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Seasick Remedies

Other Remedies

I just read your seasickness article and found it really funny. Our family has been flying and sailing for over 40 years. I and my daughter cannot get 20 min from home in a car as passengers and have to you know what. We have so many stories about the problem that I could write a book.

We have also tried all the remedies in the letters except ginger. What I really have a hard time understanding, is why no one mentioned marezine. Most of the time a tablet will work taken 1//2 hour before leaving. My entire family, except my dad, suffers from the problem. He's the pilot. My daughter is now a sailboat captain and would not leave her home without marezine. It is hard to find and you usually need to order it. It has never been advertised but it is not a prescription. Once we give anyone a marezine on our boat, they are completely sold on it. My dad can do trick flying and I will not get sick.

This is the first letter I have ever written to any magazine.

Judy Stromsland
Custer Park. Illinois

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Dear Editor:

As I turn green easily, I enjoyed (sympathetically, of course) reading about the gamut of seasick remedies ranging from the serious to the seriously funny. I was surprised, however, that no one mentioned Marezine (generic: cyclizine). I've taken it for years with great success. It's available over the counter, and, as least for me, doesn't cause drowsiness like other over-the-counter solutions. And for a skipper or solo sailor, that's key.

Jacob Adams
Claremont, California

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Re: Request for seasickness stories and opinions

A few tidbits about seasickness may be of interest and value to meet your request for comments about the illness. My information is based on my own propensity to become seasick and my generally successful experience advising guests on board my sailboat on Lake Michigan.

A. Murphy’s Law of Seasickness

Seasickness will happen at the most embarrassing time, like when you are trying to impress a new date or advance a business relationship.

B. Principal causes of seasickness

1. Fatigue:

Fatigue, such as staying up all night the night prior to casting off a cruise, or getting to bed late because of last minute packing and closing up the house, etc., will compound any existing inclination for seasickness.

2. Tension and Anxiety:

These twins are the hand maidens of fatigue. Take a nap before casting off to relax and catch up on rest.

3. Lack of Food:

The hustle of leaving the office or home for the boat can preclude eating well (meat and potatoes type foods – nothing fancy or spicy hot). Perhaps the departure plan includes skipping a shore-side lunch to save time and you instead have a quick picnic lunch on board after shoving off. Although it may seem counterintuitive, failing to eat well before casting off can be a big no, no! Always relax and have a good meal beforehand. The combination of relaxing for a few moments and having proper food energy before shoving off are a winning combination.

4. Snacks on board:

I have had considerable success eating bread sandwiches (two pieces of fresh bread (no greasy or fatty filler such as butter and salami) and solid foods if my stomach became upset. Avoid cold chicken or greasy food such as last night’s leftover pizza. Candy bars (Snickers, Planters Peanut Bar, etc. work well). Consume whatever liquid you like (no hard liquor, but beer may be all right). (The jury is still out on the beer issue but a modicum of liquid is important.)

5. Chill:

If it is getting colder or weather, and the wind is picking up, don’t procrastinate putting on a jacket. Put on additional clothing before your body cools down. Don’t forget your head and legs are where most heat loss occurs. If you already are chilled, get below, lie down and take a nap to get warm again.

6. Queasiness and Nausea:

When nausea hits, don’t hold back and fight it. Select a place of your own choosing and, at the time of your choosing, get rid of it, which, now that you have become more relaxed, you may not so easily accomplish. Once gone, that should be the end of the nausea. Wash your mouth out, relax, laugh or take a nap and warm up and the trauma will be gone.

7. Rolling and pitching:

This combination, of forward and back, side to side, the so-called pitching and rolling, can be nearly impossible for almost anyone to withstand. Much of the discomfort of pitching and rolling can be caused by hull design about which you can nothing. The skipper should know of techniques to reduce pitching and rolling such reducing speed, changing the vessel’s angle of entrance to waves or wind, holding a steady course that keeps engine exhaust from being sucked back into the cockpit or cabin and raising a steadying sail.

If you want to avoid being forced to leave the vessel prematurely, it is best that you courteously disparage the way the captain/skipper/owner’s boat handles in seas (The vessel being the captain/skipper/owner’s baby, and dreamboat) before you get more insulting and aggressive by smiling and non-confrontationally “advising” the skipper that he/she should learn how to handle a vessel in choppy water, and then proceed to provide your suggested correcting instructions. And when you reach shore, don’t go on his/her vessel again, assuming the vessel was not yours to begin with and that you are never invited back.

C. Conclusion:

These methods do work on the great blue, without pills, experience, or training. Overnight you can appear a seasoned salt. And the only adverse foreseeable side effects would be the opinions of what had earlier been your friends and, for ladies, unintended alterations of your makeup, complexion and hair arrangement.

Peter Theis
McHenry, Illinois

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The winter of 1950-51 I was a radioman aboard a destroyer patrolling the North Korean coast.

We were shooting at anything that moved on land or sea. We stopped and sunk a lot of North Korean junks that were laying mines. We received a message that said there was a typhoon heading our direction and we had better head for open sea and ride it out. When it hit it was terrible. Wind snow and sleet. We kept thinking about the poor Marines and Army that were fighting on the ground. During the night, we would plow into the waves and the ship would shiver and shake them off. In the morning life lines were put up because we had 3 and 4 inches of ice on everything top side. The tin can wasn’t responding well. Life lines were put out for the safety of the crew. The deck force was out trying to beat some of the ice from the rigging and the gun turrets. Most of the crew was sick in some degree or another. We held 3 musters a day to make sure no one was washed overboard. At the end of the first day, a Philippino officers cook could not be located. They couldn’t find him the 2nd day either. Everyone (who wasn’t too sick) looked all over the ship for him. We all thought he had fallen overboard. On the 3rd day of the storm, it started to let us a little and the cooks thought they could maybe make something hot for the crew. They went down to one of the little compartments in the bottom of the ship to get something to cook. While they were down there they thought they heard a moan (other than the ships sounds). They listened again and it sounded like it was coming from a vent in the compartment. They got a flashlight and found the lost sailor laying back in the vent. He had taken the cover off, crawled in and put the cover back on. He was in bad shape. He hadn’t had food or water for 3 days. He did manage say, “leave me alone, I want to die!” We didn’t have much of a sick bay on a tin can, but they did help him some. They tied him on a bunk and forced water into him. About two days later as the storm slacked up enough to send him by hi-line to a carrier where they had a doctor I hope he got well.

