Sea sickness

[Seasick Steve]

Stugeron sends me to sleep. I once drifted off while steering! The others sometimes work and sometimes don't. As well as those just mentioned I've tried Avomine (Avamine?) but it became unavailable here. For a time my mother-in-law brought some over from the USA each time she went (which was annually, at least) but as she's no longer my mother-in-law...

I've just packed in taking anything now. As skipper/solo I can choose where and when to go to avoid rough water (but see above about Bolt Head!) and it improves with practice.

[Brent Swain]

That's why I tried them first ,by reading on on a bus ,where it wouldn't matter so much what the side effects were , before I used them on my boat. I could never read on a moving vehicle before.

[Auzzee]

I have just looked back through this topic. I thought I had related a story about a guest on my boat some years back...But, apparently I didn't.

The lady in question talked herself into being sick. I had told her, truthfully, that I had never had anyone on the boat who had been seasick. Sure enough, we weren't far offshore when she started to turn green. I had been given a set of wrist bands that I placed no faith in at all. But, what the heck, I broke them out, put them on her wrists, told her to sit in the cockpit and focus on the horizon.

The seasickness disappeared. She wouldn't relinquish the wrist bands. I don't know if psychology was the determining factor, but, one way or the other she ended up having a fine day afloat. I have another set of these bands on board which I hope I never need to give to anyone who comes sailing with me.

I guess they are worth trying.

[Seasick Steve]

Tried 'em. Electric ones too. Sometimes work, sometimes don't.

[delatbabel]

Scopolamine patches work for me. Available in some countries, not in others. It is often a mind over matter thing. I used to get seasick for the first day or so but once I started throwing up I got better fairly quickly, mostly because I put my mind into deciding that I didn't want to be sick any more and so it went away.

[Brent Swain]

Scopolomine worked well for me. The only problem was the 12 hours it takes for them to kick in. I tested them reading while riding a bus, to minimize the risk of negative effects.Put one on12 hours before my bus ride. Next time I was on the BC central coat, thinking of heading for Haida Gwai.Put one on, and it took effect 12hours later, just as was arriving, after 12 hours of seasickness.

Coming back , in extremely variable weather, I had to cross my fingers ,and hope that it would not turn adverse the following day, when I put one on.Luckily it worked out.
Sugerons and Gravol take effect much more quickly, eliminating that problem.

[lugum]

I use Bonine (OTC Meclizine ) and take it 1 day before the cruise, and on the first couple of days of the cruise. It stops all queasiness and I am good to go for the rest of the cruise.

It is non-drowsy, and I take one each night.

Better to stop the queasiness before you cruise, as it feels like it is darn near impossible to control it once you get into the seasickness mode.

[Auzzee]

Here's an update on seasickness cures. I was watching TV on Saturday morning and saw an article which piqued my interest. It seems a couple of French blokes have invented a set of goggles which were originally designed to overcome mal de mer, but they have since seen their target market expand to all manner of motion sickness.

While I have, fortunately, never been prone to this dreadful malady, I know many who have (just look through this thread) and the quest for a 'fix' is universal.

Here's a link to the latest technology. Give it a shot and let us know the results.
https://thetravelhack.com/review-2/s...lasses-review/

[Turtled]

sleeping in hammock on board works for me...at least when sleeping!

[dmtparker]

Let me offer two suggestions in addition to those already given (I heartily endorse Sturgeron BTW):
1)Scopalamine patch. You need to put it on before leaving shore and it will give you a dry mouth at least (not bad since drinking lots of water is important). Some people get loopy, but most tolerate it pretty well. If it bothers you, just rip it off and it dissipates quickly
2)ORIGINAL FORMULA Actifed. This was one of the most popular with the astronauts. It must contain triprolidine, not other antihistamines. Last I knew you could get it as "Wal-Act."

[Spike_dawg]

Great topic! Always look at the horizon. That seems to help a lot of people. If really sick, drift the boat for a while and take a shower. An hour break will fix most seasickness and it won't comeback once back underway.

Just a note that a lot of times people sail their boats too aggressively, hanging extra sail to little benefit. The extra sail does not add any speed but it does disturb the comfort of the ride. Hard to describe but you can feel it as a vibration or jerkiness. Like the boat is straining. This choppy motion seems to make people queasy. A boat with the proper amount of sail will be a gentle sail with the same speed as too much sail.

[Brent Swain]

Stugeron works well, but only after 12 hours. l used it on an impulse crossing of Hecate Strait once. Seasick the whole way, except for the last hour, when it finally kicked in. Now, I use stuff that kicks in, in 2 hours.
A friend bought some Stugeron in Mexico, which worked well for her .Later, when l met her in mid Pacific ,she said it didn't work this time. I asked here where she got them. She said 'England." So l pointed out to her, English ones were 15mg, Mexican ones 75 mg. Heading for Samoa , she took 5, which worked fine.