Fight Club____for Sailors

[banshee]

Had to pass on sailing Saturday, due other commitments and nasty weather - couldn't resist today, even with a forecast of rain, so out I went with a friend and his wife - it was dark and windy and choppy - we were having a nice ride when we decided to go an a reach and when the boat started 'surfing' I looked over saw the dreaded look on my friends face - sea sickness! crap - it was the first time the boat had reached its hull speed since I have owned her and it was wet and raw, but this was a great day - Did I mention that it was raining quite hard by now - oh well, it was time to head in - after only a few hours - but it was good while it lasted - a hint of autumn sailing in August!

comments/suggestions on a crew/guests that are inclined to seasickness - btw - I have been out with this guy several times - he loves to sail, just has a weak tummy.

Some may not understand, but this was one of the best sailing days of the summer. If there is wind, little else matters!

[Dewey Benson]

Originally Posted by banshee

comments/suggestions on a crew/guests that are inclined to seasickness - btw - I have been out with this guy several times - he loves to sail, just has a weak tummy.

Some may not understand, but this was one of the best sailing days of the summer. If there is wind, little else matters!

Sometimes nothing can help them, sometimes they will never get over it. For the early stages, I keep a very close eye on my guests and if they start to get quiet I give them somthing important to do. I have literally walked away from the helm and said "youve got to drive, there is somthing I need to do.

Many times this has worked, as they concentrate on an important task they are less and less disoriented. For this to work youve got to catch it at the first sign of less talkitiveness.

Don't let novices go below when first in a seaway. Give them time to adj to the motion where they can see and orient themselves with the horizon.

Keep saltine crackers on hand and feed it to them (thats what I usually get when I hand them the wheel, LOL).

Ginger ale, ginger beer ...NO BOOZE!

Good wind or not, it ain't no fun watching / hearing/ smelling someone warf.
God help you clean the cabin if you let them below once they kick off! If you have several people on board and one lights off it is likly to set a number of them off. You may find yourself clenching your jaws together when they start doing it all around you!

Meds, wrist bands, patches, all have been known to work sometimes. put them on / use them/ before they go sailing.

Dewey

[sailingdog]

Ginger snaps are good remedy too..provided they're made with real ginger... help settle the stomach and also the ginger works to counteract the nasuea.

Keeping them on deck and actively involved/busy really is important too.

Unfortunately, if one of them barfs, it will likely set the others off... so if you can avoid that, or at least have them barf over the lifelines, then it will minimize the impact on the other crew and minimize the amount of clean up.

[banshee]

Ginger snaps - reminds me of a different story - I had a dog that would always get car sick - unbelievable! - so I brought it to dog training class and the teacher said that I should feed her a few ginger snaps to calm her tummy - well to make a long story short - I was cleaning up ginger snap laced dog puke out of my back seat!

[banshee]

I learned long ago that the worst thing anyone can do when they feel queezy is to go below - it is the curse of death - and you are absolutely right - it is like dominos when one guest starts getting crummy tummy/techicolor yawn

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by banshee

Ginger snaps - reminds me of a different story - I had a dog that would always get car sick - unbelievable! - so I brought it to dog training class and the teacher said that I should feed her a few ginger snaps to calm her tummy - well to make a long story short - I was cleaning up ginger snap laced dog puke out of my back seat!

That must of been fun... Maybe you didn't feed the dog the ginger snaps early enough...

[knothead]

I have had good results with any product that contains meclizine as it's active ingredient. It can be taken less that an hour before getting underway. I've even used it after the onset of symptoms. One tab every 24 hours. Some brands are even chewable. If it makes me a little drowsy, I've never had a problem with it.

[banshee]

Meclizine is also used by some creative doctors to treat some auditory problems/dyslexia - my son had some central auditory processing problems when he was young and was prescribed meclizine (daily) - make sense since sea sickness is a balance thing (i.e. an ear thing).

[sailortjk1]

Singlehanded yesterday for 7 hours, averaged 6knots, topped out at 8.15 knots: for a 42 mile day sail in 3 - 5 foot chop. Does it get any better. Great weekend now back to work.

On another note, last week I installed a Raymarine remote control Autopilot. Its a pretty cool little tool, Auto Pilot in the palm of your hand, plus it is a repeater. My biggest fear is that I'll drop it overboard; that why its kept on either a belt clip and or a laynard.

[banshee]

tjk1: going to be in new buffalo and south bend in october