Most of us were sick to some degree. But he was REALLY sick. I hope he made it and if he was smart, he joined the Army.

Bob Kline USN-R Ret
Spirit Lake, Louisiana

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In the summer of 2007 myself and two of my pals headed out on the waters of Saginaw Bay; a bay which forms the inside of Michigan's thumb in western Lake Huron. It was a "boys" day out with some brisk winds and steep waves of 3 feet or so. Up till that day I had never experienced sea sickness in any form. That said, herein lies a tale: After an hour or so of some close-hauled vigorous sailing we decided to take a little break and turned abeam to the wind. I headed below and selected some beverages from the reefer for my crew. After handing the bottles into the cockpit I noticed that some newspapers had slid off the settee onto the salon sole. Not wanting the slippery paper on the floor in the event of an emergency I tidied up the papers, and while doing so an article caught my eye. I began scanning the article and after about a minute or so I began to feel an unfamiliar queasiness. Nausea overcame me suddenly and with a vengeance. I rushed to the head, flipped up the seat and proceeded to do what sea sick people do best. As I hovered over the bowl, being close to it so as to not create an unnecessary mess on the floor of the head, the boat took a goodly wave on the beam and my trusty O'day 28 took a steep roll to starboard. As the port side rose and the boat heeled the lid to the head slammed down. As things worked out the back of my head took a stout whack driving my cranium further into the bowl. As if this weren't enough; my now mutinous crew witnessed the entire Homer Simpson moment through the companionway. My retching was accompanied by howls of laughter from the cockpit. As I said this was my first and, to date, my only bout with seasickness. It was however, a doozy.

Mike Glover
S/B Pitterpat

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I used to be very susceptible to seasickness, but I have been cured. The way it happened is nothing less than a miracle - and good fodder for a story -- which I'm about to tell.

I love fishing on the ocean, but have always had an issue with seasickness. I come from a family where almost everyone suffers from this affliction and I was no exception. Every time I went out on the ocean, the queasiness hit, starting mildly and within a short time I was hanging off the side of the boat laying a chum line. I recall going on a bluefishing head boat one evening and, as I was hanging over the side chumming and fishing at the same time, overheard some other fishermen saying, "man - that guy looks bad.... But he's still fishing!" Anyway, every time I went fishing I had to carefully plan what I ate the day before, make sure to take my Dramamine, and bring water and ginger ale to drink (no food!). Even then I got seasick and was always glad to get back in the Inter-Coastal waterway where the seasickness magically went away.

A few years ago I was down on the Outer Banks in North Carolina with a friend and we wanted to go out on a fishing boat. The local tackle shop told us to go to the Hatteras Marina on Saturday and get on the head boat there. They told us that it goes out for half-day trips in the Pamlico Sound where I wouldn't need to worry about getting seasick. So we headed down on Saturday morning and found the boat. It was loaded with guys, motor running, and the mate was pulling in the lines. The guys on the boat were waving and yelling to us to hurry up. So we ran aboard as fast as we could just making it as the boat was pulling from the dock.

Being that we were going to be on the sound side and only for a half day, I had skipped my usual routine of careful eating and taking my Dramamine and since we were so rushed to get aboard, I had forgotten my cooler. I had no water, no ginger ale, no Dramamine, and no preparation - I was a bit worried about that, but couldn't do anything about it.

As we were navigating out I began to notice something odd. Everyone on the back of the boat was wearing the same style and color baseball hat. Strange I thought.... So I walked around the boat looking at hats. Everyone - except me and my friend - was wearing the same hat. I asked one of the mates about it and he started laughing and saying, "You're kidding me - right?". After a while we both realized something - I wasn't kidding and we were not on a head boat going out for a half day in the sound. Turns out we were on a private charter heading offshore for a 12 hour Gulf Stream trip! The mate ran up the ladder to the pilot house and the boat immediately stopped. The captain came over the loudspeaker announcing that there were two "stowaways" on board and they had better come see him IMMEDIATELY!

To make a long story short, in order to preserve our safety, we agreed to pay the cost of the trip and stay on board rather than making a boat full of fishermen go all the way back to the dock to let us off (we weren't wearing life jackets and getting thrown overboard was a concern)!

So there I was - on a 12 hour offshore fishing trip with no Dramamine, no water, and no Ginger ale! The seasickness started creeping up. When I got to the point where I thought I was finished, I went to the side of the boat, sat on the bench, put my feet up on the rail and tried to sleep it off. I was sitting there in a deep trance, sleeping but not asleep, trying to deny that I was about 5 seconds away from being a one man chum line when the mate walked up to me, slapped me on leg, and said in a loud voice, "How's that Yankee stow away?"

I was totally caught by surprise and jumped out of my skin. Startled like I've never been before (or since), the adrenaline kicked in full force. My seasickness instantly disappeared and to my total amazement - never came back - ever. We had a great day fishing and to this day I can still go out on the ocean and not feel seasick!

Steve Vogel,
Medford, New Jersey

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I was a commercial fisherman (crabber) for two years and during that time I brought along about 15 observers who wanted to see how everything was done and have a day out on the Ocean. Every person I brought along went through almost the exact same sequence. They were very excited on shore and as we were motoring out to the traps. Once I starting working the traps, they began to get ill. Pulling traps has the same effect as being anchored, the boat turns sideways to the swell and the diesel exhaust starts swirling in the air. After a few minutes of the rolling motion, all of my guests were seasick and getting sick over the side. They would then be quiet for about half an hour and then begin feeling better. Then for the rest of the day they were fine and enjoyed it. After the first couple of observers, I began warning people that they would get sick but people still wanted the experience.

