Seasickness Questions?

[Gelfling]

My son in law will only get seasick while at anchor in calm water......I think it is a lack of air flow that might cause it.

I won't get sick......but I always loose my appetite. I sometimes think going full time cruiser might be answer to dropping these last 15 pounds. (Fast food not being so available could only help this process.)

[MarkJ]

Sitting on deck, or below, bored is a harbringer of sea sickness.
Get the bratts working! Scrub the decks! A bit of lash with have the boat clean! Theres no such thing as sea sickness with a cat 'o nine tails

[denverd0n]

First, you shouldn't assume that anyone is going to get seasick. Some people do. Some people don't. Some people get it bad. Some people get it only very mildly. Some people are completely knocked out by it. Some people pause briefly to heave over the side and then get on with what they were doing. You just have to wait and see how and/or when each individual is affected.

As for cures, that, too, is completely individual. Some people are helped by stugeron. Some people are not. Some people are helped by ginger. Some people are not. You just have try different things and see what works for each individual.

Personally, I find that meclizine helps me, although it won't prevent seasickness completely. The good news--again, for me personally--is that I'm one of those who is not incapacitated by seasickness; I feel it coming on, lean over the side, vomit, wipe off my chin, and get back to whatever I was doing.

As Admiral Lord Nelson of the British Navy once said, the only sure cure for seasickness is two hours spent sitting under a tree.

[Hud3]

And some people who always got seasick, even on the boat in the slip, suddenly aren't afflicted any more (my wife's experience).

And vice versa, a good friend who sailed many offshore and coastal miles without being bothered by mal de mer, suddenly became susceptible.

[eyschulman]

If you or any of your 5 get really sea sick you might want to change your mind about sailing off into the sunset. A cottage by a calm lake with a day boat would then be in order. I no longer want to go in big water since I have been badly sick twice. When I was younger I went through a North Atlantic hurricane with 60 foot seas during a coastguard rescue operation and did not get sick. Once you get really sick you won't ever want to do it again. Now I sail and power in the northwest and avoid big waves or rolling(no bottom fishing). It would be best if you first find out if you or your children get sick it would be cruel torture to subject them to that misery.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by eyschulman

If you or any of your 5 get really sea sick you might want to change your mind about sailing off into the sunset.
......
Once you get really sick you won't ever want to do it again.

Not universal. I have seen people with severe seasickness/airsickness eagerly persist over and over if they have a passion for the sport.

Make sure they sip fluids frequently if they are throwing up. Kids get dehydrated easily.

[bobconnie]

GG, I can't speak personaly about sea sickness, but one of our girls (out of 3) was always sick the first 2 or 3 days ar sea when ever we stayed at a dock, or ashore for even a day or 2 ! altho she was pretty uncomfortable during those 2 or 3 days, she always said it was worth it to be cruiseing to somewhere new ! The other 3 kids where like me, unsickable! LOl Connie sometimes in really heavey weather gets a little uggie! but not really sick! Some folks really get SICK !! I had to return to port once (3 days out) to return a friend to solid footing! he was that sick, so I guess it depends on the person! So I think I would do some heavy boating with the kids to see what ya got going on with this !! Just my 2 cents

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by eyschulman

Once you get really sick you won't ever want to do it again.

Everyone reacts differently. Some get really, really, REALLY sick, but are still willing to keep going out, and eventually get past it.

The first time I ever got seasick I was SICK! I was heaving continuously for hours, and couldn't keep any solid food down for two days. I eventually got past that, though, and after about the fourth day felt just fine. Now, when I get sick, it is a quick vomit over the side and back to work.

Again, any generalized statements are going to be wrong for at least as many people as they are right for. Everyone reacts differently.

[Teknav]

Whenever you sail, bring aboard a lot of lemons and limes. Chilled, freshly made, lemonade are great to have after a stomach upset (throwing up) as they will replenish lost electrolytes.

Mauritz

[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Everyone reacts differently. Some get really, really, REALLY sick, but are still willing to keep going out, and eventually get past it.

In general I agree with all those responding to the ability of one to tough it out and push past being sick by desire and shear will.

