Getting used to blue water sailing

Ross · Sep 3, 2013

It all involves a conflict between your eyes and your inner ear. You simply must acclimate to it.

Steve Dion · Sep 3, 2013

I normally get sick the first day out. Not sure why I don't have the issue after day one, but that is what happens.

Everyone has different issues with sea sickness so I think it is something that you need to resolve for yourself.

People have cross oceans in boats a lot less substantial vessels so you need to decide where you are going and for how long.

My first passage was from Hawaii to San Deigo. 14 days at sea.

I would suggest that you sail out for 1-2 days and turn around and come back. Having a crew makes the passage much easier. If everyone is sick at the same time you are sort of S.O.L. Hopefully you can find a crew that "claims" that they don't get sick to help you out on a test cruise.

Winkali · Sep 3, 2013

YVRguy said:
This is not an immediate issue for me but one that I'm burning with curiosity about. It's not going to be long - 2 years at most - before I try my hand at sailing in the open ocean as opposed to coastal cruising. I know a couple of people who can probably get me a crew spot in the Vic-Maui race for a start but I'd also like to take my own boat right around Vancouver Island. (The previous owner of my 34 did this several times). Beyond that if things go well I would consider upgrading to a blue water boat.

So for those of you with blue water experience, can you help me understand how you transition in terms of handling sea sickness? Currently I can sail for days on end without feeling a thing even if it's rough. But if I go below and I'm forced to concentrate on something like reading or cooking in rough seas, I feel queasy in minutes. This isn't a problem now because I can run up top and stay there if necessary until we stop for the night but if you're making a passage you have to go below and sleep/eat at some point. Any thoughts are appreciated as this really goes to whether my long term ambitions for sailing are realistic or not.

Hi YVRguy,

My wife and I sailed the Australian east coast for a few years. If you are within 100 Nm of land, the Yachting Associatio calls this coastal cruising. We found that sea sickness was avoided by minimising the time that you go below and avoid those jobs that need detailed visual concentration like GPS coordinates and chart plotters in the first day or so. We tried to make sure that we were prepared to spend most time on deck for the first day. Eat light, drink fresh water, and try to keep your eyes on the horizon if you feel squeamish? Depart early on the first day to give yourself the maximum time to acclimatise. Once acclimatised, you probably won't get seasick. We also found that the crew were likely to get seasick if anxious, and whenever we had anyone else on board we went to great lengths to help them feel at ease.
I can almost guarantee that you won't get seasick if you get into trouble. You will be so busy dealing with the issue at hand, and there is no time to get seasick. So distraction works as well.
Your hunter 34 is a good coastal cruising boat. If you are considering blue water cruising to, say Melanesia or Australia, then you might consider something bigger with the ability to sail itself for hours on end. Having said that, lots of people have circumnavigated in 34 to 36 foot yachts. Above all else, have fun.

seadaddler · Sep 4, 2013

Sick

When I first planned to sail from NY to Florida out miles from shore I was really worried not if I would get sick but how bad because we were planning all ocean sailing once we left Montauk,NY.
When we did leave that first day it was blowing like stink and I was at the helm I was good while 2 other crew was sick as all hell and it got so bad we layed over in Montauk one more day before leaving.
Once out on the Ocean it was a rolly ride with confusing waves all over the place but we were sailing at 6.5 plus most of the time and it did take a day or 2 before we could even cook any hot food with the ruff ride out on the Ocean.
Most of the time was spent in the cockpit and we took turns going below to lay down for sleep which once I close my eyes and lay flat I was OK sleeping but than trying to get dressed was the hard part putting on boots and foul weather clothing in Oct on the Ocean in the north east.
I did get sick 1 or 2 times during a 9 day passage out at sea but when at the helm in rough weather I never do and only when down below or sitting in the cockpit do I get dizzy.
I suggest ear patch for sea sick on first ocean voyage until you get your sea legs,more time on a sailboat sailing gets better but if not busy or down below I still get dizzy.
That was my first time sailing out on the Ocean in 1908 delivering my H-36 to west coast of Florida from Montauk NY.
Nick

All U Get · Sep 4, 2013

seadaddler said:
That was my first time sailing out on the Ocean in 1908 delivering my H-36 to west coast of Florida from Montauk NY.
Nick

That would make you 1 year younger than Roger Long.

All U Get

Stu Jackson · Sep 4, 2013

Doug, everyone is different. Because it is caused by disorientation, it affects different folks different ways, if at all. Years ago I suffered a busted eardrum, and because of that I don't get seasick. But it really wasn't worth it.

As you can imagine, this is a recurring topic. In your case, and from what I've read, a trip around Vancouver Island is essentially long day sails unless you're skipping a few areas of refuge, even when you round Cape Scott.

For longer offshore passages, you then face the issue.

cruisersforum has these topics on a regular basis. Here's one of literally hundreds and you can search that 'site for more, too.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f122/sea-sickness-thread-again-109990.html

Many folks suggest preplanning for navigation the first day or two to avoid needing to do chartwork down below, and preparing hot food in a thermos or two to avoid the same thing. A friend of mine always got sick on the ocean the minute he relinquished the wheel. We'd heave to, lay him out on his back in the cockpit, then head back in.

Good luck.

