catamaran. Woo Hoo! I can’t wait. He has asked us to bring a life jacket. Currently I own several; however these are typically used for wake boarding or water skiing. I expect we will look like rookies on this trip. I hope he doesn’t expect us to wear these life jackets on a large catamaran. I think he meant that if we have kids, that they should have them since he most likely doesn’t have their size. Nevertheless we will bring ours because the Captain said to bring them.As a boat owner I prefer passengers to wear shoes that are non marking. I am sure the captain of this catamaran is no different. Boat shoes are preferred for several reasons. We don’t own any boat shoes. I do have shoes that are non marking that will have to do. It is most likely safer to wear shoes designed to grip well on a boat and that will stay dry or are designed to dry quickly.
Rain gear and protection from the wind and cold will be important as well. SF weather can be cold this time of year. We are ok in this department for now. The important thing is to stay warm. It is no fun if you are cold the entire time.
I have been pricing inflatable PFD USCG Approved life vests. They are
not cheap. Cabelas sells the Guardian Essential brand for 89.95, however most brands I have seen so far are well over 100.00. These vests are compact and won’t get in the way like older vests. Some inflate automatically and others require you to pull an activation cord to inflate the PFD. I suspect this is the way to go. I could also use it on fishing trips in the ocean.
Shoes aren’t cheap either. I have seen several pairs of Harken Sailing shoes selling for $72.60 each, but I have no idea if that is the right way to go yet. Other brands like the Cabelas guidewear I have seen as low as $24.95 on sale. Again I will be able to use these on fishing trips.
Foul weather gear, gloves, hats, sunscreen and sunglasses are all things to think about as well. I expect to learn a lot on our catamaran trip this Saturday and will report my experience. I don’t want to go spending a ton of money on gear only to find out later that I made the wrong purchase. I will of course bring a camera with a waterproof case although I don't expect I will need the case based on the weather predictions. I expect to learn from experience and advice from others.
3 comments:
Inflatable PFDs are great if conditions and the boat are such that you ought to be wearing a lifejacket. They've got offshore styles and harness styles if you are going to be in rougher conditions, or if you think you ever will be in the future of your jacket, but they are heavier. If you're going to spend at least $90 on a lifejacket may as well make sure it's good for everything you're going to do. Stearns and West Marine make styles as well, if I recall (and WM may be rebranded Stearns, can't remember), that aren't outrageous. $80-180 perhaps. Worth it if you're required to wear it at times, if not, grab Extrasport or something to stow.
As for shoes, I've never heard of using Cabela's for sailing, but I guess you could do it if price is a huge issue, but I'd pick up a pair of cheapies at WM first. Harkens are especially for sailboat decks and have good support and traction when it's slippery. They've got soft grippy rubber and channel water so you don't hydroplane (I have not had a problem with the softer rubber wearing too quickly after wearing them several times a week on shore).
Harken sometimes has close-outs under sailing gear for shoes on their website, often $40, but I just checked and there aren't any at the moment. They'll definitely give you that "sailor look" though, some of their styles are pretty cool, I wear mahogany now but think I'm going to pick up the technical-looking titanium for the next sailing season. I use their gloves, shoes, sunglasses, and equipment--good stuff.
The upper-end Sperry shoes aren't terrible either (I'm an inland lake racer on large dinghies and small keelboats), but they're in the same price range. I had Figawis a while back and they were comfortable enough and non-marking.
Read my latest post (http://catmandreams.blogspot.com/2008/03/captains-log-man-overboard-and-nudists.html) to see why PFD's do come in handy sometimes.
Good advice by the way. I was advised to pick some up at a boat show when they are more likely to be marked down in price. There is a Strictly Sail show in Oakland, CA in April so I will most likely pick one up.
Great blog thanks for posting this.
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