People are often put off sailing or boating by the chance of getting seasick, or should they get seasick they never go to sea again.
If it is any consolation, both Mike and I get seasick so we know the subject more intimately that we would have cared to. I was known as the fishes favourite friend. The first long trip I went on I was comatose for five days, nothing stayed down, (good side was I lost weight), after that I was determined it would never incapacitate me again, being blonde, I do not understand when I should give up, so determined that it would not stop me realizing my dream of sailing the world I started taking note of what worked and what did not.
There is hope for even the most seasick of people.
Seasickness is caused by the balance organ in the ear but is aggravated by physical condition and food. One of the biggest contributing factors is fear/stress, both of which cause the digestive system to close down so good digestion does not take place, this causes the food to go off and release harmful gasses and substances which would make us feel bad at the best of times and certainly aggravates seasickness. I have had crew who get “scared sick” instead of seasick.
A person who feels normal in a rough anchorage or harbour, then suddenly gets “sick” at the mention of going out to sea, when it is now calm is most certainly scared sick and not seasick.
A lot can be done to lessen the chances of getting sick.
Food; Do not binge, either food or drink for at least 2 days before. Keep off the proteins, (dairy, meat, fish, chicken, eggs) they are difficult to digest and load the stomach. They also contain fat can cause nausea. Keep off the spicy, rich and greasy food.
Acid is also a problem, so keep away from orange juice rather drink grape or apple juice, or most preferably, filtered water.
You must eat as your stomach is naturally acid and you will definitely get sick if your stomach is empty.
Definitely no coffee as it affects the liver, and preferably no tea or fizzy drinks, coffee is a sure way of getting someone sick.
Best to eat is toast with marmite or honey, apples, rusks, plain biscuits, peanut butter sandwich (this used to be my best, stops the nausea with the first bite) etc. drink water, or grape and apple juice.
Chew well so as not to load the stomach with indigestible lumps and be careful not to swallow air.
Take biscuits, apples or peanut butter sandwiches with you and nibble regularly to keep nausea at bay.
Most women get seasick at a certain time of the month so be prepared.
Do not allow yourself to get cold or hot as this increases tension and thereby the seasickness. It is most important to relax.
Constipation or diarrhea are also sea sick contributors, basically anything that is related to either the balance organ or stomach must be taken into consideration.
Cigarette smoke, strong smells especially of petrol, diesel, toilet smells, even cooking food, must be avoided.
Keep looking at the horizon and do not bend down, go down below or try to read. If you must go down below, go down to lie down to sleep only, do not try to do anything else
Some people find it helps to helm and keep busy on deck.
Lethargy and yawning are the first signs of seasickness and if you start to feel drowsy, find a spot in the fresh air, out of the sun so you do not get burnt, and go to sleep for a while. You will feel better when you wake up.
Try first, to see if you get sick and if do, then next time resort to tablets, I have used them for the first couple of days at sea for over 30 years.
Try different ones on land first to see how they affect you, some will make you drowsier and some could give you a high.
When you find one that works, take it 1 hour before leaving, in extreme cases take a tablet the night before as well. Do not take more than the recommended dose, it will not work better, in fact a lady I know who doubled up on her dose, ended up with an allergic reaction, her whole body swelled up to blimp size, not to be recommended, especially at sea, she was lucky she did not die.
To make life easier for the first few days, I cook up a pressure cooker full of vegetable stew and leave it clamped onto the stove, then all that has to be done for the first few days at sea is to quickly light the stove and leave it to get hot, let any pressure out by releasing the safety valve, and serve. Put the lid back on while the pot is still hot and it will vacuum as it cools and thereby prevent the stew from going bad. It will easily last three days, even in the tropics.
For lunches I have rolls, cooked chicken and salad stuff all prepared, for breakfast most people eat cereals so they can help themselves though I usually suggest using fruit juice instead of milk for those with more sensitive stomachs.
Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to nibble, along with dry biscuits are good.
I am gluten, dairy egg intolerant, so I eat the fruit, vegies, and stew with peanut butter on corn or rice cakes.
Since discovering my food intolerance’s, of which there are a few more, I find that I no longer need to take tablets, provided I have not inadvertently eaten something I am intolerant of.
DO NOT LET IT STOP YOU BOATING it can be controlled, and after the first couple of days it goes away and life is great.