I'm also an avid sailor and have a couple rules I follow. I avoid greasy food and too much alcohol (that includes the night before). I believe that people get seasick for several reasons. The first and most important is the stress of the situation, if they are in an unfamiliar situation or on a boat for the first time and are unsure what to expect they can get very nervous (think stage fright). The second seems to be slow movement rolling. Whenever I have guests aboard and we're moving, there's no problems, once we slow down or stop is when the issues begin. The third is smells. If you have fish cuttings or diesel fumes, try to stay upwind of these and that will help.

Finally, I believe that a person can acclimate to the situation over time. I didn't try this, so I don't know for sure, but I strongly believe that if I had taken the same observer along crabbing every single day for the whole year that after a few months they would no longer become seasick and that their body and mind would be accustomed to the experience.

Dan Beck
Ventura, California

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This letter is in response to a request from Seaworthy Magazine for info on seasickness cures. My husband Don and I both fish at least once a week. We are also terribly prone to seasickness. The best remedy that we have come up with so far (besides staying home), is Meclizine HCI 25 mg. We first started using this under the name of Bonine. I have since found out that I can buy 100 tablets at a time, for a greatly reduced price, by asking for it at the pharmacy counter. Like I said, we fish a lot. I tried a patch behind the ear once, but all I wanted to do all day was sleep.

When we went to Alaska to catch halibut, we were prepared for the bad seas there. We took one tablet each before bed and another in the morning, and he took another one in the late morning. The seas getting out of the inlet at Homer, Ak, the first morning were seven feet. Don stood outside the back door to insure that he did not get ill, (fresh air helps) while I was able to remain in the cabin. The rest of the day was moderate swells, but we were both fine.

Other tips that I can offer is to eat a muffin or toast for breakfast when going on the water. Do not drink beer or wine the night before. Keep crackers or potato chips, etc. to munch on if stomach feels funny. Even with the Bonine, I will occasionally get queasy if I try to read anything. I program our GPS, and I threaten mutiny if Don tries to leave the dock before I have our info entered for the day. We also pre-rig our tackle the night before so it can be snapped on and baited, with plenty of extras available. Do not look down if at all possible. If I have to do or undo a knot or tangle of any type, I hold it up at eye level. Stay out of the cabin as much as possible. I keep a small container on board so I do not have to go below for restroom facilities.

If you are drifting to fish and feel bad, start the motor and drive for a while until you feel better. The driving and having the boat moving without the rocking always seems to help. With all of these precautions, I have occasionally felt bad for a short period of time. I watch the horizon and concentrate on breathing slowly until the feeling passes. I have never thrown up on a boat.

Melanie Bayford
Gloucester, Virginia

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Even though you did ask for "cures" I wasn't exactly sure what you wanted. In my opinion, a guaranteed technique to "prevent" sickness is to pop a couple of Dramamine 45 minutes before you sail. However, in my opinion also (and I have never tried Scopolamine) the only "cure" is to head for land. I tell all my guests to take Dramamine - some do and some won't. I also tell them that, if anyone gets sick, I will head for land immediately and I "have" done it 2 or 3 times. Fortunately, I have power. I would subject no one to this terrible feeling regardless of accidental or carelessness caused attacks. I will always head for land immediately.

Steve Radez
Tiara 5200 pilot
Chicago, Lake Michigan

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There are two remedies we use, but prevention is the best cure. for this we use BONINE, an OTC medication with very few side effects.

If the unfortunate happens, and illness sets in, try the two old standards:
1) Ginger ale, not the clear kind, but the brown kind, or ginger beer (non-alcoholic). The stronger the ginger flavor the better.
2) this sounds cruel, but split pea soup works well. when we were on a cruise in the Caribbean, the weather was bad, and many passengers felt ill, so the cook came up with pea soup as a first course for dinner. When I teased him about being cruel, he said that the soup works well to settle, and calm the stomach.

Also get out of the cabin, and focus on the horizon, as it does not move, and will settle your mind.

R. Duda
S.V. SNAFU (Sailing Normal, all FOULED up).....at least that's what I told my wife.
Roscoe, Illinois

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I have spent the better part of the past 30 years on the water. Many years racing sailboats on the Gulf of Mexico, to include a couple of gulf crossings, as well as, many years on inland lakes. I am not prone to seasickness and have not in the past prepared for the prospect of becoming ill while on the water. While many of my fellow crew members never left the dock without a "patch" or similar preventive measure, I was always proud to be one of the few that did not require such "silly" procedures.

It happened one day, of all places, on an inland lake, during a rough wind aboard a 23 foot sailboat. Of course I was not prepared for the feeling that came over me. The feeling that stopped me in my tracks. As I slowly fell to my knees, then a full sprawling out on the cramped bow of the 23 footer, my ole buddy Ted Kennedy ( No, not "that" Ted Kennedy) yelled to me from the cockpit to eat some "orange crackers". I didn't understand what he meant by "orange crackers" until he tossed a package up to me on the bow. "Orange crackers", you know the ones I am talking about. Small, square, with peanut butter or cheese in the middle, usually in a package of six. Well, as bad as I felt, I was willing to try anything, so I downed a six pack of orange peanut butter crackers. Believe it or not, I was soon on my way to recovery. I thought, it was a miracle! This event made such an impression, I have used this remedy on two other occasions. Both times it worked like a charm. I have even administered this procedure on others with similar success. So, needless to say, I am always supplied with a package of "orange crackers" while on the water. They are even tasty for an afternoon snack!

Robert Kuhn
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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With respect to Vol.26 No.3 of Seaworthy and your back cover article on the above subject, I offer the following:

"I can vouch for the wristbands with the pressure point 'buttons', as in the mid-1980s, my wife and I joined an Audubon Society expedition to look at penguins and albatrosses and things in Antartica - not as died-in-the wool bird watchers, but as the most practical way to "sail" around Cape Horn in fulfillment of a life-long ambition. Ninety-five percent of the passengers (and many of the crew) responded to force 10 and 11 conditions by being violently green and avoiding all meals. We never took these contraptions off our wrists for fourteen days; never missed a dinner; and enjoyed a nice shower every day.

