Taking the Nip Out of Flies
Sailors who assume mosquitoes are the pastime’s main insect issue clearly haven’t experienced biting flies. Mosquitoes primarily come out at night, the wind keeps them off, and they won’t cross much open water. Biting flies, on the other hand, will find you miles from shore, in a breeze, at any time of day. They’ll stay with the boat, are undeterred by DEET, and will bite right through your clothes.
I did a little internet digging, looking for alternatives that might be worth testing, and came across a paper by the USDA Agricultural Research Service, published by the National Institutes of Health, regarding the effectiveness and safety of catnip oil on stable flies. In the words of the lead USDA research entomologist, Junwei J. Zhu: “Catnip oil and its active compounds—nepetalactones—are powerful repellents against stable flies. Catnip is probably the best repellent identified including DEET and DMP so far, for flies that bite.”
While I couldn’t identify anyone marketing catnip spray as a fly repellent, that didn’t stop me from picking up a bottle at the local pet store and giving it a summer-long trial on the Chesapeake Bay. It has a mild herbal odor, sprays and spreads easily, is non-irritating to the skin, and washes off easily. Unlike DEET, it is harmless to plastics; I soaked samples of common boat materials in it, including soft vinyl window materials, which DEET melts on contact. While it only repels the flies for about 30 to 60 minutes, it’s instantly effective, and you can spray it on your legs with one hand while steering with the other. (To my relief, even though our cat is a serious catnip junkie, he showed no interest in either my legs or clothes after use.)
This isn’t some naturalist appeal for sustainable solutions. I’m a chemical engineer, and if there were a synthetic concoction that did the job better, I’d be recommending that. I’m a big believer in the effectiveness and safety of DEET—especially for mosquitoes—but for flies, catnip has proven better for me while sailing, as well as to the USDA for protecting livestock. An 8-ounce bottle from Petco costs about $9. It has earned a place by the helm.
Happy Feet
My new-to-me boat is a sporty, open-transom F-24 trimaran, and if we slow down too quickly, the stern wave can sweep the cockpit ankle-deep. That’s fine in summertime, but when I’m cold-weather sailing, the one thing I hate is cold feet. Wetsuit socks just leak and are barely warmer than fleece; wetsuit boots crush my feet. Dinghy boots are hard to pull on and lack any support, big-boat boots are clunky, and deck shoes are designed to drain water, not repel it. The answer? Waterproof socks.
They have less stretch than conventional socks, so read the sizing chart, but they stretch enough and are woven from thick, comfortable knits. Get the winter versions with a merino wool liner; you don’t want to launder a sock with a membrane every wearing, and wool reduces odor. Dry them on a boot drier (see “Hung Out to Dry,” May/June 2022). Mid-calf is better than boot height in most weather, unless you’ll be wading or so wet you are concerned about wicking up your mid-layer. They don’t breathe as well as ordinary socks, but after 10 hours in the 50s and 60s, they are just slightly clammy. And, they add wind resistance to deck shoes.
Randy Sun cold-weather waterproof socks are the bargain. The merino liner makes them surprisingly warm, and the $26 price tag is easy to take. The Gill waterproof Boot Sock ($57) is the bomb for really cold weather, keeping you dry right up to your knees, but they’re overkill above 55°F, depending on your thermostat. The Showers Pass Crosspoint Mountain Sock was comfortable, but not quite as warm as the Gill Boot Sock and a little pricey at $45. Sealskinz waterproof socks are good but can’t compete on price ($50 for mid-calf). A dockmate suggested DexShell Hytherm Pro Socks, but I haven’t worn them. His only complaint was that they weren’t boot height ($46).
I switch from fleece to waterproof socks as soon as the leaves start to change. I start with Randy Sun Cold Weather Socks and switch to Gill Boot Socks when it gets colder, adding a thin layer underneath for freezing spray sort of days. I don’t care if the water rolls in deep, and I even wade ashore from my kayak, oblivious to the cold.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
