1st timer - reluctant 1st mate

[Richard5]

Inform your mate that being onboard a boat will tighten up her gluts and legs.

While that's true, my point is it is 99.9% attitude.

Just this weekend my soon-to-be wife took her first lesson. It was the first time EVER on a sailboat and she was greatly concerned about seasickness. She had been seasick on cruise ships and on her uncle's 70' Hatteras...so her every experience with being on the water had some negative connotations.

I sold her on excitement. Even though she got doused by rainwater when they raised the mainsail she was so excited to tell me of her 'outing'. And she didn't get sick and she didn't wear the patch or any medications.

[carstenb]

Posessions are a major problem for almost everyone. the only way to solve this issue is to put everything into storage. then keep a record of how often you (or she) goes and gets something from the locker. Guess what the answer will be be something like - fist 3 months once a month thereafter never. Now get rid of half the stuff (your half if she's still nostalgic) and rent a smaller locker. a couple of more years and she be ready

Fortunaly I don't have that problem. My admiral is ready to go

[svBeBe]

We also are from Houston, although we are now in our 7th year of full-time cruising and only return to Houston one month per year. I agree with several other posters, Galveston Bay is not a place to sail if you are trying to get someone to enjoy sailing. Go charter in the BVI to get a taste of boating enjoyment. I also battled seasickness all my life but eventually got over it. The thing that helped most was driving the sailboat. Handling the helm and feeling the pressures of the wind on the sails and the seas on the keel/hull while keeping constant watch for all the other boats in the BVI gave my mind too many things to think about to focus on the feeling of seasickness. Took a few years but the seasickness finally vanished.

Have you thought about a small condo (with no maintenance required on your part) in Houston area to store personal belongings and to use as a home base while cruising. Some people need that reassurance of owning a land dwelling in order to feel free enough to enjoy cruising.

Judy

[Sandero]

Red... Thanks for that link... My landlubber wife vacillates from wanting to live aboard.. because of the reasons people express and wanting to stay land based for the the reasons that appeals to LL. Now she has two infant/toddler grand daughters and sees other youngsters having a ball on boats and wants to introduce them to the boat. I sent her the link to your blog for some inspiration! Thanks for the link!

jef

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

That's the best reason I have heard for.........

........buying a bigger boat

-Chris

[macbeth]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Possessions are more difficult; one of my "obstacle"s is The Admiral's grand piano

Wonderful, nearly fell of my seat laughing ! Sorry ! I have a similar problem: the boat's not big enough to put a tennis court on it !!

A cat might be an answer, less tippy ? I endorse the idea of going on a crewed charter in the BVI's or Bahamas, depending on how hot you like the weather.

I've ended up with us having a house in one place and the boat 2 hours drive away. I spend about about 1 week sailing solo, then 1 week at home. Wife comes on short 3/4 day trips two or three times a summer.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by macbeth

Wonderful, nearly fell of my seat laughing ! Sorry ! I have a similar problem: the boat's not big enough to put a tennis court on it !!

A cat might be an answer, less tippy ? I endorse the idea of going on a crewed charter in the BVI's or Bahamas, depending on how hot you like the weather.

I've ended up with us having a house in one place and the boat 2 hours drive away. I spend about about 1 week sailing solo, then 1 week at home. Wife comes on short 3/4 day trips two or three times a summer.

Lol, it sounds like a recipe for a loooong marriage.

[Rocketman]

Lets face it, not everyone has the dream of living aboard a boat. In fact we are a little wierd, if we want to do it in the first place. I believe it is a rare thing to have a couple that want that, both at the sametime. I think that many people that have the seasickness issue also have other issues that compound the seasickness problem. If she is also worried about safety, money, space, posesions, leaving her friends/family, you name it, her gut is going to be tight before she even steps on to the boat. Getting her used to the idea, and getting as much information as she can handle is going to be the key so she does't just freek out everytime you bring it up.

[rtbates]

Seasickness is also my wife's issue. Fortunately for us, as much as I love to day sail, weekend sail, spend the summer sailing, no way in he** would I live 24/7 on a boat...

I once asked a live aboard charter captain and his wife what they did for fun on the off season... Take a room at Motel 6 and with 30 minute hot showers and sleep in a bed that doesn't move in a room that doesn't drag downwind...

For live aboard practice move into the smallest room in your house and pretend that's where you now sleep, cook, entertain, eat, work, etc... And be sure to come and go through the window especially when it raining cats and dogs...


Lots of fun...for about a month...

