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  • Home
  • Crew Advice
  • PODCAST
  • Sailing Kit
    • Online Store
    • Pre-Used Kit
    • Kit Reviews
  • FAQs
  • Contact

Online Tutorials available on Zoom™ !

25/1/2021

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We are now offering online Zoom tutorials for those looking to improve their sailing skillset. We can cover any topic, either on a Q&A stream or a topic-specific tutorial. 

​Alternatively, visit our sister website, FREE SAILING TUTORIALS, for free weekly videos on all things sailing.
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Packing for your Race Leg

1/6/2020

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This is a video recording of our first monthly webinar broadcast on our Fierce Turtle Facebook page. We hold a webinar on the last Saturday of each month. 

Kit Advice presentation.mov from Mark Burkes on Vimeo.

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How to pack your Ocean Sleepwear Bag for Travel

16/3/2019

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I recently came across a post on a #ClipperCrew what's app group.  Thanks Keith for the tip!  You can buy a vacuum pump and various bags for just over a tenner on Amazon and the result is that packing your Ocean Sleepwear bag just got a whole lot more manageable!
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How to Organise your Kit Below Deck

29/1/2019

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CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW AMAZON REVIEWS

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Kit Review | Le Chameau Neptune

29/1/2019

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Kit Review | Sunderland Sleeping Bag

29/1/2019

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If you are training in the UK between October and April, I seriously suggest you consider buying one of these warm, fleece-lined sleeping bags. The Volvo Ocean bag is brilliant, but about 5 x the price of this bag.

The Sutherland bag can be ordered on Amazon and delivered in the UK. They sell for about £60 at the time of writing.
VIEW ON AMAZON
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Kit Review | Ocean Sleepwear Bag

29/1/2019

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What to Pack for a Cold Race Leg?

28/1/2019

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In this short video I discuss what you should be thinking about packing for a cold ocean leg. In this context, I consider Cold Ocean Legs to be Legs 2, 3 , 4, 6 and Leg 8.

Fierce Turtle (Packing for Training)   : http://bit.ly/PackingListfortraining
Check Out our Classified Pages for pre-used kit:
​https://www.fierceturtle.co.uk/pre-used-kit

Le Chameau Boots:  http://bit.ly/sailingboots
Ocean Sleeping Bag Hire: http://bit.ly/oceansleepingbag
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A great Shoe for Hot Race Legs!

24/3/2018

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On hot legs wearing boots (or even deck shoes) aren't practical. You need to have ventilated feet - but bare foot on deck isn't an option. It's just too industrial an environment.
Many crew us crocs for below deck, but on deck I think you have to go a long way to beat the Keen sandal / shoe. It is ventilated and has a closed toe, protecting you from all the hazards on deck.
View on Amazon
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KIT REVIEW | Ocean Sleepwear Marine Sleeping Bag

11/3/2018

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The Ocean Sleepwear Bag costs a big chunk of change. Is it worth it? This brief video shows you what you get. We hire bags for training or the race and you can find pre-used bags in the classified ads section.
HIRE SHOP
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A 'fast access' Dry Bag - for my essential deck kit.

10/3/2018

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If you are interested in any of the items in my essential deck kit dry bag, ​click here
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Fleece-lined sleeping bag Review - Save £££s!!

10/3/2018

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Keeping warm at sea is very important, especially on long, cold high latitude races such as Legs 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 of the Clipper Race. The last week of Leg 5 is also very very cold!

​A warm sleeping bag is a must-have for sailors doing a 'cold ocean'. Here, we review the budget option - The Mountain Warehouse Sutherland Sleeping Bag.
View product on Amazon
If you'd like to receive reviews and crew tips and tricks, be sure to subscribe for our monthly newsletter or podcast.

​We'll be reviewing the Ocean Sleepwear bag soon. We also hire the Ocean bag for crew looking to try it out during training. Click here for details.
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KIT REVIEW | Le Chameau Neptune

15/2/2018

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Subscribe to Fierce Turtle for Member Discounts
Discount Codes
The Neptune is the top of the range sailing boot from Le Chameau stable. Le Chameau is well known for its high-end boots and the Neptune does not disappoint.
 
The boot is made from rubber. It is robust and extremely hardwearing. It has a thick sole to reduce loss of heat through conductivity, it has an excellent all-grip sole, gaiters to prevent leakage and water ingress and a thick neoprene lining to ensure you have warm feet even on the coldest night watch.

