Yachting clothing

[Daydream believer]

When I first had my Stella I had a set of "Functional " gear which I bought from the suppliers
. They were supplied to the RNLI & were useless,
In the end I bought a Belstead motorbike jacket & my mum fitted button so that I could attach the Functional hood. I waxed the belstead jacket & it never let a drop of water through. I used to get squirts up the sleeves though, but I could bear that to be warm over the rest of me.

 

[Daydream believer]

Any recommendations for sourcing economical but effective foul weather gear (i.e. no particular brand) ?

Musto. It works & It lasts years, if looked after, so in the end it is best value.

 

[Lucy52]

Decathlon

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/sports/sailing/sailing-clothing

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I have worn a variety of things and makes from a nylon cagoule through Guy Cotton stuff ending up with Musto breathable with the requisite under layers and that you cannot beat, it doesn't have to be Musto there are other makes and from what I see they all do a similar job. None of them could be described as inexpensive though.

 

[John_Silver]

Guy Cotten are doing fully breathable, state of the art stuff now. Picked up a set of these, from their shop in Concarneau, back in May. Using a 10% discount card handed out by the Capitainerie. So far so good. And it’s been a strangely cool and wet summer in Biscay (as I hear it has in the UK) so they’ve had more use than I expected! Certainly the Kara & Beaufort combo are comfortable and dry. More breathable than my (9 year old) MPX too, I’d say. They’d got quite clammy, these past few seasons. The Guy Cottens came in at under three quarters of the Marine Superstore MPX suit deal (30% off RRP) price, which has always been my default option in the past….

 

[capnsensible]

 

[st599]

Where do you hair shirt guys sail? I very rarely see people sailing in old or non sailing gear. Everyone, even the old duffers on gaffers, has modern sailing kit around here. Ok, they might have a Breton cap and a guernsey jumper, but those are perfectly functional garments.

One skipper I know insists on winter foot wear, a pair of flip flops

In the end I bought a Belstead motorbike jacket & my mum fitted button so that I could attach the Functional hood. I waxed the belstead jacket & it never let a drop of water through. I used to get squirts up the sleeves though, but I could bear that to be warm over the rest of me.

Could probably get about 3 sets of Decathlon for the cost of a Belstead coat. They look nice, but £700 for a non waterproof jacket is a bit steep.

Musto are just a brand name now, since their acquisition, the sizing has changed completely.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Right, that's it, I clearly need to add a distressed frock-coat and a tricorne hat to my hanging locker.

Seriously though... if you sail on your own nobody can make you buy any kit at all (though I do not recommend sailing with zero clothing expenditure as one stray line could cause serious discomfort). Then it's just up to what conditions you want to be prepared for.

I did have fun when I bought my not hugely impressive waterproofs in a moderately pretentious outfitters'... the salesfellow asked "what brand of thermal base layer do you wear" and his face when I said "a tweed waistcoat" was a perfect picture. It works, though.

 

[Minerva]

Musto. It works & It lasts years, if looked after, so in the end it is best value.

Meybe's aye, meybe's no.

The set of Musto's I bought around the Millennium are / were still waterproof until they had eventually obviously shrunk beyond functionality.

The second set of Musto's I bought to replace them about 8 years failed after two seasons...

Waterproofs have radically changed in recent years with the stopping of using "forever" chemicals in the waterproofing and now across the board significantly shorter lifespan of expected functionality. Just because the last set lasted you 20 years, do not expect the set bought today to do the same.

FWIW this season I bought top of the range Decathlon stuff - very good it seems to be too.

 

[lustyd]

Waterproofs have radically changed in recent years with the stopping of using "forever" chemicals in the waterproofing

Modern waterproofs don’t use chemicals to be waterproof. They are waterproof due to the membrane. The proofing is to keep the outside layer of fabric dry so that it doesn’t soak up water and block the pores in the membrane and ruin breathability but the proofing has no effect whatsoever on how waterproof the garment is from the perspective of the wearer.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Whatever is most useful to you. I don’t see my gear as designer clothing. It might be that, I guess, if I didn’t sail. It’s a bit white and crusty this morning, not the appearance you might want for designer wear. But it’s not about the brand name. It’s what fits, and keeps you comfortable in sometimes very trying

Modern waterproofs don’t use chemicals to be waterproof. They are waterproof due to the membrane. The proofing is to keep the outside layer of fabric dry so that it doesn’t soak up water and block the pores in the membrane and ruin breathability but the proofing has no effect whatsoever on how waterproof the garment is from the perspective of the wearer.

