Thoughts on Motion Sickness

It’s common to for people to get sick due to motion. It seems there are two real root causes: anxiety and being hungover.

For the hungover crowd, they should either (1) stay on the shore and watch Judge Judy from their bed or (2) tough it out. Push them to drink water/electrolytes as much as possible. (Basically, nurse their hangover for them, because that’s what you wanted to do today, isn’t it dear Captain?!)

Ginger Pills/Ginger Chews – Ginger naturally calms the stomach; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. These are a safe offering at the onset of motion sickness to see how the patient reacts; sometimes the placebo effect is even successful. (Shhhh.)

Over-The-Counter Nausea Remedies – Most over-the-counter motion sickness aids explicitly state to “take 1-2 hours before traveling.” So if you see someone popping a (motion sickness) pill as you’re leaving the dock, perhaps suggest they take a ginger pill as those have an immediate effect; the OTC stuff will have a delay and then their drowsiness will ensue.

Look At Land – I actually believe there is something to this, especially from a mental well-being perspective. Once the body has sent a signal that, “hey I’m going to make you feel terrible because you took me off land,” letting the eyes focus on a moving boat or splashing waves simply reminds the brain of its current (undesirable) location. Instead, look at land/fixed objects (if possible) as they don’t move/rock, and it lets the brain focus on something other than wanting to feel miserable.

Best Places to Vomit – Sometimes, no amount of prevention and care can stop the inevitable: a fountain of macerated chips and guacamole out of one’s mouth. The boat’s head (or “bathroom” to those less nautical) may seem like a nice, private place to do the job, but it’s almost certainly one of the worst. No fresh air, the boat is certainly still moving, and unless you’re on a mega-yacht, most boat bathrooms are tiny. Be a good captain and clear the stern of your boat so the sick passenger can let ‘er rip. Use the wash down hose (most boats have them) and after 3-5 minutes, the situation is over.

Pro-Tip: The Stern is the Most Stable Part of the Boat – While the bow is designed to lift out of the water, the stern is the widest and most stable part of the boat. For those not feeling so well, suggest they sit in that area.