Fierce Turtle sell the Le Chameau Neptune. Register with us for a significant member-only discount offered throughout the year.
 
The RRP is £315. Needless to say, we do a much better price for Clipper Crew. 
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What are the best boots for high Latitude Sailing?

9/2/2018

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Volvo Ocean Race - Southern Ocean
Sailing in the Southern Ocean in Summer is a tough old gig, even for the pros on The Volvo Ocean Race. It seems no coincidence that so many use the Le Chameau Neptune boot for the really tough, cold race legs.

Click here for our review of the Le Chameau Neptune. Clipper Crew can claim 15% OFF the Le Chameau Neptune if purchased in February 2018.

The DISCOUNT CODE is WARMFEET.  Just enter the code at checkout.

Sail safe.
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How to keep warm at Sea | Use the right Kit!

17/12/2016

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​Keeping warm at sea is just a matter of preparation and attention to detail.

Of course, on some of the warmer legs, such as leg 1, leg 7 and much of leg 5, keeping warm on board is not a problem. In fact, dealing with 40+ degree temperatures and high levels of humidity below deck is the biggest challenge. If you want to read more on these warmer legs and how to keep cool, click here.

In my experience, staying warm requires that you look after yourself by eating well, staying active and staying as dry as possible and as well insulated as possible. Staying active on the race is rarely a big problem but there is an art to choosing the correct clothing for the conditions.

On a very cold night at sea, when it's wet and rough, with water over the deck (and the crew), staying dry and warm without overheating when busy changing sails, can be tricky. The start of a watch might have you thinking you are under-dressed, and feeling the bitter cold and yet 30 minutes later you might be sweating profusely having just dragged the yankee 1 down the deck, battling against sea state and gale force winds.

Understanding the best way to layer is therefore important.  For a cold ocean, you should be dressed as follows;
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Base Layer (keeps you 'unmoist')

​The base layer is critical. It needs to be breathable and comfortable. Worn close to the skin it should 'wick' moisture away when you are wet or sweating. Being quick drying, it's normal to sleep in your base layers which will dry in your sleeping bag.

Base layers should be made of specialist synthetic material that is treated to resist bacteria or made up of merino wool, which is comfortable, wicks well and is largely odor resistant. Bamboo and Icebreaker are well known base layer brands. You should have both jockey shorts and long johns for when it gets really cold.

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Mid Layer (Keeps you warm)

​The mid layer is designed to work in conjunction with the base layer. The mid layer is usually fleece-lined and might comprise under-salopettes and an insulated, wind-proof jacket. These are worn under the outer shell of your waterproofs.

In addition to the midlayers you will probably want a warm polartec fleece top to go under your midlayer jacket.

Various brands worth considering include; Henri Lloyd (the race sponsor), Musto, Helly Hansen, Gill and Zhik.

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Outer Shell (Keeps you dry-ish)

​In the past, this has been provided by the race sponsor and it comprises a hard-wearing, gore tex, waterproof outer layer comprising a smock jacket and salopettes. 

For warmer legs, a lightweight, spray and wind resistant jacket is worth having too. Again, this has usually been provided by the race sponsor.

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Sailing Boots (the best you can afford)

​Keeping the extremeties warm is half the battle on a night watch. Cold, wet feet are really miserable, so making sure you have a good qaulity sailing boot is critical for the cold ocean.

I have no doubt that the best deep ocean sailing boot is the handmade Le Chameau Neptune. It really is a great boot. It's robust, stands up very well against the abrasive non-slip decks of the Clipper boats and they keep your feet warm and dry. They also have built in gaiters - a must for a waterproof footwear solution.

Other brands include Dubarry Ultima (wide calf is good for those with wide calves!) and Dubarry Crosshaven, Zhik, Henri Lloyd and Musto. But the Le Chameau is the best for cold oceans. You can hire a pair for as little as £45 per race leg! Click here for details.

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Socks and Shoes

​Boots should be worn with a mid-weight thermal sock (preferably merino wool). I found it useful to wear a thinner liner sock under the thermal sock which meant the liner could be changed regularly to keep smell to a minimum! 

If you use a lesser boot then its worth considering some pairs of Sealskinz breathable, waterproof socks which will help keep your feet warm and drier in a wet boot.

In addition to your boots you should have some quick drying, synthetic deck shoes (again to help stop the smell) and some below deck shoes if possible - Crocks (yuk!) and various other brands are worth considering. Some sort of closed-toed sandal is worth having for deck and below deck. 

