Balance on deck

[cooper1991]

I'm a rookie and went on a sailing course, something akin to a pre-competent crew RYA course. I was up and down stern to bow at sea in semi chop.

I went to do RYA day skipper practical after getting through the shorebased navigation and general part. Even before we set off, I just couldn't find my balance and was almost crawling around and dubious about climbing on and off the boat.

Is this normal? As the days passed it never got better which hampered my ability to complete the course.

I owned a motor boat for 4 years and never had issues of moving around (albeit the deck was deep).

I'm hoping it was a one off and not either a form of vertigo or an imbalance between my ears.

Any ideas or experiences?

[donradcliffe]

Better shoes or boots make a big difference.

[thomm225]

It's all about experience on boats and time on the water.

You'll figure it out in time until it becomes natural if you stay with it.

[Gary Mc]

I am getting a little long in the tooth and find that every spring my balance on the boat is not as good as it used to be.

After a couple of weeks, if I go sailing a lot it gets much better and I feel very comfortable walking around on the deck. Hopefully this is your experience.


Good Luck

[tkeithlu]

Your inner ear is responding to a series of jumbled accelerations as you move about the deck. Since you are looking at your feet and at places to grab, you are not counteracting, and making sense out of, those accelerations. The result is dizziness and nausea.

When you were on your motorboat, your feet were in one place, and you could see the horizon and the coming waves. That let you counteract the otherwise jumbled accelerations with visual information. No dizziness, no nausea. Motorboats are more consistent in their accelerations.

Any queasy student of mine immediately became my helmsperson. That brought his/her attention to the horizon and the expected boat movements. It didn't always cure the situation, but in 26 summers I never had one throw up on the instrument panel.

Anxiety contributes to the situation. Your anxiety that you're going to have this problem just makes it worse.

So, prep yourself with lots of fluids and no greasy breakfast, just pastries or the like. Take the helm if it's offered, and otherwise stay in one place, feet anchored, eyes out on the horizon, and enjoy the motion of the boat. You can learn your way out of this.