Clothing has to cope with salt water, fish slime and constant wet. Crews also take pride in their boat, and branded hoodies and jackets with a vessel name are a fishing tradition.
Wet, cold and salt on deck
Deck crews rely on heavy-duty oilskins and bib and brace waterproofs for the worst of the spray. Underneath, warm, wicking layers keep them going through long hauls: thermal base layers, thick socks and a warm fleece or hoodie.
UK rules expect crew to wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device on the open deck, so check current MCA guidance and your vessel's safety procedures. Your clothing must not interfere with them, so avoid bulky layers that stop a lifejacket fitting properly.
Fish docks, auctions and processors
Ashore, fish dock and market workers handle ice, boxes and pallets on wet floors in the cold. Safety wellingtons with grip and toe protection are essential, along with waterproof aprons and thermal layers.
Processors follow food hygiene rules: hair covers, white coats or tunics, and clothing that stays on site. Forklifts and lorries on the dock mean hi-vis is often required.
Boat names and crew pride
Crew hoodies, beanies and jackets with the vessel name and port registration number are a long-standing tradition. They help crews recognise each other ashore, and they make popular gifts for families.
Embroidery on hoodies and beanies lasts through salt and repeated washing far better than cheap print. Order a few extra in smaller sizes, as partners and children usually want one too, and a fleet with several boats can use one design with each vessel name swapped in.
Where to put your logo
For crews, embroidery is the way to go: the vessel name and port number stitched on the left chest of hoodies and beanies, with a larger design across the back of a hoodie for the full boat look. It survives salt and hard washing. For fish docks and processors, keep a small embroidered logo on coats and polos, and print on hi-vis in the fluorescent area only, away from reflective tape. Boat silhouettes need simple outlines to stitch well. Check the spelling of every boat name on the proof before we stitch.
Ordering for fishing industry and trawler crews
Most fishing industry and trawler crews start with thermal base layers, waterproof jackets and safety wellingtons. You can order from one garment and add more as you take people on. The logo price drops at 9 and again at 25 garments, and every garment with a small logo counts towards it, so mixing styles and colours still gets the better price. Before anything is made, we embroider an actual sample of your logo and email you a photo to approve, or you can pop in to our Hull workshop to see it.
