Date: 28 August 2017. What to Wear.

© janice142
 

I remember before I bought Seaweed I spent what now seems like an inordinate amount of time worrying about what I would wear. Surprise, surprise: I wear mostly what I wore ashore. Here are the details about what is the same and what differs for me since living aboard my boat.
 

As you can see, I wear long sleeved white shirts. Often the cuffs are rolled up. They are usually $2 or $3 at a thrift store. A stack of a half dozen keeps me tidy. The shirts are an easy solution for me. There is no decision to be made. I wear the top shirt and that's that. Easy.
 

When the shirts get stained I chop them up into rags. It's nice to have a stack of disposable work cloths. Those blue paper shop towels are expensive. Shirts are free. I do try to get my money's worth out of items.
 

Waste not, want not. Being frugal means I can afford to splurge on other
things that please me such as iced coffee from McDonald's. I love that.
 

Of course I save the buttons off my shirts. That is a family tradition.

I do use the buttons on occasion. Mostly I keep them "just in case" because Mother and both my grandmothers had button boxes. A while back I showed you my fish. Each uses either two or four buttons. I wrote about the felt fishes in the Red Fish, Green Fish (visual clues) article.
 

Online friend Pam made a pair of fish:

The less complication in my life the happier I am. Not having to chose what to wear is a part of that. A white shirt is my uniform of sorts. Paired with a skirt and I'm all set for almost any activity on land.
 

There are differences in my attire now versus when I lived ashore. I never buy anything that takes a long time to dry. I want everything to line dry inside quickly. Heavy fabrics take too long to dry.

Because of my upbringing aboard our 40'er, I do not hang laundry outside to dry. I remember Mother saying lots of not so nice words when sailors would run their skivvies up the halyards to dry in the breeze. It did look tacky. I realize that washing clothes is a part of life at anchor however I keep my clothes inside while drying.
 

Hanging clothes and my towel inside Seaweed also prevents fading. The sun can be brutal to fabrics so keeping them protected and out of direct sunlight means my items will last longer.
 

Seaweed is anchored off Ellison's in Steinhatchee. TJ, pictured above, is quite a successful fisherman.

When anchored in front of someone's home or business I want Seaweed to look shipshape. This is a matter of pride. A boat that looks spiffy is more likely to have a better reception ashore. TJ was always nice and of course polite. His family owns Ellison's Fishery in Steinhatchee.
 

STEINHATCHEE ↓ is on the Gulf coast of Florida.

Looking like a laundry with clothes and unmentionables fluttering in the wind is not the image I wish to display. Instead I hang my clothes down below. A small fan blowing on them dries everything within a few hours. I have three hangers for blouses. A few clothespins allows me to easily secure my skirts to the hangers.

My shower towel is thin and dries fast. Heavy towels can mildew if drying is delayed. In a humid environment having items that will dry rapidly is important.
 

When I have not washed my hair I use a smaller flamingo hand towel to dry off.

As for clothing when away from a dock, well, frankly at anchor I do not wear much. Generally I chose a thin silken nightie. Down here in Florida it gets hot. A light weight nightgown keeps me covered. From a distance it looks like a dress. I learned long ago (hi Moonlight Sue!) that a champagne nightgown looks like an almost naked person from a distance. Oops!!!
 

It is easy to quickly add a wrap around skirt when stepping outside the boat. Simply by donning a white shirt I can be fully appropriate before someone is close to Seaweed. Folks are usually kind enough to call on the VHF radio before stopping by.

Popping in is not endearing. Always call on VHF Channel 16 before visiting.

The are several reasons why I opted for silky nightgowns when at anchor. They are cool. At thrift stores I can get a real pretty one for a couple of dollars. This appeals to my budget. The main reason however is that the nighties dry so quickly.
 

 

Ashore I was concerned with wrinkles. Though we had a drier at Kidlet's house, I was always motivated to find clothes that would not come out of the machine a wrinkled mess.
 

I have been a thrift store shopper for decades. I can afford the reduced prices charged for used items. Also I know that if a shirt or skirt is wrinkled on the hanger at a bargain store, it will be that way at home too. Ironing is only for my quilting blocks and even then... well, I would rather not!
 

How to test for wrinkles: Grab a fistful of fabric and squeeze. It the cloth remains creased, pass that one by. The item will always look rumpled.

For me, wearing a full skirt means I can easily get on and off Seaweed without showing a thing. Fabric is my friend. A skirt is cooler than tight shorts or pants too. Plus I like them. Wrap a skirt around and voila: dressed for success.
 

Edwin and I ↑ went to the American Legion to celebrate the successful completion of an engine rebuild.
He was a miracle worker for my neighbor. And Edwin showed up when he said he would. I know, shocking!!!

Wearing skirts means I can basically go anywhere and be appropriately dressed. I believe my attire suggests that I respect both myself and others. In turn I receive some of the best customer service in the world. Folks truly are wonderful.
 

I am so blessed to be able to live this life. My dreams have come true.

To you and yours, don't worry overmuch about attire. Whatever you wear will be fine. Still for some clues as to what I prefer, you may find the If the Deck Shoe Fits article of interest.
 

Happy cruising.
 

What is your normal boat outfit when at anchor?
And, when going to shore what do you wear?
 

COMMENTS:
 

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