Benny17441 · Sep 5, 2013

Ross correctly describes that it is a process of aclimatation. Different people react differently but for most the 1rst day out is when the process takes place. It is wise perhaps to avoid rough seas in that first day. I seldom have a problem with my inner ear but if I smell diesel fuel I will get queasy. The process of aclimatation also works when retuning back to land. You shut your eyes when taking a shower and the whole bathroom will start moving.

kloudie1 · Sep 6, 2013

Try to avoid rich/heavy food and lots of alcohol before leaving.. Scope patch or Bonine works for me, but even without any medication, I get a little uncomfortable and uneasy but not really sick on the first day.. I usually plan on being on extended watch while folks are incapacitated for the first 24-36 hours. Everyone can/will get motion sickness .. It is good to have suppository anti emetic on board for long distance sailing in the event that a crew gets really sick and can't hold anything down.

nolasafari · Sep 6, 2013

Rope, Small Bucket, Crackers

Jim

RichH · Sep 6, 2013

kloudie1 said:
Try to avoid rich/heavy food and lots of alcohol before leaving.. Scope patch or Bonine works for me, but even without any medication, I get a little uncomfortable and uneasy but not really sick on the first day.. I usually plan on being on extended watch while folks are incapacitated for the first 24-36 hours. Everyone can/will get motion sickness .. It is good to have suppository anti emetic on board for long distance sailing in the event that a crew gets really sick and can't hold anything down.

Start taking any 'mal-d'-mare' medications for several days before departure, including 'ginger root'; PLUS, LOTS of water. Then if seasickness is 'sneaking up on you' and you begin to feel queazy, then immediately start chewing GINGER CHEWING GUM or start chewing some ginger root at the first sign that 'something is not quite right with your EYES' ... a different 'pressure' or sensation that is not 'usual' --- to knock down seasickness 'early'.

Stugeron, as a transdermal patch (not available in the US) is probably the best/common seasickness prevention .... but report-ably can cause hallucinations, so thats why you begin to use it 'days' before departure. If you have 'foreign' friends, have them get it for you and have them send it to you.

Just because mal-d'-mare doesnt happen when you first begin to travel, be aware that seasickness 'can' occur later on, especially during very ROUGH sea-states. NO ONE is totally immune to "meeting Ralph", everyone has their 'threshold'. Drink LOTS of water, if youre prone to seasickness.

Lastly when seasick, remember that when you perceive that there is a 'hairy ring' quickly rising in your throat, be sure to swallow real hard; ...... as if you dont, you risk having your body completely turning inside out - your intestines now on the 'outside' and your body on the inside. <big grin>

capta · Sep 7, 2013

I've only known 3 people who didn't get over sea sickness in 24 to 36 hours at sea.
Not eating oily or slimy foods like bacon and eggs is advantageous before a sail. Even buttered toast with jam is too much for many. Plain bread, a bagel or English muffin are quite helpful as a preventative, but saltine crackers and lots of water will help a lot to keep something in there to expel relatively painlessly if the dreaded monster has already shown it's ugly head.
If you are one of the few who just don't get over it and still want to sail, a good friend with the same problem suggests eating bananas; he says they taste the same going down as coming up. But you must eat SOMETHING and drink a lot of water, because dehydration is a very serious byproduct of sea sickness and dangerous.
Bonine seems to be the best OTC med; it was used by the Navy because it doesn't put the crew to sleep as so many anti-nausea meds do.
But I think the biggest gorilla in the room is expectation. If you have gotten sick when going below before, then you expect the same each time you go there. Somehow you must break this cycle. For that I have no suggestions other than to say it is quite common for even for some very experienced sailors I know.
I for one have seen the misery of sea sickness so many times, that I have sworn that if it happens to me, even once, I will forgo my love for the sea and find a cabin in the Rockies to live out my days in.

JonnyQuest · Sep 8, 2013

YVRguy said:
This could be a problem...

I'm one of the lucky few that bagels cereals etc do not agree with me. Like it or not, I always have eggs and sausages for breakfast and before sailing.

:-(

capta · Sep 8, 2013

JonnyQuest said:
I'm one of the lucky few that bagels cereals etc do not agree with me. Like it or not, I always have eggs and sausages for breakfast and before sailing.

:-(

Are you saying that you do get seasick on your "eggs and sausages" or that you don't?
If you don't have a problem with seasickness then you could eat anything, but if you do.....
I'm sure you just made all who do get seasick get queezy just mentioning "eggs and sausages" and sailing in the same post.

gpdno · Sep 8, 2013

One of the best things for me is to drink lots of water. Dehydration will increase seasickness. If I start feeling a bit quizzy, I know it's time to drink a bottle of water.

Roadking Larry · Sep 8, 2013

I'm sure you just made all who do get seasick get queezy just mentioning "eggs and sausages" and sailing in the same post.

I was on submarines for a long time. On one boat we had a Corpsman that would start getting queezy about the time we would single up the lines and by the time we crossed outside Ballast Point he'd be full blown seasick. Of course those of us that would sit next to him eating canned sardines and smoked oysters probably didn't help any.

jibes138 · Sep 8, 2013

Night can be a problem because you no longer can see the horizon. I find working on deck at night reefing sails or changing sails is the worst and it comes on so quickly there isn't much you can do. So reef early and try to avoid having to go on deck at night. 100 miles at sea with cloud cover is as dark as it gets. All you have are your running lights and they don't light up much of the ocean. You can kick on your deck light but your night vision will be shot. You really get to appreciate dark way out there. On the other hand when the sky is clear and the moon and stars are out and the wind is a steady 12 knots there isn't much better in the world.

Bill1565 · Sep 8, 2013

Benny17441 said:
Ross correctly describes that it is a process of aclimatation. Different people react differently but for most the 1rst day out is when the process takes place. It is wise perhaps to avoid rough seas in that first day. I seldom have a problem with my inner ear but if I smell diesel fuel I will get queasy. The process of aclimatation also works when retuning back to land. You shut your eyes when taking a shower and the whole bathroom will start moving.

We used to live aboard. When we moved ashore,for the first couple of weeks, every time I sat on the porcelain throne, the bathroom bobbed back and forth