{"id":19281,"date":"2023-07-27T15:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T15:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catamaran-outremer.com\/?p=19281"},"modified":"2024-05-17T08:02:10","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T08:02:10","slug":"how-to-prevent-seasickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catamaran-outremer.com\/en\/how-to-prevent-seasickness\/","title":{"rendered":"Seasickness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Author: Nikki Henderson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Every blue-water sailor will end up coping with seasickness. That is a certainty. Whilst it may not be you, it is inevitable that you will at the least be called upon to support one of your seasick crew<\/strong>. Feeling a little \u2018green\u2019 on the first few days of a passage is normal. And despite the irritating stigma that surrounds this natural and normal bodily reaction, being seasick does not make you weak, or a \u2018lesser\u2019 sailor and it is certainly not something to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. Knowing how to prevent seasickness <\/strong>can be crucial for a smoother sailing experience.<\/p>\n

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How many times have I heard fellow sailors say, \u201coh I never get seasick.\u201d It\u2019s extremely rare for a sailor to have genuinely never been seasick. Looking back over my 20 years of sailing yachts, I can only recall a handful of people who have been fully immune to it. Us regular queasy folk tend to watch those people \u2013 green with envy as well as seasickness. Whilst they happily hang around reading their book on day 1 of a passage, we are hot footing it from the deck to our bunks praying that we manage to get horizontal before our stomachs feel the churning wrath of being down below.<\/p>\n

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And yes, I do say \u2018we\u2019. Whilst it is more unusual these days for me to feel seasick, my insides can sometimes feel unsettled on the first few days of a passage, especially if it is very rough. I\u2019m casting my mind back to sailing in the English Channel just a few months ago. Less than 24 hours in, I was head down pumping the diesel tainted bilge water whilst we sailed upwind into a gale \u2013 and there was some very deep breathing going on! Next time you feel unwell, know that you are not alone \u2013 the pros can feel it too.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m not a doctor and am not qualified to tell you how to cure seasickness. But I encourage you to find out what helps you keep it under control. Try as many different options as you can, because it is as much an illness of the mind as it is the body. When you find the answer \u2013 however weird it is – stick with it and trust yourself. I have seen people try scopolamine patches, Stugeron, Kwells, and other meds; I\u2019ve seen people eating ginger like it\u2019s going out of fashion; wearing the pressure point wrist bands; some people fast; some people eat; a friend of mine swears by salt and vinegar crisps; others spend as much time as they can horizontal with their eyes closed; some just grin and bear it and work through it; and some curl up in the foetal position \u2013 wonder if they are dying \u2013 and then emerge re-born a few days later and feel fine again. There are no \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad\u2019 answers, as long as they don\u2019t involve you beating yourself up or feeling guilty. There is no one who gets seasickness intentionally (that would be odd\u2026). So, anyone who is resenting you for being sick needs to work on their empathy \u2013 this is their issue. Not yours.<\/p>\n

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How to prevent seasickness ?<\/h2>\n

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So the above remedies need to be consumed before you feel sick for them to work. But there are some common triggers too \u2013 worth avoiding if you can.<\/p>\n

Anxiety is the most common cause of seasickness that I\u2019ve observed. Feeling nervous about a passage or worried about being seasick specifically, is a fast track to getting sick. In fact, the only time I have personally ever actually vomited from seasickness was as much as an emotional reaction than it was physical. Working on how to calm and relax yourself \u2013 possibly with a professional therapist \u2013 could be a good investment if you think this might be a risk for you.<\/p>\n

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A selection of other common triggers to seasickness that I\u2019ve encountered are as follows: starting a passage in heavy weather; eating rich food, (although this one can be questionable: \u201cIt\u2019s not seasickness I think that it must have been the cheese\u201d<\/em> \u2013 while the boat slams upwind in 40 knots); multi-directional sea-states; other people vomiting near you, or on you (yes that happens); pungent smells \u2013 bacon\/curry\/diesel; being dehydrated; not eating enough; eating too much\u2019 being hungover; over exerting yourself during a sail change; getting too hot. Try to avoid as many of these as you can.<\/p>\n

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So many of us struggle through seasickness. We talk so much about prevention and cure \u2013 but what about how to support and care for someone who is seasick? How can we ease the suffering of our crewmates who are confined to their bunks? This, to me, is the key point I\u2019d like anyone reading this blog to take away.<\/p>\n

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To start with \u2013 lets talk empathy.<\/h2>\n

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How does it feel to be seasick, apart from feeling nauseous and unwell? A seasick crew member will feel left out and lonely. They will be able to hear the rest of the crew chatting and laughing and having fun, whilst they lie on their own feeling alone. They will hear the boat sailing and feel like they are missing out. The noises of the boat are amplified down below \u2013 the slaps of the waves on the hull, the griding of electric winches and the flogging of sails. Without context this can be scary. It can sound so much worse than it is, and they might start running all possible scenarios in their mind. They may also feel helpless, undignified, and embarrassed; it\u2019s likely they won\u2019t have brushed their teeth in a few days, or washed, or even left their bunk at all. And they will feel sad. They came to sea to experience the magic of the ocean \u2013 the stars, the horizon, the dolphins, the boat carving through the water, sunrises, sunsets \u2013 and if they are sick in their bunk, they see nothing but the inside of their eyelids.<\/p>\n

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Inspired by two courageous crew members I had last year who were tragically seasick for four days out of six on a passage from Sweden to the UK, here are some suggestions of how to best support your seasick crewmate:<\/p>\n

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