This was altogether a much more civilized way to deal with the situation, than that which I experienced in the late 1960s delivering a racing yacht up the Pacific Coast from Newport Beach to San Francisco. Seven of us - all experienced bluewater sailors - took some terrific punishment for two days in 50 knot head winds and huge seas. Five of our merry little band would not stir out of their bunks which left me and Dick Bernstein (of "Bernstein's Fish Grotto" in San Francisco) to sail the boat.

I chose not to leave the cockpit, grimly fixing my sight on some imaginary horizon, while Dick was happily consuming open face sandwiches of peanut butter and Bermuda onion on dark rye, while smoking a filthy cheap cigar.   I tried one of the sandwiches and immediately felt better, but could not bring myself to complement this with the cigar. It was pointed out by others of the crew in defense of their mutiny, the cigar might have been a contributory factor to their condition.

Take your pick.   Personally, I would opt for the wristbands, but if you have the guts to try it (no pun intended), the peanut butter and Bermuda onion on rye really works. I cannot recommend the cigar."

John Colver
Belvedere, California

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My experience is that I’ve gotten seasick on my three sails from Bermuda to the Chesapeake Bay. This is typically a six-day sail. I wore the Scopolamine patch every time. This was in the late 80’s, before the product recall. I think it helped, though, because I didn’t have an opportunity to apply it until departure on my first trip, and I got sick the worst. In all three cases, however, I acclimated in 2 ∏ to 3 days, and was fine from then on.

I also note that there were eight men on the second trip from Bermuda. Prior to the trip there were statements by some that they never get seasick. About the second day out, however, I noticed that all of us were eating things like pretzels and potato chips, but no real food. While only myself and one other man were occasionally “feeding the fish”, the others were all lethargic. There was also some loud belching, as I’ve never heard before or since. I had been the last one to eat, as I ate a sandwich on our departure from Bermuda. About this time I realized that I was getting very hungry. Since I was starting to feel better, I offered to make a meal for everyone. Two others accepted my offer, while the other five declined. No one else felt like cooking or eating. All but one or two ate the meal when it was ready, about 30-45 minutes later. This meal consisted of boiled new potatoes, some heated meat from a can, some string beans and warm garlic bread.

Therefore, while only two of us threw-up for the first two days, all were lethargic. Does this mean we were all seasick? I think so.

What I’m confident is an effective solution is for the lethargic person to take the helm. I’ve noted with others on numerous occasions, on less than open ocean, that having a queasy crew take the helm has never failed to work. By less than open ocean I refer to the New England Coast, the Chesapeake Bay, San Yuan Islands, Greece, etc.

Another possible solution, which I have not tried but believe is credible, is to lie down in a bunk amidships, with eyes closed and no fast movements of the head. The reason for not turning one’s head quickly is to avoid getting the fluid in the inner ear canals going.

Rick Izard
Quakertown, Pennsylvania

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In reference to the article about Seasickness:

I have been boating and fishing for many years and have experienced first hand the dreaded feeling while far offshore and in rough waters.

While traveling overseas on a foreign [Italian] carrier I tried a capsule [Xamamina] that the crew had in the aircraft first aid kit on board and was amazed at the results.

I bought plenty more while there and from time to time gave some to friends and some complete strangers in times of need, they were also amazed at how well these capsules worked and thanked me profusely.

The only side effects are a slight dry mouth feeling.

I am enclosing a copy of the product package, I have tried to locate a local equivalent at drug stores, the closest thing to it is Dramamine, but obviously it does not work as well and it makes me very drowsy.

One capsule will do it before you sail.

Please note that I have also given it to one young fellow that was in terrible shape while dry heaving for several hours and am happy to say that it stopped his problem within fifteen minutes and he felt a lot better afterwards.

Sincerely, George Santucci
Great River, New York

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To the Editors:

During college I studied Tai Chi and with the guidance of the instructor and diligent practice was able to develop awareness of the body’s internal life force, what the Chinese call “Chi”.

As a child I was always a high “sea-sick” risk. Now, to my great delight, when I went out with my Dad on his boat, I found that the “sea legs” were already there! The “liquid” feeling of sea legs, is basically the experience of “Chi” for a Westerner.

It can take 6 to 24 months of diligent practice of Tai Chi and Chi Kung (energy/breathing exercises) to develop awareness, familiarity and rudimentary skill with one’s Chi. For some people, it can take 10 years or more. This is mostly a matter of how good a teacher you have and how “open” you are and able to open your mind to something new.

In any event, if you find your Chi, you will be all but cured of sea sickness.

Sincerely yours,

Moshe Eliovson
Fairfield, Connecticut

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People are always amazed when I reveal I am the most seasick prone person I have come across, since I have sailed for over 30 years and owned multiple boats. My opinion is that there are people that never or hardly ever get seasick and then there are people who do, fairly easily. If you get seasick easily I don’t think you can ever totally get rid of it altogether. I do believe you can manage it, so that it doesn’t stop you from getting out on the water and enjoying yourself. Here are some good ways I manage my own seasickness while sailing every week end.
•     If possible, sleep on the boat before going boating. Your body will begin to naturally acclimate to the water motion du ring the night. Once you leave the dock, limit going below into the cabin. If you must go below to get clothing, food or go to the head, do your business as quickly as possible. Pre-make sandwiches ahead of time and have clothing out and ready to grab easily.
•     Have good food in your stomach. Eat a bit of breakfast and lunch. Somewhat like morning sickness – crackers, toast and protein helps with nausea. Don’t drink alcohol until you get back to the dock. Don’t get on the boat with a hang over from the night before.
•     Dress appropriate for the outdoor conditions. Wear layers to take off or add on to maintain regular body temperature. Become active in helping the captain sail the boat. S ometimes the attention change can be helpful.
•     If I must hang out below I will close my eyes while sitting on the toilet, or while lying on a bunk. Some how if your eyes are closed it helps.

