# Cure For Seasickness?



## JulieMor

I read an article many years ago by a father who was looking for a cure for the early season seasickness his kids experienced at the beginning of each sailing season. He and his wife didn't have that problem.

Then he wondered if the waterbed they slept in had anything to do with it. So at the end of the season he bought waterbeds for all the kids. When the next season came, none of the kids got sick.

I've had a waterbed for 40 years and the only time I've been seasick was one time when I was out too late, had too much to drink and went out early the next day in sloppy seas.


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## EGLLaw

Hmmm ... I'm skeptical, but who knows. I'm sticking with Bonine - it's a lt cheaper than new waterbeds.


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## PCP

Have you heard about the new anti seasickness glasses?

I am not kidding  even if you kind a look funny with one of those.

But I have also heard several reports that say that the thing work. Well if they did not work at least you will provide some good laughs to the rest of the crew

Lunettes anti-mal de mer - YouTube

Sea sickness glasses - Marine Warehouse Ltd

Voiles et Voiliers : Equipement - Boarding Ring : Des lunettes anti-mal de mer

Regards

Paulo


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## JordanH

Jokingly, a fellow gave me the best seasick advice I've ever heard. When asked, he says, "Pine apple."
You say, "Really? Pine apple works??"
He says, "It doesn't prevent seasickness, it doesn't cure seasicknes..."
after a significant pause he completes, "... But it tastes the same coming up as it did going down."

Although funny, it is logical advice.


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## JulieMor

I have a full flotation waterbed. And when one person moves, everyone moves. Now I don't know if that dad's report and my experience have any scientific value but if you think about all the motion your body experiences in a full flotation waterbed, maybe there's something to it.

I have heard some people say the full flotation waterbed gets them seasick. Hmmmmm.... But what I do know is all the waterbed stores that used to be around here have long vanished. Maybe there wasn't enough of a profit margin as most of us hippie era kids built our own frames and just bought the $50 mattress. 

Happy sloshing!


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## arknoah

EGLLaw said:


> Hmmm ... I'm skeptical, but who knows. I'm sticking with Bonine - it's a lt cheaper than new waterbeds.


I'm with you. Bonine works, it's inexpensive and doesn't make me drowsy. 
But boy, if you chew it rather than take it like a regular pill, it tastes _nasty_!


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## centaursailor

Ginger, natural and tasty, best taken before leaving the dock.
The last instructor I sailed with swore by it.
Probably not as much fun as a waterbed tho.
Safe sailing


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## crewless

I've always heard that the best cure for seasickness is to stand under a tree.


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## JulieMor

crewless said:


> I've always heard that the best cure for seasickness is to stand under a tree.


Not if you include over-imbibing with that.


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## littlelizzy

I second ginger. Peel it and slice it wafer thin. store a bunch of it in a ziplock. small sliver between your cheek and gum occasionally crunch down on it and it settles your stomach quickly. tastes peppery though not what you would expect.


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## BentSailor

My family (extended and marital) swear by Avomine. I've never really had to worry about it myself, but I've seen Avomine in use by people who get bad sea-sickness and it works a treat. You need to take it ~2 hours BEFORE the trip out though (or the night before).


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## SoftJazz

I carry ginger on the boat with me. Everyone who experiences nausea asks for some. It appears to work well. My sister & her hubby both experience motion sickness & they both use it all the time. 

Sunday we took my 17-year-old niece for her first sail ever. About halfway home she asked for some ginger & it worked. 

You can use fresh (very hot), capsules, candied ginger or those ginger candies they now sell in boxes. Ginger is ginger & it appears to work on all kinds of motion sickness.


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## INMA

We preferred to sleep overnight at the jetty before sailing with the kids. The sleep on the yacht allows the inner ear and subconscious to relax and adjust to the movements.

Once a newbie has got use to the motion over a few cruises the seasickness tends to be less often.

I use to suffer terrible nausea when raising my hands up to reef the mainsail at the mast. The action combined with the boat motion set me off. Anyone can get seasick and its the experience people who are the worst when it hits them. 

I make it clear to everyone aboard if someone gets sick, we will do everything to reduce their discomfort including heading home or to land as quickly as practical.

If someone shows signs of getting sick, we try and move them to a better part of the yacht for motion and change course to change the motion, it generally helps.

I never ignore the safety or entertainment of the crew, better to head back early than have a crew member in hospital with dehydration and all the worst stuff seasickness can cause.


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## nodders

*a nova scotia cure*

I grew up in Nova Scotia and was told that the best way to cure seasickness was to tie the insides of a clam to a string. Hold one end of the string in your hand and swallow the clam. Once it is nicely settled in your stomuch, all you have to do is pull it back up again! Never tried it myself, but I do try to recomend it as often as possible


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## IronSpinnaker

I also use ginger, I like the candied ginger crushed up in a mortal and pestal and then placed in the bottom of a stanley thermos and poor hot water over it... I sip on it all day long.

