Oilskin

Oilskin jacket (left) and high trousers (right). Note the high-visibility hood on the jacket and the shoulder straps on the trousers.

Oilskin referred originally to a type of fabric - canvas with, literally, a skin of oil applied to it as waterproofing, often Linseed oil. These days, oilskins or oilies means the foul-weather gear worn by sailors, made of modern and often quite advanced fabrics.

Although a few all-in-one suits are available, most sailors prefer the flexibility of a separate jacket and trousers. The trousers are very high-cut to provide a large overlap with the jacket and prevent water entering through the join. It is common in moderate weather, however, to wear only the trousers (as in the right of the photo) and their high cut then provides wind and water protection to the lower part of the torso. Shoulder straps are provided to hold the trousers up. Straps around the bottom of the trouser legs allow them to be tightened around sea-boots, providing a semi-watertight join. While this does not allow them to be used like fishing waders, a wave sweeping briefly across the deck will generally not penetrate. All but the cheapest oilskin trousers will be reinforced across the seat and the knees.

Oilskin jackets are similar in many ways to waterproofs used for walking. The most visible difference is that they usually have a much higher collar intended to keep out spray, and in many cases to warm the ears or even the whole head! A fold-away hood will be provided, almost always in a high-visibility colour since the head will be the only part showing above the water if the sailor should be lost overboard. Retro-reflective patches on the shoulders are often provided for the same reason. The cuffs of better jackets include an inner seal, something like that on a drysuit, to prevent water getting in if a wave is forced up the sleeve. This is less important in walking jackets since the arms usually point downwards away from the rain anyway.

Pockets on trousers and jackets are often lined with a synthetic fleece material designed to be quick-drying and warm even when soaked. Most sailing consists of bursts of hard work between periods of relative inactivity; hunched up with hands in pockets is a common pose in bad weather during the inactive parts, and soft linings help keep the hands warm. A recent innovation is removable soft linings, enabling them to be washed after the inevitable melted mars bar.

Some oilskin jackets include built-in harnesses; typically just a strap around the chest, to which a lifeline can be clipped during very bad weather. This avoids the need to wear a separate harness, though since modern separate harnesses include lifejackets this may not be a good idea. In any case, more expensive jackets may act as a lifejacket as well. A few jackets contain equipment like lights, flares and EPIRBs too.

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