I have tried almost all seasickness bands, ginger and other medications with no luck with the exception of a prescription patch that goes behind your ear. It worked for me before they took it off the market and I use it again now that they have it out again. It works well for me and I don’t seem to have any side effects, nor do I get sleepy. I do use a patch when I know the boating experience will be beyond the usual such as going out the Golden Gate Bridge in confused seas, fishing on boats with diesel fumes, sailing20for hours with a beam-sea or laying at anchor with a lot of surge knocking the boat up and down continuously. Hopefully some of these ideas help you manage your seasickness and keep you having fun out on the water.

Renee DeMar
Morgan 43
San Francisco, California

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A friend of mine was always prone to seasickness and spent most sails with friends dozing from the effects of motion sickness products. Then we decided to buy a 29 foot Sabre together. Her seasickness immediately stopped and she swears that the cure for seasickness is paying a boat loan.

Patricia Pap
West Barnstable, Massachusetts

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In the summer of 2007 myself and two of my pals headed out on the waters of Saginaw Bay; a bay which forms the inside of Michigan's thumb in western Lake Huron. It was a "boys" day out with some brisk winds and steep waves of 3 feet or so. Up till that day I had never experienced sea sickness in any form. That said, herein lies a tale: After an hour or so of some close-hauled vigorous sailing we decided to take a little break and turned abeam to the wind. I headed below and selected some beverages from the reefer for my crew. After handing the bottles into the cockpit I noticed that some newspapers had slid off the settee onto the salon sole. Not wanting the slippery paper on the floor in the event of an emergency I tidied up the papers, and while doing so an article caught my eye. I began scanning the article and after about a minute or so I began to feel an unfamiliar queasiness. Nausea overcame me suddenly and with a vengeance. I rushed to the head, flipped up the seat and proceeded to do what sea sick people do best. As I hovered over the bowl, being close to it so as to not create an unnecessary mess on the floor of the head, the boat took a goodly wave on the beam and my trusty O'day 28 took a steep roll to starboard. As the port side rose and the boat heeled the lid to the head slammed down. As things worked out the back of my head took a stout whack driving my cranium further into the bowl. As if this weren't enough; my now mutinous crew witnessed the entire Homer Simpson moment through the companion way. My retching was accompanied by howls of laughter from the cockpit. As I said this was my first and, to date, my only bout with sea sickness. It was however, a doozy.

Mike Glover
S/B Pitterpat

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Folks, I lived in Florida for 18 years, and fished the ocean for most of those. As a young person I had a lot of trouble with "the greens". I believe a large percentage of the problem is mental, i.e. if you worry about getting sick, or see someone else who is, than you probably will. I loved the seas and was determined to eliminate seasickness from my weekly fishing trip. I read somewhere that shortly before leaving the dock, one should eat several dry saltine crackers and half an apple. I did so and got immediate positive results. This became my usual routine in the mornings, and I can't recall a time when it didn't work. After some years, I got true sea legs and the problem was not even a consideration. I fished many a rough sea without any snack with no problem. I do believe in the mental thing, but also that it is important to keep food in your stomach that is easily digestible (not bacon and eggs). This survey of yours is going to be a hoot.

Ed Russell
Flat Rock, North Carolina

Could not resist sending this one.

Q,Why is a Scotsman never seasick?
A.Because he leans over the side with a $50 note between his teeth !!!

From a Scotsman living in Upstate New York

Angus Mackenzie
"Silvander 11"
Pultneyville Yacht Club
Lake Ontario NY

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I was fortunate enough to take dive lessons in the Bahamas from a dive master that suffered from seasickness. He recommended a medication I could purchase from the pharmacy that doctors give to expectant mothers for morning sickness. Sturgeron Forte has been a blessing since and I always have it on board. I can't tell when seas are going to make me ill so at the first sign of a rolling stomach, I take 1/2 a pill and go about my business. Within 1/2 hour, all feelings of queasiness are gone.
Sadly, this medication is not available in the USA but can be purchased online. Hope that helps someone else out there living life on the water.
Sharon of Lead Free Too

I had to find my box of meds. They are 75 mg and I take 1/4 to 1/2 a pill when I start feeling funny. Hope that helps.
Sharon

And you are right, I have NO side effects.

Sharon

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I sailed around the world on a 31’ ketch, and I do get seasick. I tried everything. I even tried taping an aspirin to my belly button, something that I had heard might work. It didn’t. After a year and a half of misery, I met another sailor in Pohnpei, Micronesia who had a cure. Her name was Joyce from the S/V “Just Do It.” She recommended the following: 25mg. of phenergan (promethazine hydrochloride), 30-40mg. of non-drowsy Sudafed, and 15mg. of Stugeron (cinnarizine). This combination, taken every six hours, and sometimes in smaller doses, depending upon the weather, was what helped me make it around the world. Our trip was during the 1994-2000 time period. We had lots of other angels, like Joyce, who helped us along the way. We are grateful to all of them. Stugeron is a European seasickness medicine that was available outside of the United States at the time of our trip.

Sincerely,
Mary Harmon

White Salmon, Washington

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Here is what not to do when the water kicks up and it gats rough out there.
While on fishing trip, the seas began to pick up so I chose to take a pink seasickness pill just to be cautious. As the seas increased I began to feel a little off but not that I couldn't fish. Then the waves were about 10 feet and the stern of the 120-foot boat was coming out of the water and slamming down. Did I get sick all through the trip back, 50 miles plus. Upon arriving I hit the dock and immediately felt good, but thought those pills didn't work well so I wanted to check the brand name. Yeah, I took a pink decongestant instead. I did note I had clear nasal passages. The motto: read the label.

Judd Rocciola
Brielle, New Jersey

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I have been a boater since age 6. I am no stranger to motion sickness, both car and seasickness. I am an Otolaryngologist (Ear,Nose,Throat) specialist who deals heavily with inner ear problems since 1980.