For keeping your feet fresh, wet wipe washes and tea tree oil are excellent.

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Hats and Balaclavas

​Your head needs to be protected against the sun (in the tropics) and the cold at night. 

I suggest a soft, wide-brimmed sun hat that is well ventilated, with a head strap, a baseball cap or peaked thermal cap (helps to keep your outer shell's hood in shape when it is cold and raining) and a couple of warm thermal beanies. Sealskinz make waterproof ones that work well. You lose a huge amount of heat through your head.

For legs 3 and 6 in particular (and the last week of leg 5) a fleece-lined balaclava is well worth considering. It really keeps the rain out and massively reduces wind chill on a cold head and neck.

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Gloves

Gloves are a personal preference. I very rarely use them as line handling is tricky and I think they can cause more problems than they are worth as they always get wet and can get caught in winches, etc.

However, when it's really cold, a warm pair of mittens and merino wool liner-gloves can work well when you are on the rail and doing nothing. Sometimes it is so cold in the high latitudes that you need gloves, especially when on the wheel for long periods of time.

For helming, marigolds worn under mittens works quite well or buy some heavy duty rubber, fleece-lined meat packers gloves or fishermen's gloves. They are probably the best for the roaring forties and the North Pacific - and the cold beat into Qingdao too.

Some might consider moisturising hand cream worthwhile - frankly, my hands are too rough to consider worth saving!

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Other Kit worth Having

​Once you have the right kit, wear it properly. Always make sure the outer shell is properly done up with all rubber gaskets, sleeves and ankles properly closed. 

Buy a couple of snoods for your neck. They work really well and stop cold air (and sea water) going down your collar at the beginning of a 4 hour nightwatch! I also used to pull it over my eyes on a middday off-watch to keep the light out and aid my sleep.

Some people swore by chemical hand warmers, but I never used them and having a small hot water bottle for warming or drying your sleeping bag and aiding in the drying process is worth consdiering. 

If you are doing a cold leg or you're a round the worlder, I thoroughly recommend a purpose-built marine sleeping bag such as Gauss Marine or Ocean Sleepwear.

Also, make sure you take a synthetic pillow and case to stop mould and to allow a wet head to be rested on it every 4 hours.

Finally, if you are doing a cold ocean, it's worth considering a dry suit. Going overboard in a cold ocean is going to give you a very limited survival time. A dry suit will extend this. 
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Packing List for Level 1 Training