[In Training]

I used to get car sick, sick every time flying, roller coaster rides, and also boats. I use the wrist bands sold at drug stores and it works great for the car, flying, and now I get in the first seat at all the best amusement rides and go all day. Have used it on lake michigan and also worked there. Haven't tried it on the ocean yet.

Just put them on with the button facing your inner wrist. Whenever you get even nervous, just press them to make sure contact good. Have no idea how it works or if it is real or just mental, but pressure to that spot stops the motion sickness for me. I plan on using them in conjunction with medication when out on the ocean, that way when the medication wears off I will still have them on. -- Not taking any chances.

Might help her -- worth a try anyway.

[Cacique]

Been out a few times when people have been sick and I recon 95% get over it after the first two or three days so make sure you charter for at least a week and check the weather carefully and if it's going to blow get in somewhere sheltered, if you scare her first time out you'll never win her over.
My Mate doesen't like it when its rough (over force6) and we have an agreement that I watch the forecast very carefully and get to shelter before the wind really pipes up. I have a 27 foot bluewater boat that I can handle on my own so any big trips we plan she can visit relatives and fly to meet up with me after I arrive at the coast.
Sturgeron is pretty good and I am a great advocate of being able to see the horizon, also stay away from diesel fumes. Ive seen some glasses with an artificial horizon and they are supposedly very effective against seasickness.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by Cacique

Been out a few times when people have been sick and I recon 95% get over it after the first two or three days so make sure you charter for at least a week and check the weather carefully and if it's going to blow get in somewhere sheltered, if you scare her first time out you'll never win her over.
My Mate doesen't like it when its rough (over force6) and we have an agreement that I watch the forecast very carefully and get to shelter before the wind really pipes up. I have a 27 foot bluewater boat that I can handle on my own so any big trips we plan she can visit relatives and fly to meet up with me after I arrive at the coast.
Sturgeron is pretty good and I am a great advocate of being able to see the horizon, also stay away from diesel fumes. Ive seen some glasses with an artificial horizon and they are supposedly very effective against seasickness.

Good advice and my thoughts exactly. As an ex aircraft private pilot too, I know that taking care of passengers comfort and reducing situations where anxiety can build, is good piloting. I am certain that if one applies this to the ocean and sailing, then it is not only good advice but common sense. I would hate to scare my wife off because of a stupid decision to sail in inclement weather right at the beginning of our adventure. In fact, I never have the intention of sailing in inclement weather at all although I do understand that weather prediction is not an exact science and one can be caught out.

[Dulcesuenos]

Its a really tough thing to find the right boat. Sea motion is everything and lots of boats handle it differently. My admiral and I endured a few days offshore in some rough and nasty in a 31 but very heavy mono and the seamotion never bothered her a bit. We bought a cat and in less rough stuff she would get sea sick from the quick choppy motion. We bought a slightly bigger and better designed cat that has a much better motion and so far no sickness. Every boat is different and a compromise. It will take a lot of patience and time to find what she might be ok with. Many people bought a boat to live their dream only to sell it after a bad trip.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Its a really tough thing to find the right boat. Sea motion is everything and lots of boats handle it differently. My admiral and I endured a few days offshore in some rough and nasty in a 31 but very heavy mono and the seamotion never bothered her a bit. We bought a cat and in less rough stuff she would get sea sick from the quick choppy motion. We bought a slightly bigger and better designed cat that has a much better motion and so far no sickness. Every boat is different and a compromise. It will take a lot of patience and time to find what she might be ok with. Many people bought a boat to live their dream only to sell it after a bad trip.

Thanks for the advice. I would be terribly depressed if that happened to us (selling because of a bad trip).

[Sunchaser]

Seasickness - Most people try to treat seasickness and hour before they leave the docks. The best thing is to do a loading dose of Meclazine (the cheapest form to purchase) Ask the pharmacist they usually keep it behind the register. Dosing: 4-5 days before you are going out take 25mg three times a day daily. Yes, it's not the usual dosing, but it is a very safe drug. Continue to do this for at least 1-2 days after you are aboard the boat. At that point your inner ear has acclimated to the movement. This will work for car sickness etc. it is safe enough for animals to take. We would give our cat 12.5 mg.
Possessions - You soon learn that possessions own you, you don't own them. You have to dust them, admire them, put them in safe places. I'm every bit as happy with fewer possessions and more free time not spent dusting and admiring them.
Good Luck...there really are a lot of women out there living aboard who love it, and I'm one of them!