Let’s Talk About It


Seasick (adj) Suffering from sickness or nausea caused by the motion of a vessel at sea.


Many moons ago as a 26-year-old crew chief aboard an IOR race boat I directed logistics as we prepared for the Square Race. Stores, sails, duffle bags, radios, and more were stowed and anything extrane- ous was taken off. As gear disappeared down the hatch that summer day I kept eyeing a cooler, sitting on the dock in the hot sun and chock full of tuna sand- wiches, pickles, the works. Easy-to-handle crew food for day one. As we headed for the start line I


ducked below deck to grab a handful of sandwiches for the cockpit crew, only to discover the cooler had no ice—yikes! It had been baking dockside for the better part of six hours. I hesitated and won- dered with an audible “Hmmm?” I was scheduled to helm the start and


then bunk for sleep, knowing victory in long races is oſten determined by the fully awake “night fighters.” I grabbed two sandwiches for myself and a few for the crew and took the helm. Boom—we were off, on our way to cross Lake Michigan, to then hang a northerly turn at the aptly named Port des Morts (Door of Death) at Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, then turn right again at Lansing Shoals light and head back to Grand Traverse Bay. By the time we reached Port des Morts five of us felt at Deaths Door due to seasickness. I am fortunate to be blessed with an


iron stomach (knock on wood) and yet know seasickness can hit anyone at any time. Tis day was my turn and the turn of three other crew because of rancid sandwiches. Te first leg of the race was a sick-as-dogs, all-night bunk ride for us as we battled 35-knot winds and rain on the nose across the lake. It was my first, and to date only experience with seasickness. Later, on reflection, I gave serious thought to avoidance strategies despite knowing my experience was all about bad food. During my life afloat, I


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have witnessed others getting sick and aſter my brush, I had a new-found level of empathy. Over time I’ve tried to help others with all the common remedies from staring at the horizon, fresh air, bunk time, popcorn, and burned toast… to sleep-inducing Dramamine. What to do and when to do it became the question and one I wanted to understand as I oſten lead groups in small boats. Having a sea- sick skipper or crew can not only be un- comfortable, but it can also be dangerous.


Causes Seasickness is caused by the interaction between our balance organs, which are our visual and tactile systems. Tink inner ear and brain. When we are experiencing rough weather (and for some near-calm conditions) our brain cannot fully make sense of the messages it receives. Senses become jammed up by conflicting infor- mation caused by the uneven motion of the boat in anything from gentle swells to ongoing acceleration and deceleration, rotation, and the pitch and roll of the hull in waves. In simple terms, the result is your brain concludes that you have been poisoned and goes into survival mode, prompting your system to vomit to get rid of the harmful substances that it imagines you’ve ingested. For many, this is a hard-wired yet useless survival reflex. Vomiting does not fix the issue it makes everything worse by a huge magnitude.


Avoidance Avoiding seasickness is possible within limits and there are physical moves you can make to help mitigate the effects. It is important to prepare beforehand and if, in the throngs, to reduce the confusing signals being sent to the senses. Any ac- tion you can take to reduce this confusion will help both avoid and reduce the symp- toms. What we eat before setting out, medications or remedies we prepare and try beforehand coupled with mitigation knowledge are important. If you take action to sort out the


communication channels to the brain, the situation may improve. For example, if you are below deck your eyes oſten fix on interior features, which seem to not move as much with what your senses feel despite you being tossed around, out of physical balance. Sensory confusion be- gins or is exacerbated. Te tendency is to look around, and perhaps focus on a task


and this can make the situation worse. If you feel sick and have to stay down below it is best to keep your eyes closed and lay down as close to the center pitch and roll axis of the boat as possible. If you try to stand with your eyes closed your brain is forced to reconcile the pressure points of your feet and hands along with the overall movement of the boat. It is better to lie flat as body pressure points are spread out and there is less input for your over- worked brain to reconcile. Sometimes in boats with a cabin, it is best to have a sick crew lie on the sole so they are low and as central as possible. If feeling queasy, stay on deck, life


jacket on, hang on, and either look at the horizon while taking deep breaths, or try taking the helm. By looking or steering you see the waves and the movement of the boat in some semblance of sync and this linking can help resolve inner ear/ brain input conflicts.


A Few Toughts • Drink chamomile tea or try ginger,


peppermint, or licorice hard candy. • Stay hydrated. • Tere are acupressure points on your


wrists. Place your index, middle, and ring fingers on your other wrist, starting under the crease. Try this off and on for four or five seconds. Tere are commercially made wristbands that do this. • Medicines—such as Benadryl, Dra-


mamine, Scopolomine and others. Be- ware: Tese need to be tested, and taken beforehand, and they can cause serious drowsiness. • Face the direction you’re going. • Eat a few crackers slowly, try sipping


water or a carbonated drink. • Stay warm and dry. • Avoid fuel smells or that mixed smell


of fuel, fiberglass, and a musty cabin. Get fresh air. • Stay rested. • Seasick crew must have a life jacket


on. Monitor them for dehydration and instability. • Change to a steadier course.


It is important to recognize pre-sickness symptoms in yourself and others. Tese can be a sudden stop in talking, lethargy, or apathy. Hey, slow down and toss over a piece


of licorice as you pass me. See you Out Tere! •SCA•


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


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