I enjoyed your article on seasickness. There is no ultimate treatment. The problem is the balance and motion apparatus of the inner ear. Even seasoned sailors can get seasickness.

Medical therapy works the best, regardless of anecdotal reports of Relief Bands, copper bracelets, etc. There is no medical evidence to support efficacy. Accupuncture works, but my acupuncturist is seldom around when the seas get rough. The quickest and most effective drug is scopolamine, applied by a transdermal patch delivery system. Hallucinations were mentioned in your article, but these are rare. Most troublesome is the blurred vision side effect, which could affect a skipper's ability to function. Dry mouth is also common. Meclizine (generic Antivert) works well for most people, is available in a 12.5mg dose for children and seniors, and a 25mg dose for adults. It does sedate heavily. So does over the counter Dramamine or Bonine. In a pinch, even benadryl can be used efficaciously, since the previously mentioned three drugs are antihistamine in configuration.

There are exercises that can be used for "vestibular habituation". My daughter is a figure skater, and can spin around twenty or thirty revolutions, and come out to glide backward on one skate. I would be flat on the floor/deck. Her balance canals are habituated to the motion. I have used these "Cawthorne exercises" on numerous patients, and they do work. Although not invented for seasickness, they do work in most cases to make seasick-prone people less susceptible.

Keep up your great publication!

Regards,

Joseph P Gavron MD
Palos Park, Illinois

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Gentlemen,
I read your article on the back of the July issue of Seaworthy recently and had few thoughts to share with you concerning sea sickness. My brother and I (both in our 40’s) fish a 28 foot Bertram Express out of Corpus Christi, Texas. David and I were born in Corpus Christi and lived most of our childhood weekends fishing the waters of the area bays and Gulf of Mexico. My dad took us fishing on his wooden Chris Craft more times than I can count yet he never got sea sick. Of the two of us, my brother was blessed with immunity to sea sickness. As long as I can remember however I never turned down a chance to fish in the Gulf but I always got sea sick. I have tried every combination of remedy known but none of them seem to work for me, including Scopolamine (“the patch”) that you referred to in the article. Dad believes everyone is prone to motion sickness given the right circumstances (though he has never encountered it). An old Gulf shrimp boat captain he once knew (Nathan Bodwin) told him “if you haven’t been sea sick, you haven’t been out enough”. That may be true.
I believe motion sickness is genetic however. You either have it or you don’t. I got it and my brother didn’t. For me it starts with a sense of disorientation and ends with tossing your toe nails until the motion stops or I simply go to sleep after the exhaustion of being sick! Sea sickness arguably is one of the worst sicknesses you can get. It has ruined more trips for me than I can recall yet I love to go offshore. This weekend David and I fished the Gulf again in 2-3’s. All three of my kids got sick but his daughter didn’t! I passed along the seasickness gene. Tell me it isn’t genetic!
Through the years I have learned to deal with it in different ways. I have a fairly high tolerance to seas less than 3 feet. Any bigger and I stay home. I find that keeping your head in the wind and eyes focused on a stationary object (such as an oil platform, distant boat or horizon) works best for me. Medicines (prescribed or over the counter) just put me to sleep. If I go in the cabin of the boat in rough seas, I’m done. I always gimbal my body against the motion of the boat and rarely sit (or lie down) for long periods of time. If you love the water as I do, staying home isn’t an option. Just pick your weather and sea conditions, know your abilities and stay focused on the horizon. It works for me (sometimes), I have the sea sickness gene.

Jon Triplett
San Antonio, Texas

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I had been seasick for years including my time in the Navy on a destroyer. For 30 years I have tried everything that I heard about or that was recommended to me. Finally, about 8 years ago I found the cure that works for me. It is an over the counter drug call Marezine. I take one tablet before going to bed the night before heading out to sea. I take the next one about a half-hour before leaving the shoreline. It is also best to have something in your stomach at all times. The best food I have found for eating at sea is soda crackers. Just nibble on them as soon as you can and during the first few hours of the trip. I have used the formula on several of my friends and it has also worked for them including one that told me he has never been on a boat without getting sea sick. Good Luck!

Jim Bailey

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I've been sailing since '66, and have enjoyed cruises on various sizes of cruise ships (from 50 to 2000 passengers), and enjoyed bareboat charter cruising many times.

I'd like to share my methodology for effectively coping with my severe tendency to get seasick. After many different trials of drugs and gadgets, I have found that taking Meclizine (Bonine) at least 18 hours before motion begins is KEY! Thereafter, I take 1/2 of a 25 mg Meclizine tablet every morning and evening until reaching shore. The directions on most pills for seasickness prevention speak of 2 - 4 hours before exposure. This simply is not enough time for the drug to get fully distributed in your body. This works so well, that I remained "under control" during a flight in a twin-engine DASH 8
flying through a severe frontal passage with serious-looking thunderheads all around us. My wife who is motion sickness-resistant, didn't use my Meclizine, got very ill on that flight.

Another item of interest is that the Scopolamine patch, for a few (unlucky) individuals, can CAUSE one to suffer seasickness symptoms. Back in the early '90s, I spent 3-1/2 days bringing a 25-foot sailboat from New London, CT to Chelsea, NY. During that time I wore a Scopolamine patch with no negative results. Immediately after this, we flew to the BVI to begin a week of bareboat sailing. At this point, I was on my second patch (I get airsick too). When we left the dock, I began to feel that familiar unease, and thinking the patch had gone flat, put another one on. Unfortunately, the nausea did not recede, and the only time I felt comfortable was when I was snorkeling, or sleeping. Fighting the nausea finally became too much, and we aborted our vacation trip. The nausea, and some vertigo, persisted even after I arrived home, and my wife called Ciba-Geigy, the manufacturer of the Scop Transdermic patch. The authority there told her that I was one in 100,000 that develops this side-effect from this drug. I was told to get on a tranquilizer, and drink lots of water. It took about 10 days to fully rid myself of the side-effects' symptoms, and never considered using the patch again.

