WHAT TO WEAR

[The Edge]

Skipper Dave,

     Easy, just head West ;D.    I don't know where to find them in the States.  One day when you don't feel like sailing, you and your first mate might want to take a trip to the mall :o and shop for some exotic material in a fabric shop.  You two could do that on your way to/from Worst Marine ::) ;)

[Saskatchewan Sailor]

These Peraro sound interesting, any pics?  in any or all of the above mentioned uses?

[The Edge]

Peraro pics? not yet :D.

[captedteach]

I keep several t-shirts on my boat all the time as well as some sweat shirts but all my shorts are some kind of technical fabric so they dry quickly - mostly nylon.  For nasty days I have a PVC rain suit but for some reason I've never used it on the boat. If I'm sailing and a shower hits I just close up the boat and dry off later with my handy dandy Absorber Synthetic Chamois. If you dont have one of these they are GREAT - when they are soaked you just ring them out and keep going, they store in a small tube and should be kept damp so they stay pliable.  This beats the heck out of storing a ton of towels or finding a place to dry them. They also come in several colors so its easy to keep up with whos is whos

[Pixie Dust]

I agree with Sarah on the Peraro.  I love mine.  I have 3, one from the BVI, one a friend brought me back from Tahiti and one from good ole Wally World.  They are sold just about anywhere that bathing suits are sold.   Looks kinda like a shawl hanging up and in bright colors.  You can even get rings to run the ends through to keep them holding.
I have no idea how to tie them into shorts though.  I will have to work on that one.    ::)

[Rockdoctor]

I did a quick ebay search and think they have quite a few listings
PAREAU is the word I searched. And for the DIY crowd, here are patterns
http://www.gotfabric.com/SearchEngineCatalog/hawaiian-pareau-sarong-pattern.htm
web site with pics
http://www.pareoisland.com/

[starcrest]

well just to re-iterate....while sailing in the hot tropical sun out on nowheresville,the only thing I ever wear is foot wear....and  when I dont wear that I would walk around very carefully...I would have to be very careful not to catch my......"TOE" on something...........

[mudnut]

Skipper Dave,If ya real clever and can sew,You can sew carn't you?,just go out and buy the appropriate material,sew up the edges and wella,A present hand made for the one I love most,allways wins out over store bought.Plus it will be cheaper.Mudnut.

[cubemonkey]

When I went down to Antigua last spring, I didn't know what a pareo was either. I had some leftover fabric, batik, which I hemmed and fringed, and it worked perfectly. I got 2 for free.

Most fabric is 45 inches wide on the bolt. Get a piece a little longer, about 2 yards.

Look at the short sides. By pulling out about an inch of the weft (the crosswise threads that run between the selvedge) you can create a bit of fringe that will prevent the fabric from fraying. A straight or zigzag stitch at the base of this raveling will help secure it, but it in general, the fabric will resist wholesale fraying by just raveling about an inch.

Hem the long sides, (just rollover twice, 1/4 inch both times and sew a straight line). This edge should be what is called the selvedge, meaning it has no loose threads. If you are really sewing challenged, you can do without hemming. If you are really fussy, cut off the selvedge and hem. Selvedges tend to be less flexible than the woven fabric, so depending on the weight of the material, they can be an advantage or disadvantage. Totally up to you whether to remove and hem, or let them be.

If you have friends who sew, you can usually find some suitable fabric in their stash. Quilters are notorious for having odds and ends around. The more colorful and garish, the more likely the fabric is to have found its way to the bottom of their heap. And the better for you.

Here is a pic of me in my green pareo in Antigua.

I had 2, a green and a blue, both batik fabrics that I hadn't found any use for. Mostly we used the blue one as a cockpit curtain. Let the breeze in, kept the bugs out, and provided some privacy while at the marina.

-elizabeth

[cubemonkey]

Since Bligh's crew was soaked by repeated storms, they used that technique to avoid hypothermia and possibly saving their lives.

Hi Cap'n,
It is considered folk knowledge in the cold harbors of Maine, that fishermen's hands stay warmer in wool, when it is wet with salt water, than with most other new-fangled gear for wet work in the cold. I have some great mitten patterns from traditional knitters in Maine and Newfoundland for just such garments. It has been said that a fisherman wearing salt-water soaked felted knitted wool mittens, will withdraw his hands from the mitten, and they will be rosy red with warmth and steaming from the heat. Sounds romantic no?

When I was a child though, my mom made mittens of wool of a similar style and density. I don't know that she soaked them in salt water, but knowing my mom, it is probable. The mittens were never washed all winter, were just laid on the burner in our walkout basement to dry. They would be stiff when put on, but would soften as they got wet in the snow melting on our toasty hands. We were wet but not cold.

Perhaps this is the phenomenon that kept hypothermia at bay for Captain Bligh and his crew.

If anyone knits and sails in cold climes, I would recommend securing a copy of Robin Hansen's book, Fox and Geese and Fences: A Collection of Traditional Maine Mittens

It is out of print, but I see used copies at Amazon. New copies are often found in your local knitting shop as well, buried in the shelves of patterns that accumulate in these treasure troves.

-elizabeth

[s/v Faith]

Elizabeth,

  I wanted to show the 1st Mate what you were talking about.... do you have a larger version of the photo you posted?

  Thanks.  ;D



On Edit;   The Rockdoctor posted This link which kinda shows it... but the way you have it tied looks different.

[cubemonkey]

I don't have any bigger pics of myself in a pareo, but I found these on the net.
http://site.blackpearldesigns.net/how2.htm
http://site.blackpearldesigns.net/pareo-tying-oaoa.htm

This is the basic one-piece coverup I use. Of course I'm not as well endowed!!

-elizabeth

[s/v Faith]

THanks Elizabeth,
;D

  Rose picked up some really nice fabric the other day.  Between your links and Rockdoctor's we should figure out some way to tie it that she likes.