47 I covet).

Does anybody know of any supplier of material that I can make up a pied d'elephant?
Click to expand...
Cut a sleeping bag in half! Stitch a chord for a n adjustable fit or use shock chord!
 
TOKOLOSHI said:
Cut a sleeping bag in half! Stitch a chord for a n adjustable fit or use shock chord!
Click to expand...
That might work, but a big green wave over the side and the sleeping bag is going to stink for days if you can't get it dry. I like the idea of the 'dry robe' material as it is fast drying.
 
A couple of layers of fleece blanket with a layer of ripstop nylon spinnaker cloth on the outside; both can be had cheaply, the greatest expense will be a machine capable of sewing them together(or paying a sailmaker to do it).
 
penfold said:
A couple of layers of fleece blanket with a layer of ripstop nylon spinnaker cloth on the outside; both can be had cheaply, the greatest expense will be a machine capable of sewing them together(or paying a sailmaker to do it).
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That sounds practical, as all those materials are quick-drying, but for me, my old pair of Dubarrys with wool socks does it.
 
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The blokes that sailed the Atalantic in a replica 6cent Irish leather skinned boat (The Brendan Voyage) found that, if you were going to stay wet most of the time, then natural wool was the best covering.
 
This must be the second inadvertently promotional thread for a pilothouse cruiser in less than a week; the previous one was on foul weather gear.
When I was young, I had a Water Witch with an air-cooled Lister. On cold nights we would put a tarp over our knees to catch the engine heat.
Now of course, when we start feeling chilly around the knees at sea, we just close the door and turn up the Webasto.

Covid permitting, next year, Scotland, Ireland, inner and outer Hebrides - Norway?
 
Laminar Flow said:
This must be the second inadvertently promotional thread for a pilothouse cruiser in less than a week; the previous one was on foul weather gear.
When I was young, I had a Water Witch with an air-cooled Lister. On cold nights we would put a tarp over our knees to catch the engine heat.
Now of course, when we start feeling chilly around the knees at sea, we just close the door and turn up the Webasto.

Covid permitting, next year, Scotland, Ireland, inner and outer Hebrides - Norway?
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If you are happy to supply a Boreal 47 I'm more than happy to sail it.
 
Poor mans Boreal. Fit side dodgers!
Makes a big difference to the wind chill factor across your body at night
( could even improvise one across the back of the cockpit with following wind I guess , sailbag etc

And knock up a natty drop in wooden plank seat that slots in to the companionway hatch board side slots , add a cushion, cuppa, voila ?
( and buy boreal next time around )
 
Sandy said:
If you are happy to supply a Boreal 47 I'm more than happy to sail it.
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I love the enthusiasm people have for boats they have perhaps neither sailed on or even been on. A friend of ours has a Boreal; they are nice enough, but far from perfect.
The command pod on deck does not provide the all-around visibility to stand watch in. The outside helm position feels rather exposed and drafty. The interior dimensions seem geared towards 19th century Frenchmen with passageways just low enough to cause brain damage, the galley is awkward to use and near impossibly so on a port tack. Performance? Well, a gaff rigged, leeboard Lemsteraak beat him to windward, both outpointing and outfooting him and when they could bear off, it simply walked away, never to be seen again. They also have an astonishingly low AVS for something that is supposed to go above Lat 50.
 
Laminar Flow said:
I love the enthusiasm people have for boats they have perhaps neither sailed on or even been on. A friend of ours has a Boreal; they are nice enough, but far from perfect.
The command pod on deck does not provide the all-around visibility to stand watch in. The outside helm position feels rather exposed and drafty. The interior dimensions seem geared towards 19th century Frenchmen with passageways just low enough to cause brain damage, the galley is awkward to use and near impossibly so on a port tack. Performance? Well, a gaff rigged, leeboard Lemsteraak beat him to windward, both outpointing and outfooting him and when they could bear off, it simply walked away, never to be seen again. They also have an astonishingly low AVS for something that is supposed to go above Lat 50.
Click to expand...
Thankfully, I don't fall into that category and being a Highlander am well under 2 meters in hight. Friends, who took theirs down to South Georgia, via the Pacific, love the galley on either tack, like everything just takes a bit of practice. Who hand helms across an ocean apart from the Clipper/Volvo crews? How is that gaff rigged Lemsteraak in a F11? Every boat is a compromise. For me the Boreal satisfies my requirements more than most, saying that the new twin wheeled models are just silly.
 
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