BTW: I believe the problems related to the patch's temporary withdrawal was with too great a variance in the dosage being passed through the patch membrane to the skin. I don't think my problem was related to Ciba-Geigy's manufacturing problem.

Herm Schiller
New Bern, North Carolina

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Thank you for featuring an article on Seasickness. That and weather are the most frequent topics aboard when I sail.

Whether I am at the mooring, Captaining my own 36' Sail boat, crewing 50 nm offshore on a local 171' Tall ship, training Customers on a local 30 ' Sailboat, Assisting the local Mooring Services barge, Fishing 20 nm offshore, or transiting on a ferry, I am aware of the problem, and hear similar concerns from others aboard.

I manage myself VERY CAREFULLY to prevent it. I rest before the voyage. I do not drink alcohol. I eat small amounts frequently. I Consume breads, peanuts, and crackers. I do not consume spicy or heavy, oily foods. I do not consume my favorite: ice cream. I take Dramimine, 1/2 dose at a time, more frequently. I stay out of closed areas, and visit the head only when I really feel the need. I sip water or tea.

I avoid strong smells, and if I have to clean up after someone else, I wear a clothespin on my nose.

I notice that feeling hungry makes me more vulnerable to Seasickness. When I transit in a ferry, I take a seat low on the inside, with an eye on the windows. I stay put, and avoid the head if possible. When I notice others aboard who are not doing well, I give them crackers, and put them at the helm. Works every time!! I can't say I have never been seasick. Once, while pregnant, I lost my lunch overboard. I tell my shipmates, if they see me lose lunch, something is really wrong!!!!!!!!!

Beth Wolfe
Salem, Massachusetts

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Back in the 90s I spent over a year serving on the replica 18th century brig, Lady Washington, out of Aberdeen, WA. A brig, you may recall, has two masts with square sails on both masts. She is 112’ OAL, 22’ beam, weighs 170 tons and the main mast is 98’ tall. As a cargo vessel she is captious; in modern terms “tubby” and rather round in cross section with a bow designed to be buoyant, bluff, not pointy and sleek. SAILING a vessel such as this is one of the true joys of living, but MOTERING the same vessel into the wind and waves along the NW coast in December is a truly wretched experience. This is what we were asked to do, motor into the wind from Aberdeen to Neah Bay, WA, just inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We waited for a storm to pass, then ventured out over one of the roughest bars in the US into the Pacific. The seas weren’t so large but they were very steep and close together, but what was worse, they were disturbed, very disturbed. One would come from the W and the next from the NW etc. Even though we had 6 or 8’ of freeboard, it isn’t uncommon, under normal circumstances, to bury the gunwale, but one has a reasonable expectation that the other gunwale will be buried in about 10 seconds. Not this time. We would bury the starboard gunwale, come back to center and suddenly bury the starboard gunwale again or the reverse or in any combination.

Meanwhile the jib boom (the pole like extension to the bow sprit) would be alternately buried and 30’ in the air, frequently creating zero gravity in the forecastle on its way down. Several times during zero gravity moments the vessel would lurch to one side or the other leaving the sleeping watch below laying on the forecastle sole. We had a very experienced crew, many of whom had never been seasick. This included a retired research vessel captain, our red hot deckhand, a few who occasionally became sick and at least one experienced hand who was always sick on the ocean. We would usually sail with 8 to 12 crew and EVERYONE was sick. It was wretched. I had 30+ years boating experience and was never sick until I got on the Lady Washington motoring into the wind. The only sure cure is to get into calm water. We laid at anchor in Neah Bay for a day or two, gently rocking back and forth. When the cameras and actors arrived to make part of an I Max movie depicting the wretched conditions experienced by Chinese immigrants to the NW in the 19th century, we headed back to the ocean. By this time all the crew was accustomed to rocking at anchor and none of us, even the most susceptible, were sick. The actors, however, didn’t need to act wretched; they truly were wretched. After the shoot we headed back to Aberdeen in similar ocean conditions, but NO ONE got sick. Laying at anchor with gentle wave action for a day or two is the cure.

Capt Don Minnerly

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I am a lifetime boater with over 50 years of experience, and also susceptible to seasickness. I've had seasickness several dozen times. Here is what I've learned about avoiding seasickness on a small boat:
The root cause of seasickness is when your brain loses its sense of balance. On land the brain maintains balance primarily with input from your feet and eyes. On a rocking boat, the feet are no longer reliable, so only the eyes are left to keep the brain informed as to balance. To avoid the loss of balance, and seasickness, do the following while on a rocking boat.

1. Never, Never look down at your feet or the deck for more than 5seconds! If you must look down to release a fish or pick up something, look down for 5 seconds, then look up at the horizon to reestablish your frame of reference. If you look down, losing the horizon for more than 5 seconds, you can be instantly seasick!
2. Don't become firmly attached to the rocking boat. Your head must remain vertical. Let your arms, knees and waist "gimbal" as the boat rocks. Sitting can be a problem. Keep standing if possible. If you must sit, lean forward and keep your head vertical, counteracting the movement of the boat.
Also keep your eyes on the horizon, thus giving your brain an immovable frame of reference.

3. Don't go below. It is the same as looking down in that you lose the immovable frame of reference. If you feel the first pangs of seasickness, get some fresh air in your face while doing all the above. The fresh air helps.

These rules help me and my crew avoid seasickness. When I do feel woozy, I can usually remember violating one of these rules.

Devar Burbage
Potomac, Maryland

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There is a cure. We would not have a space program without it. It is Promethazine 50 mg and 25 mg pseudo-ephedrine, taken once every 12 hours. In English Phenergan and Actifed. I have had it aboard my sailboat for 25 years. It works even if you are vomiting as long as you can hold it down for 5 minutes. The relief is immediate. The reason the ephedrine or the pseudo variety is taken is to counter the drowsiness that sometimes occurs when you take Promethazine.
Promethazine is a prescription drug in the US but available over the counter in most countries. If you are prone to seasickness you should take it ashore to make sure you are not the 1 in a 1000 people who experience side effects.See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promethazine for the technical details.