Little things can mean a lot sometimes. I particularly like mine because of the slide in knee pads. If I need to go forward when things get lively, I am more comfortable going on my knees.

 

[Ray Purchase]

Any recommendations for sourcing economical but effective foul weather gear (i.e. no particular brand) ?

Decathlon might be worth a look.

 

[steve yates]

Meybe's aye, meybe's no.

The set of Musto's I bought around the Millennium are / were still waterproof until they had eventually obviously shrunk beyond functionality.

The second set of Musto's I bought to replace them about 8 years failed after two seasons...

Waterproofs have radically changed in recent years with the stopping of using "forever" chemicals in the waterproofing and now across the board significantly shorter lifespan of expected functionality. Just because the last set lasted you 20 years, do not expect the set bought today to do the same.

FWIW this season I bought top of the range Decathlon stuff - very good it seems to be too.

Its more to do with modern business trends of improving margin at the expense of quality. almost all of these brand name companies are bought out and owned by bigger companies who live by the numbers. They are not dedicated technical specialists anymore, you need to look elsewhere for those, if you can find them.
Same happened to climbing outdoor companies.

 

[lustyd]

almost all of these brand name companies are bought out and owned by bigger companies who live by the numbers

Exactly this. At our local chandlery you have the choice of Canadian Tire (Helly Hansen/Musto) or Monte Rosa Capital (Henri Lloyd).

Or Zhik, who sponsored a bunch of YT channels whose clothing only seemed to last about a year from what I can tell

 

[Poignard]

 

[st599]

Decathlon might be worth a look.

Decathlon actually make some very good stuff and have R&D looking at making better materials, more durable products etc.

It's a shame that a lot of the brands that used to be at the forefront of this are now all owned by a pension firm and no longer innovate. Similarly in climbing and outdoor shops - Berghaus were very innovative when they were the own brand of the LD Mountain Centre.

 

[John_Silver]

Guy Cotten is run by the founder’s daughter. As a family business. When I visited, anyone I met was passionate about sailing, technically knowledgeable and proud of their product. Hence trusting them enough to try their kit (post #45) in preference to another set of Musto MPX.

 

[Daydream believer]

Its more to do with modern business trends of improving margin at the expense of quality. almost all of these brand name companies are bought out and owned by bigger companies who live by the numbers. They are not dedicated technical specialists anymore, you need to look elsewhere for those, if you can find them.
Same happened to climbing outdoor companies.

With respect, your comments are a little misleading. All companies want to improve margins. they do not look at a product & decide to reduce quality to do so. What they do is research the different materials bought forward by suppliers who have done the research to produce those materials. So in a sense Musto & its owner HH are spending money indirectly on research by purchasing from quality companies.True they negotiate the best rates. All companies do.
If you do not buy right, you cannot sell right.
They are also looking at green technology Etc to keep abreast of modern trends towards the protection of the planet.
They are improving the products by using better material such as the latest Goretex- look at the Musto website under technology.
They supply various sailors with their gear to not only promote their brand but to get feedback on its performance.
So saying that Musto is no longer a dedicated specialist is false.It is owned by HH & they are extremely dedicated in improving the brand & returning the company to profit after a blip.
But if one buys the gear & does not look after it, then one cannot expect it to perform. Sling it in a mouldy locker for week is not the way to treat it. If one buys a jacket & does not wear the right gear under it, then do not complain about the presence of moisture after a few hours use. One has to use it correctly.

 

[lustyd]

But if one buys the gear & does not look after it, then one cannot expect it to perform.

This is one of the biggest issues with this gear. Goretex and similar laminates need machine washing and reproofer applied to the outer layer to stop it soaking up moisture. So many people are afraid to wash their expensive gear despite Musto explicitly laying out instructions and recommending Grangers reproofer (as it’s what they use from new)

 

[Sandy]

Right, that's it, I clearly need to add a distressed frock-coat and a tricorne hat to my hanging locker.

Don't forget your boat cloak.