However, it would be a truly extraordinary sub 8 year old land raised child that would be willing and able to do the same while puking uncontrollably and crying.

[Jim Cate]

G'DAy GG,

Perhaps you have noticed this yourself, but the sea sickness issue is but the last of many blanks in your knowledge field that could be filled in by spending some of your time and money taking your self and children out on the sea in someone else's boat. A friend, a charter, a fishing trip, whatever is available. Go out in less than perfect weather and see what happens. No one but you and yours has any useful info on susceptibility to mal de mer, and it is data that you really need before plonking out a large sum of money on a life style change.

Start out with no meds ahead of time. If one of you becomes ill, try any of the various cures that have been suggested. Sometimes post hoc meds can bring you around, most often not. If not, then go out again with pre-medication. Keep trying until you get it right

Tedious? Sure it is, but if one of the crew is a chronic sufferer you may need to change your overall plan. This illness is not trivial for some... can even be life threatening (via dehydration ) on a long passage.

You may all be lucky... I hope so because sea sickness is really unpleasant!

Cheers,

Jim

PS Ann and I have found Stugeron to be by far the best oral med for us.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by CPseudonym

However, it would be a truly extraordinary sub 8 year old land raised child that would be willing and able to do the same while puking uncontrollably and crying.

Thank you. I take that as a compliment both to my daughter, and to the parenting abilities of my wife and myself.

In reality, though, I think it was more the general resiliency and short memories of young children, rather than any sort of "toughing it out."

You see, our daughter did exactly this. By the time she was 8 she was enjoying sailing quite a bit, despite the fact that her first couple of experiences involved quite a lot of puking and uncontrollable crying.

[chrisjs]

I do not think Stugeron is FDA approved in the US. We buy our supply in the UK.

[Capt Allan]

While in the Navy we had a guy that all he had to do was read in the "Plan of The Day" that wew were getting under way the next morning and he was sick as soon as we were free of the dock. Poor fellow finally got transfered to shore duty. Yeah I remember the greesy pork chops. I have never gotten sea sick but came close one time in a severe storm while in the Navy. It seems that a vessel with a long slow movement (rock or pitch) cas cause it to come on fasted that a quicker movement but not always the case for someone prone to motion sickness of any type. Weh I started to feel sickish I started stuffing me with salttines and no liquid. That worked for me then, been in rough seas since and no problem again, yet. There is a behind the ear patch (Scopalomine spg?) that works very well but is a little dangerous and certainly not recommended for kids. I tried 1/2 of one once wondering what it was like and it made me very dizzy and unable to focus. I think it was because I was not sick, when I took it off after about 1 hour or so everything was OK again. I would try some of the other things first. The other thing is that standing or sitting around down below seems to make it worse and it will come on quicker. Being up on deck and doing something like steering seems to help avoid it. Of course being as close to the center of the boat reduces the feel of any motion but that is sometimes hard to do. Fresh air is better that stale air, odarless air is better than fragrant air. smokeing is not helpful either. An ole boatsman mate in the Navy told me that if a person get too sea sick they need to be watched very carefully for two things: one dehydration, and two, if sickness gets too bad to keep them from jumping over the side. The reasoning being that they will begin to think that it is the vessel that is making them sick and they will just want to "get off" anyway they can thinking they will feel better right away. I only had that happen once on my boat. My cousin had it almost happen off the coast of Maine.
Normally kids seem to adjust to the motion quicker than adults for some reason. In the meantime enjoy and don't fall off the dock when you go ashore after a couple of days on the water. Hope this helps along with the others.

[Hudson Force]

I've been fortunate not to succumb to seasickness even though I'm very disturbed by some carnival rides. My wife has had a history of mild seasickness and this contunues even after many years of cruising. Many years ago she had taken scopolamine and even though it was effective, she did not like the blurred vision that she experienced. She uses two strategies that suit her well,- ginger cookies and "pigging" the helm. Even if we are using the auto pilot, Nancie does best at the helm when there's a particular swell that's affecting her. I guess this is related to the tendency for the drivers of cars not to experience motion sickness.