Chris Warner
Sailboat PANTHER
Seattle, Washington

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Hi there: Read your latest issue of Seaworthy Mag. I have been boating/sailing for over 25 years and have made deliveries from Maine to Florida and to the Virgin Islands and back. In all those miles traveled I have been seasick to the point where you are afraid you are going to die, then to the point where you are afraid you are not going to die. I have tried every remedy available in the US and nothing worked. However there is a product available only in the UK, including Bermuda and the British Islands in the Caribbean. It is called Stugeron 15 made by McNeil Ltd of England. It works for me and others I have recommend it to. My wife even uses it on long car or plane trips. Hope this helps other boaters.

Charlie Garrett

Oriental, North Carolina

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Dear Learned Scholars,


For the most part, sea sickness is caused by an imbalance between the semi circular canals of the right and left ears. It’s called bilateral labyrinth imbalance. When the boat rocks, (especially slowly) these semi-circular canals get out of sync, out of balance, and your brain gets really confused& i.e. sick!

So, think about this: your balance is controlled by your contra lateral hemispheres of your brain. In other words, the side opposite your handedness.

Try this, get a set of earplugs at your nearest pharmacy or gun shop, (you ll only need one but they only come in pairs). Put the plug in the ear opposite your handedness. If your right-handed, put the plug in your left ear, then it would be the opposite if you are a lefty. Hint: put it in before you think you’re going to get sick.

You won’t hear too well out of the plugged ear but you won’t even care! I’ve seen my son-in-law stick a paper napkin in his ear when he can’t find his plugs, looks like a clown, but he doesn’t care!

If you don’t try this, you’re crazy!

Sincerely yours,

B. Philip Lee, D.D.S.
Westford, Massachusetts

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This, you will find unbelievable, but it works. Place a piece of newspaper between your shirt and your stomach. It works every time. People who are just about to throw up do this and it cures them in minutes. It really does work. We were crossing the bay from the Chester river to the Servern River years ago in 6 - 8' seas. My wife was just sick, sick, sick. Her brother, captain of the 40' vessel, told her to do the newspaper thing, and in minutes she was ok. Ask your readers if they have ever heard of this, we can't be the only ones.

Ralph Walker
Venice, Florida

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I am a victim of motion sickness and have tried everything from the scopolamine patch which dilated fmy pupil for days after taking using it. The wrist bands weren't bad, but the dramamine made me sleep through my entire trip, even when it wasn't supposed to do it. Ginger sometimes helps but the best thing that I have found is Motion Ease. Its a liquid that you put behind both ears, can be readministered any time its needed, has helped me ride on planes, boats and amusement rides that were off limits in the past. A small bottle costs less than $20 last time I got it, can be ordered on line at www.motionease.com or over the phone at 888-212-5503, lasts years and is all natural. I think I could be a sales person for this product since I have also bought it for several friends in the past. Hope this is helpful.

Becky Rader

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We and one other couple were on a charted sailboat snorkel cruise to Molikni Crater. As we left the wife of the other couple started to get sick and the Captain gave her an eye patch to wear. In about 10 minutes she felt a lot better. The Captain said that when you cover one of your eyes your Peripheral vision is restricted and reduces the visual rolling that you experience. It doesn't make a fashion statement but it works. Also that is why the pirates wore eye patches.

Sincerely,
Bob & Susan Remeika
Orange, California

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My boyfriend and I own a Catalina 36 and spend most every weekend on the boat. I have found Sea Bands to be very effective for the gentle movement on our lake and am able to sail, sleep, and eat (for the most part) without symptoms of motion sickness. These work via the use of two elastic bands that press on a pressure point along the wrist. However, the Sea Bands were not effective for a recent two week vacation aboard a 42 foot catamaran in the Virgin Islands. After “chumming the waters” on my first hour out of port, I found relief with Scopolamine patches for the remainder of the two weeks. For airplane and sea travel I require the Scopolamine patch, with modifications. The full patch caused pretty significant drying of mucous membranes, so I now cut the patch in half and apply it. This isn’t recommended according to product literature, but I find this works well for me in preventing motion sickness without drying my throat and nose so severely.

I have suffered since childhood with pretty significant motion sickness symptoms and I have tried several remedies. I have been determined through the years to not let my motion sickness symptoms interfere with opportunities. If you’ve been plagued by this curse, you are well aware of its ability to wreck an outing.

Over the years medications such as Dramamine and Bonine made me too sleepy to be a practical solution for traveling. In the early 1990s the versions of Scopolamine caused significant side effects with vision and drowsiness. I later tried other prescription anti-nausea medications like Phenergan, and even an anti-anxiety medication Xanax, after some well meaning friends suggested the nausea was “all in my head” and that it was “a control issue”. Again the drowsiness from these medications was too significant to be practical for travel.

As a Registered Nurse I have reviewed explanations for the causes of motion sickness, and “knowledge has availed me nothing”. This is truly a medical malady, as anyone knows who has gone deep sea fishing and been hit with the demoralizing and paralyzing symptoms of motion sickness. A fairly recent therapy in the treatment of motion sickness and vertigo issues is a treatment called Vestibular Rehabilitation, which focuses on eye, head, and body exercises to retrain the brain on interpreting the body’s signals from the middle ear. This therapy warrants investigation by frequent or severe suffers of motion sickness.

Although I am very glad that I find relief from Sea Bands and/or Scopolamine, I relish the idea that mere mortals can fly and sail without the assistance of medication or pressure point manipulation. The next phase for me may well be investigating Vestibular Rehab.

Johni Badder
San Antonio, Texas

Here are a few things from a website on Vestibular Rehab:
Vestibular Rehabilitation
The vestibular system is housed in your inner ear. It works in conjunction with your visual and sensory systems to control your balance and orientation to space. Vestibular rehab combines exercises and positioning techniques that help improve the function of your vestibular system.
http://www.medicinenet.com/vestibular_balance_disorders/article.htm
Johni

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