MacGregorSailors.com

Bare feet.

Is it much easier to steer from the highside corner in bare feet.

"Breeze's pickin up. Better put 'nother toe on the wheel..."


For formal occasions (such as ... I can't think of any), Sperry Docksiders with the heels collapsed to make flip flops.

Our family wear Keen Newport H2 sandals onboard. Great grip and no skiddies. Added toe protection is great. Personally I wear these for everything -until the snow comes in!

For what it is worth U.S. Sailing Association classes require closed toed shoes with good tread for its formal classes. (I am a USSA certified small boat instructor, if that means anything!) I always wear either boat shoes or light-colored soled sneakers and require the same for crew and guests. My wife suffered a fall backwards through the cabin hatch some years ago, so we take footing very seriously. The EMT's told us it was their first boat extraction of a patient. She got away with a hairline fracture in a lumbar vertebra. Stay safe out there.

Hershel said:

(I am a USSA certified small boat instructor, if that means anything!)

To me, it means a lot.

Ditto

NiceAft wrote: ↑Thu Mar 10, 2022 4:40 am Hershel said:

(I am a USSA certified small boat instructor, if that means anything!)

To me, it means a lot.

When I was a kid begging to crew on any sailboat that would have me on Lake Erie, I was always told "don't sail with anyone whose Sperry Topsiders look younger than you!" I still wear Sperrys 50 years later (and they do look pretty old!)

The only time I sailed barefoot I tripped coming back from hoisting the main and stuck my tow into a Cam Cleat on the coachroof, then fell into the cockpit , but was able to grab the boom before I fell all the way. My wife, who was holding us into the wind so I could raise the main, immediately let go of the tiller to "help me". The boom started to swing away, pulling me with it and my toe still jammed! That hurts, and there is still about 5 feet of air below me if I can't keep hold of the boom!

Lots of "colorful language" later we got sorted out and she got the topping lift tightened and the sails down. We had to disassemble the cam cleat to get my toe out and I think it took about three days to clean the blood off of the deck. We laugh now when I remove my socks, but it wasn't funny then! Wear closed toe shoes of whatever brand you like.

I’m still wincing after reading that.

Weather permitting, as a rule, the shoes come off when the sails go up and don't go back on until I have to go ashore. On a good trip that may be a week or so later.

Apparently, alas, we salty shipmates of Mac lore are a tad polarized on this subject...the shod and the unshod! Isn't it nice to follow our notions depending on our priorities and preferences. As a "shod" sailor I think I would snag my sailing gloves before I relieved a foot steering helmsman for my watch at the wheel...

I'm pretty sure Pepperrmint Patty has come down firmly on the pro-shod side on this.

Herschel wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:55 pm Apparently, alas, we salty shipmates of Mac lore are a tad polarized on this subject...the shod and the unshod! Isn't it nice to follow our notions depending on our priorities and preferences. As a "shod" sailor I think I would snag my sailing gloves before I relieved a foot steering helmsman for my watch at the wheel...

Herschel wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:55 pm Apparently, alas, we salty shipmates of Mac lore are a tad polarized on this subject...the shod and the unshod! Isn't it nice to follow our notions depending on our priorities and preferences. As a "shod" sailor I think I would snag my sailing gloves before I relieved a foot steering helmsman for my watch at the wheel...

At least we agree on the gloves.

Be Free wrote: ↑Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:02 am

Herschel wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:55 pm Apparently, alas, we salty shipmates of Mac lore are a tad polarized on this subject...the shod and the unshod! Isn't it nice to follow our notions depending on our priorities and preferences. As a "shod" sailor I think I would snag my sailing gloves before I relieved a foot steering helmsman for my watch at the wheel...

At least we agree on the gloves.

Yes, but for us "shod" types do we have to make sure our gloves and shoes match? Oh, the challenges of being male in the modern age!

Herschel wrote: ↑Sun Mar 13, 2022 8:44 pm

Be Free wrote: ↑Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:02 am

Herschel wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:55 pm Apparently, alas, we salty shipmates of Mac lore are a tad polarized on this subject...the shod and the unshod! Isn't it nice to follow our notions depending on our priorities and preferences. As a "shod" sailor I think I would snag my sailing gloves before I relieved a foot steering helmsman for my watch at the wheel...

At least we agree on the gloves.

Yes, but for us "shod" types do we have to make sure our gloves and shoes match? Oh, the challenges of being male in the modern age!

You should wear your grey buckskin gloves with formal morning attire and your white goatskin gloves with your most formal (white tie) attire.

Gloves? Gloves? We don' need no stinkin' gloves ...

Be Free wrote: ↑Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:02 am At least we agree on the gloves.

dlandersson wrote: ↑Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:51 am Gloves? Gloves? We don' need no stinkin' gloves ...

Be Free wrote: ↑Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:02 am At least we agree on the gloves.

I thought it was badgers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx6TBrfCW54
Everyone knows The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but UHF is way funnier.