Sea Sick out at Sea

It’s November in Clear Lake Shores, Texas. We were ready to take the leap and set sail across the Gulf of Mexico. Our plan was to literally sail 6 sleeps and land in the Dry Tortugas. Our safety gear was in check, sail plan in place, and experienced crew aboard. We were greeted by a crowd as we removed the dock lines and pulled away from the marina that we called home for the past 2 ½ years. Everything started off smooth and I, Allisha, was excited to be sailing towards our goals of sailing the world or as many would say “Living the Dream”. 

We spent half the day moving forward through the calm Galveston Ship Channel before exiting the jetties in Galveston Bay inlet. That is when everything changed. The boat started moving in a motion that was unfamiliar to me. We have spent the majority of our sailing in the Bay and Lakes, so this was unexpected and unnerving to me and my body. 

Sea sickness was starting to consume me. I first noticed some excessive yawning and this uneasy queasy feeling in my stomach. Immediately I felt the need to go to sleep. The boat continued to round up in the waves creating this rotation that I guess my body did not understand. We entered the evening, and it was my turn to take a shift. I remember, sitting in the cockpit and staring into the darkness while feeling awful. I tried to power through it, but I started to feel worse very quickly. This led to me throwing up in a bag and returning to sleep down below. 

I was no longer in any condition for taking shifts, just sleeping. I tried adding a patch, but at this point, it was too far advanced. I realized that I knew nothing about this condition or how to overcome it. I layed in the master berth that was positioned directly under the cockpit. The boat was heeled over about 15 to 20 degrees and this meant I was lying with my feet against the wrap around headboard and was basically in a standing position. After dry heaving for almost 36 hours and not leaving the protection of the bed, I became dehydrated and my blood sugar was dropping. This led to other complications. I remember looking at the door to the galley and seeing my heavenly mom. I thought I was joining her in heaven but it was actually Cory. He asked me to get up. He helped me out of the room and safely got me in the cockpit. After sailing in the Gulf for about 48 hrs, the sea state had calmed and the waves were more constant. I was able to hold down chicken broth and water while all of the symptoms seemed to ease. Once the anchor was down, all I could think about was getting off the boat and going home. Since we sold just about everything and this is not an option, my next thoughts were, what was causing this and how do I overcome it.  

Research states that Sea Sickness is also referred to as Motion Sickness, and can happen in a car, bus, plane, boat, or on an amusement park ride. Motion Sickness occurs when our brain can’t make sense of the information sent from our body, eyes, and ears. Your eyes see one thing, your muscles feel another, and your inner ear senses something else. In my case, the boat was moving in a circle motion due to the quartering waves and yet we were continuing to move forward. My brain couldn’t take the mixed signals. 

When talking about motion sickness to other cruisers, you get all kinds of suggestions. Everything from medications, bracelets, and even breathing exercises. Here is a list of the items and medications I purchased based on what others recommend:

1. Dramamine (drowsy and non drowsy) 
2. Scopolamine patches (need a prescription)
3. Herbal Patches (no prescription)
4. Bonine
5. Gravol
6. Benadryl
7. Topical Oils
8. Ginger (chews, supplements, and drinks)
9. Bracelets (pressure points and tins pulse)
10. Etc.

I tried all of them and even some together. Some of these medications put me out and left Cory to man the boat all by himself. Early on, this was not an ideal situation and created some severe exhaustion for him. He has since learned to solo our boat. 

The next measure we took was to plan, plan, and over plan our trips. We became wave wimp fair weather sailors. This is not a bad way to sail but it takes us a longer time to move, as we may have to wait for that perfect weather window. It also means that our friends might leave before us, thus meaning we may not meet back up. 

We are officially getting closer to our 2 year mark since leaving Texas. I have noticed that my symptoms are almost non-existent and I rarely have an episode of motion sickness. Could this mean that the solution to my conditions was to keep on sailing till my brain and ears got on the same page? I’m not sure but I am glad that I don’t have to medicate myself to find relief. I am glad that I did not give up on our dream of sailing just because of motion sickness.