Never go below deck if seasick, never look at anything close to you, always keep your eyes on the horizon.


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## PaulinVictoria

I went to a talk with Nigel Calder last night, very interesting, and one of the things he talked about was the little wrist-bands that give you a bit of an electric shock. Said that he'd tried it with 3 people who usually get sick, and that it worked for all three of them.


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## JanetGroene

Have you heard of this oldie? Put Vicks Vapo-Rub in the navel. I understand that in France, where suppositories are used more widely than in the U.S. there is also one for mal de mer. Both these are for people who are already whoopsie. The true secret to seasick meds is to take at least 30 minutes before boarding. Once seasick, it's difficult to convince your stomach you are not.


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## QuickMick

not to offend, but dont waterbeds seem a little 70's-ish? lol.

agreed with not going below... just tell them to find a fixed point on the horizon and look at it... also ive found that bitters and ginger ale seem to help:

Angostura bitters - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

oppps.... gotta go uke


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## Ritchard

We recently took a three-day journey to bring my new (to me) boat back from Ohio. My best and oldest friend, as well as my oldest son were along, and they are both fairly prone to seasickness. Well actually, my friend is perfectly reliable to get sick. both of them used Scopolamine (sp?) patches behind the ear. Neither of them had a lick of seasick. 

Seasickness is nasty for the victim, but a buzzkill for everyone else aboard. Thankfully (touches wood) I don't seem to be affected.


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## PCP

I know an infallible remedy: Keep going. After three days non stop it will normally go away 

Well, not practical except for long range cruisers but true. I remember to hear that a very well known yachtsman, with many crossings had that problem: Just three lousy days for some weeks of hapiness

My town is a fisherman town and I know some long range fishermen, the kind that go out for going fishing many thousand of miles away and for several months, that are prone to seasickness....for just about three days, on the worse cases.

I have read somewhere that it is just a case of brain reset to new conditions (integration of eye an hear information): Some can make it in minutes and don't have time to get sick, others take days and suffer.

Regards

Paulo


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## PCP

PaulinVictoria said:


> I went to a talk with Nigel Calder last night, very interesting, and one of the things he talked about was the little wrist-bands that give you a bit of an electric shock. *Said that he'd tried it with 3 people who usually get sick, and that it worked for all three of them.*


I can confirm that. I had already posted about it somewhere some years back.

We have used it with success in my two kids but my wife got a huge skin irritation The kids had not any problem with it.

The thing looks like a watch and you can adjust the power of the electric shock to your sensitivity. I still have it somewhere but now the kids don't get seasick anymore and only my wife has a problem in bad weather....and she is just the one that cannot use the band

Regards

Paulo


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## Epicpopsicle

PCP said:


> I know an infallible remedy: Keep going. After three days non stop it will normally go away


Spot on!

I have seen many people get sick over the years, and I have seen them put all kinds of things in their bodies. From what I have seen all that those remidies do is prolong the sickness. I prefer to give them a "baggie" and keep going.


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## Lenny Cram

Avoid staring at the water on your way out first of all. Otherwise you'll hypnotze yourself into being sea sick... Always watch the horizon on the way out to acclimate your body, And just enjoy yourself. When I stoped worring about being sea sick and filled my mind with the thought that "Oh my god I'm really out here sailing" You'll be just fine...I do realize that may be hard to explane to kids, But your kids should trust your judgment and just might listin to ya... Ofcorse thats just my experince though... Happy sailing...
Lenny


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## MarshB

They usually sell medicines over the counter that helps if you have transportation sickness, and that includes seasickness. I also heard one of my neighbors who is a seaman that he was eating "something" if you feel sick when traveling by sea, I am pretty sure it is a fruit, not sure what it is.


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## rp00

Keep a bottle of ginger capsules on board. Anyone who affirmatively or hesitantly answers to the "who gets seasick/carsick/carnivalsick" question should take 1-2 capsules 45-60 minutes before taking off and then another one as you leave. It's good for you, and it makes your burps taste like candy. Fresh ginger is probably best, but far less convenient and a large number of people don't like the taste. You should also pay attention to the food in your stomachs as foul blends of dairy, citrus, sugars and alcohol can induce a vomitocious trip even if you're not prone to seasickness. Take caution on a totally empty stomach too, as the ginger powder will sit on top of bile until it dissolves and even up to an hour later, I've belched up a powder cloud of ginger that tends to burn the sinuses a bit.


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## Nicklaus

Ginger is great for a hangover - which is like being seasick, just with a headache...

My grandmother gets seasick all the time - was a nurse in WW2 and threw up the entire Atlantic crossing, then got landsick - and swears by the patches.

I used to get seasick anytime the boat stopped, but am fine as long as I was moving forward. I know people are very adament about not drinking while boating, but I've found the very best cure is a beer.


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## SailSnail

Sitting on the center of the boat really helps me but I also carry seas sickness tablets with me. Wouldnt want this to spoil our vacations..


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