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7 Year Old Gets Sea Sick

12K views 47 replies 22 participants last post by  LookoutNW 
#1 · (Edited)
I go sailing with my 7 year old boy and he always says he feels sick (sea sick I assume). He says it is the smell of the salt in the ocean that makes his stomach upset. Says when the waves hit the side of the boat the salt smell comes out of the water and makes him sick. I ask him why at the beach the smell does not bother him- he says the land takes the smell away. On one trip the seas where rough and wind very strong and he did throw up (along with my wife, me and the dog- everyone but the 4 year old girl- the deck was quite a mess). Since then I make sure to only take him on down wind runs on light air days with small seas to get him back into sailing. His interest has been turned off due to his "sea sickness".

I think it is mostly a mental thing now, but how can I get him to forget about his past bad sea sickness experience and want to go sailing?
 
#42 ·
Some great advice here I would go with the Ginger one of my friends nibbles away on ginger biscuits and feels fine without they get seasick.

Have also used ginger biscuits with a friends dog that worked too.

I would put the seasick person on the helm it makes them focus on the horizon just be ready to take over when or if they get sick.
 
#43 ·
Casey,

Our kids help to spot lobster buoys here in the NorthEast. I tell them they do a great job (and they do), even when the youngest spots a buoy behind us. Keeping them busy and involved helps, and we encourage staying in the cockpit or on deck.

Note that the biggest waves we've seen are 4 to 5 feet, on a 50 foot, 14 ton boat - and that was just once. Usually we sail where it's fairly sheltered, and I avoid beating into waves when the kids are aboard.

I added ginger items to the boat this year. The miniature cans of ginger ale were a big hit. They were stored at kid-level in the galley so the kids could grab them on their own. Ginger cookies were not a big hit - I need to get a better kind and should try the ones you mentioned.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone (especially the one about watering down the ginger ale, Mimsy). Great thread.

Regards,
Brad
 
#46 ·
We reduced the liklihood of sea sickness by sleeping on the boat overnight before heading out, the sleep allows the inner ear to relax and adapt to the boat motion.

Others mentioned keeping busy, my sons managed the water providing drinks when they thought we were thirsty (otherwise known as water play) other things could be getting a squirt gun and allowing them to spray as much as they like (salt water is cheap entertainment).

As the kids grew older we would put them leg over on a staunchion and oversheet on a reach so they could splash in the water. Did this once through a racing fleet and had the crews laughing at the idiot with the boat oversheeted then they saw the kids and had a greater laugh when they realised the entertainment. Never lost a kid but you do need to look out for the big waves.
 
#47 ·
Me also

I've been experiencing motion sickness since a kid. I'm 55 now. My solution. I take the boat slow. I spend a week or so at dock then some bay sailing and then out to sea. I find that if I'm at the helm I do not get sick. The focus of what I'm doing really seems to help. I too however am looking for a magical cure of which there is none. Pills seem the only way to go but hate taking them. They tend to make me sicker than the sea. I wish they could just operate and fix that inner ear thing. Best of luck. Fortunately for me, my kids don't suffer as I do.
 
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