17/12/2016

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This is my suggested packing list for Level 1 Training.
suggested_packing_list___l1_by_fierce_turtle.pdf
File Size: 591 kb
File Type: pdf
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  • ​1 x Kit Bag (We suggest your bag is no more than 90 litres and should be soft - not a suitcase! You shouldn't be filling a 90L bag! 70 litres is a good size and should also do you for the race. A bag with rucksack straps makes for easier travelling when on foot or transferring from airports, etc. Waterproof is a good idea - but certainly not essential. A separate zipped up area for laundry is useful).
  • 1 x Washbag (If it has a hook to hang it up in the showers ashore, so much the better. Consider packing breath mints and aerosol deodorant. Even if you don't need the breath mints you can always offer them to more needy souls and aerosol deodorant is known in the industry as 'a shower in a can' and, apparently, a 'pommy shower' if you are a 'colonial type'...)
  • 1 x Towel (A chamois style travel towel makes for a less smelly environment below decks! Remember, there may be 12 on board - and 20+ on the race itself).
  • 2 x Clothes pegs (For airing out towel on deck - saves it blowing away).
  • 1 x Sleeping Bag (Again synthetic is best but for L1 Training a warm sleeping bag of any type will be fine.  There are specialist marine sleeping bags on the market). 
  • 1 x Pillow  A synthetic is best. Down will absorb moisture and mould.
  • 1 x Woolie Hat / Polartec Beanie / Sealskinz waterproof beanie
  • 1 x Sun Hat    We do have sun in the UK sometimes! When it is sunny, a sun hat is useful. As with skiing, the sun on water intensifies the effect.
  • 1 x Sun Cream x 1 factor 50+
  • 1 x Lip Salve x 1 with UV protection
  • 1 x Sunglasses if you wear glasses it's worth considering prescription lenses. Also some 'croakies' to keep them on your head!
  • 6 x pairs underwear for training, nothing special. For the race I recommend merino wool. Icebreaker are good. I used 5 x pairs for RTW. A pair a week..! They are quick drying, comfortable, don't 'bunch' when wet (when you get a wet bum on the rail) and they resist odour well. Which is good.
  • 6 x pairs of Socks    A medium weight ski sock plus normal cotton socks are fine for training. Merino wool socks and a pair of Sealskinz are useful for the race.
  • 6 x T Shirts / Base Layer Tops.  For training cotton T Shirts are fine but synthetic fast-wicking shirts (base layers) are essential for the race. Bamboo and icebreaker make good base layers. Henri Lloyd, Musto, Gill and various other brands (including non-sailing brands) will also suffice.
  • 1 or 2 x pairs quick drying Trousers    A pair of walking or hiking trousers will work well and if they zip down to shorts - all the better.
  • 1 x pair shorts (in summer). Again, synthetic material is fast wicking and best.
  • 2 x Fleece tops (One lightweight and one heavy weight for the winter months and night sailing).
  • 1 x Lightweight waterproof jacket (Your Clipper Lightweight is perfect)
  • 1 x Casual Shirt & Trousers  (In case you get to go to the pub..)
  • 1 x pair of sailing Boots (In our opinion, by far the best best boots for cold legs and RTW crew are Le Chameau Neptune. They are warm, dry, bullet proof tough and do a great job!) Consider hiring a pair for training. If you subsequently buy or hire a pair for the race we'll give you back 50% of the hire fee you paid for training!
  • 1 x Passport (In case you get boarded by Border Patrol)
  • Seasickness medication / remedy (if you suffer)
  • 1 x pair of Deck Shoes (Trainers are OK for training if you are on a budget but in that case bring spares in case they get wet!)
  • 1 x Head Torch with a red lens. (Especially useful on L2 onwards  for night passages).
  • Next of Kin Details
  • 1 x Clipper Training Wet Notes (Ask the office for them).
  • Make sure Clipper have all your paperwork & you've paid !
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Other useful stuff to consider:
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  • 1 or 2 pairs of Gloves (As a regular sailor, my hands are pretty tough, but some like having a pair of sailing gloves to protect them from calouses, etc. A pair of sailing gloves with chamois/leather palms and fingerless tips is useful for this and still allows rope handling. For cold hands, consider warm, waterproof mittens, although nothing works great in the depths of the Southern Ocean, except, perhaps, rubber frozen meat packers gloves). For most conditions, Sealskinz winter mittens will do a good job, especially when worn with merino wool under-mittens.
  • Knee pads - for sliding around on the foredeck in rough weather - spinlock are good.
  • 1 x Sailing Safety Knife (Handy but not essential L1. We recommend the Gerber EZ Knife - with blunt nose. It's blunt ended (so you don't stab anyone) but has a very effective and super sharp cutting blade which is needed if you have to cut the rope (spectra core) on a Clipper yacht. Lanyard it to your life jacket so you don't lose it.
  • 1 x Multi tool (Handy but not essential L1). The Gerber is good value, or the Leatherman Wave is the industry standard. The knife on a multi-tool isn't really good enough to cut thick spectra in a hurry - hence the safety knife.
  • 1 x Dry Bag (5L or 10L dry bag is useful for organising stuff. Use a mini carabiner and clip it to your bunk and use as a place to keep your deck stuff - like knife, headtorch, etc.
  • 1 x Snood / Buff / Scarf  (Great for keeping your neck insulated - acts as a gasket and stops water going down your neck!).
  • Ear Plugs (To combat the snorers)!
  • 1 x Note Book and pen (For making notes at the end of the day).
  • 1 x RYA Sailing Logbook & Syllabus Useful and needed for logging personal miles if you continue sailing and want qualifications later.
  • Next of Kin Details
  • Personal Insurance
  • Sudocrem cream (for the race) - yachtie botty
  • Wet wipes (small pack) in case you go offshore overnight (your personal hygeine saviour).
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    The Author

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    The Author (centre kneeling)
    Mark Burkes is a former Clipper Race Skipper, Round the World Crew, Clipper Training Skipper & jobbing RYA Yachtmaster Instructor (Ocean). He has over 200,000 miles logged.

    Mark also writes professionally both online and offline and has written for Yachting World.

    Fierce Turtle is not linked to nor is it in any way accredited by the splendid folk at Clipper Ventures. All opinion is our own.

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