What to look for ‘Boots – breathable, if you can afford them. Dubarry is the gold standard, (but) I wear Sperry Fathom’s, they have kept my feet dry from both sides.’
– Jackdale, replying to ’Foul weather gear – clueless as what to buy’ post, Sailnet
And of course boots should be…
- big enough for an extra pair of socks
- have traction
- non-marking soles
- NOT be attached to foul weather pants (if you go overboard, the boots and pants will fill with sea water and make it a LOT more difficult to pull you back on board).
Usage
- If you’re looking at daysailing only, simple rubber sailing boots (eg Gill) might make the most sense.
- But if you’re aiming for ocean cruising or night sailing, best to invest in something that will keep you toasty warm and dry. Warm and dry means focused and healthy in the long run. Nothing worse than freezing feet sloshing in your boots – no good has ever come of it…
How much should you spend? ‘Imagine that you are cold and wet at night and still have hours to go. (Then) ask yourself then how much you would spend to be warm and dry. My advice is buy the best gear you can afford.’ – VGWS1, replying to ’Foul weather gear – clueless as what to buy’ post, Sailnet
Taking care of your boots
‘I would suggest, that if you are buying boots for sailing that you don’t want to wear them walking around town. Your foot wear for the boat should be reserved for the boat. Walking around the street with them will only wear them out faster and make you loose traction.’
– Sailortjk1, replying to ‘Marine Rubber Boots’ post, Sailnet
Sample Pricing
These are the prices* I could find today at the websites of major chandleries on each side of the pond. This is just a baseline price trawl for rough budget estimating purposes. Here we go…
Some Ballpark Price Checks in the USA
westmarine.com
- Dubarry Ultima Stretch Boots $399.00 (£255)
- Dubarry Men’s Newport Boots $329.00 (£210)
- Helly Hansen Men’s Helly Welly Sailing Boots $199.99 (£128)
- Gill Men’s Tall Yachting Boots $79.95 (£51)
- Sperry Topsider Women’s Rain Cloud Boots $74.99 (£48)
- West Marine Tall Cruising Boots $64.99 (£42)
- West Marine Short Cruising Boots $59.99 (£38)
- Gill Short Performance Sailing Boots $59.95 (£38)
Defender.com
- Gill Men’s Kevlar Boat Boots $295.00 (£188)
- Gill Men’s Leather Sailing Boots $269.00 (£172)
- Sperry Foul Weather Boat Boot $79.99 (£51)
- Gill Tall Yachting Boot $79.95 (£51)
- Gill Short Cruising Boat Boot $59.95 (£38)
BoatersWorld.com
- Musto HPX Ocean Gore-Tex Black Boot $418.94 (£268)
- Gill Tall Yachting Graphite Boots $97.94 (£63)
- Gill Short Yachting Boot $78.89 (£50)
Some Ballpark Price Checks in the UK
sailingclothingstore.co.uk
- Dubarry Ultima Boots £239.95 ($376)
- Henri Lloyd Shadow Boot £169.95 ($266)
- Sebago Marine Squall Sailing Boot £149.95 ($234)
- Gill Tall Yachting Boot £49.95 ($78)
- Gill Short Cruising Boot £32.95 ($52)
force4.co.uk
- Dubarry Ultima Sailing Boot £239.95 ($376)
- Gill Breathable Leather Boots £189.95 ($297)
- Gill Breathable Kevlar & Leather Boots £189.95 ($297)
- Quayside Biscay Sailing Yacht Boot in Navy/Brown £119.95 ($188)
- Quayside Ocean Sailing Boots £89.95 ($141)
- Gill Tall Yachting Boot £49.95 ($78)
- Musto Classic (Full Length) Boot £39.95 ($63)
- Gill Short Cruising Boot £37.95 ($59)
marinesuperstore.com
- Dubarry Ultima Gore-Tex Stretch £239.95 ($376)
- Dubarry Newport Boots £169.95 ($266)
- Dubarry Fastnet Gore-Tex Boots £149.95 ($235)
- Henri Lloyd Shadow Boot £129.95 ($203)
- Quayside Biscay Sailing Boots £99.95 ($157)
- Gil Tall Boot £44.95 ($70)
- Gill Short Boot £29.95 ($47)
oceanleisure.co.uk
- Dubarry Ultima Boots £239.00 ($374)
- Dubarry Gore-Tex Newport Deck Boots £195.00 ($305)
- Henri Lloyd Ocean Extreme Boots £195.00 ($305)
- Sebago Marine Squall Men’s £160.00 ($250)
- Gill Tall Yachting Boots £50.00 ($78)
- Henri Lloyd Deck Boot £45.00 ($70)
- Gill Short Cruising Boots £33.00 ($52)
Observations
Pricing
Not much to choose between US and UK prices. $5 here or £5 there is not enough to cross an ocean for.
Sizes
Lots of choice in boots for men on both sides of the pond. Nearly nothing in women’s sizes in the US that’s designed for cruising or ocean. And there’s no cat-sized boots anywhere.
No wonder so many wives refuse to cruise. There’s no equipment for them. Nothing worse than freezing and sliding around on a boat. At best it’s nasty. At worst, it can get you killed.
The UK seems to stock more (as in any choice at all) in women’s sizes. The sailingclothingstore.co.ukat Cowes is a good place to start.
Dubarry or not dubarry, that is the question…
Checking out the forums (sailnet, cruisers forum, cruiser log), it looks like anyone who didn’t buy Dubarrys is adamant that they get along just fine without.
And anyone who did buy them claims to be ecstatic that they did. Guess we’ll just have to do in-the-shop research next and see how it goes…
Next steps
So. We’re off to take the Can Opener shopping, to put some good boots on his feet and let him take ‘em for a spin.
From the online research above, I’m guessing that we’ll probably go with some Sebago Squalls or the Dubarry Fastnet boots – both about £150 ($235). But fit is all-important.
We’ll update the outcome is another post. Who knows? I might feel generous that day… Naaahh.
What kind of deck boots do you have? How’re they holding up? Would you buy this brand/model again?
–Captain Cat
(transcribed by the Can Opener)
Update: I went with the Dubarry Altimas in the end. The Can Opener’s a good bloke and I decided he deserves warm feet.
* Since sales tax varies by state in the US (from 0% to 7.25%), sales taxes for the US prices are not included. However, for the UK prices, VAT is included already in the price. (VAT in the UK is 20%. But if you buy in the UK and then export to your country of residence, you can claim this back.)
Safety Gear
Next: Carrying Self-Inflating Life Jackets on Planes
Previously: Life Jackets – How Much Does Safety Cost?
The Cruising Kitty 