I am a new prospective cruiser. As I learn more about how cruising works, one thing I am concerned about is the comfort of any passengers I might have on board. For the type of trips I would like to do there would be significant time spent in open ocean 20 miles offshore or so. Even on a calm day, I imagine that 5-foot swells would be typical. Therefore, the boat will be moving up and down constantly. Is it viable for passengers to be reading or working on the computer while the boat is riding up and down on swells like that? I would think they might just go nuts after a 4 hour roller coaster ride. How do passengers cope with this problem?
How do passengers deal with motion in coastal cruising?
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Some people get motion sick, some do not. Some only get motion sick under certain conditions. My wife could read a book, read her iPad or do just about anything. People who know they get sea sick don't find themselves cruising with friends offshore.
I ask people straight up "Do you have problems with motion sickness". If the answer is "NO" or "I'm not sure" I ask if they ever been deep sea fishing, on a whale watch or a ferry in rough weather, and how they did with it. If the answer is 'Yes, I get seasick' then I discourage them from making plans to come with us. The entire boat turns around when one person is severely seasick.
I discourage people from engaging in trigger activities. If they start feeling queezy then they are brought to fresh air to stare at the horizon or placed behind the wheel to drive for a bit. (I've never seen a driver of a car or a boat get motion sick).
If you get 'pride over the side' sick, then you are discouraged from coming back for fear of risking everyone else's good time. They never complain as they are typically 100% on-board with not being onboard again after they've been that sick anyway. I've never had anyone say "I get violently seasick, when can we go out".
Most adults who live relatively near the ocean know whether they get seasick or not.
I ask people straight up "Do you have problems with motion sickness". If the answer is "NO" or "I'm not sure" I ask if they ever been deep sea fishing, on a whale watch or a ferry in rough weather, and how they did with it. If the answer is 'Yes, I get seasick' then I discourage them from making plans to come with us. The entire boat turns around when one person is severely seasick.
I discourage people from engaging in trigger activities. If they start feeling queezy then they are brought to fresh air to stare at the horizon or placed behind the wheel to drive for a bit. (I've never seen a driver of a car or a boat get motion sick).
If you get 'pride over the side' sick, then you are discouraged from coming back for fear of risking everyone else's good time. They never complain as they are typically 100% on-board with not being onboard again after they've been that sick anyway. I've never had anyone say "I get violently seasick, when can we go out".
Most adults who live relatively near the ocean know whether they get seasick or not.
AusCan
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Shrew explained it well.
You have to select passengers carefully, especially with longer trips. If there is any doubt I sometimes do a short test run to see how a person holds up in rough seas, prior to a longer trip.
I also organise the odd flat water cruise for my friends & relatives with sensitive stomachs.
You have to select passengers carefully, especially with longer trips. If there is any doubt I sometimes do a short test run to see how a person holds up in rough seas, prior to a longer trip.
I also organise the odd flat water cruise for my friends & relatives with sensitive stomachs.
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People I carry don't get sea sick if they follow my directions. Even ones that have had car or sea sickness in the past. Probably many old threads on this subject.
Reading or the like, done above deck where the horizion is visible seems to be better than below. Long time on the ocean. I use to get sea sick, too before I listened to myself. Avoid drinking the night before, greasy. spicy food, etc. Use sea sick pill the night before.
Reading or the like, done above deck where the horizion is visible seems to be better than below. Long time on the ocean. I use to get sea sick, too before I listened to myself. Avoid drinking the night before, greasy. spicy food, etc. Use sea sick pill the night before.
Islanddreamer
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AusCan nailed it. Select your passengers well. It is also good to know if your passengers have any other conditions that could escalate while at sea. This is not just caution for you, but for them too.
All the above. Know your guests. Inform them. We always require passengers to take sea sick medication before their first offshore trip. Now, most of our guests are regulars and comfortable and don't get sick. Still no greasy or extremely spicy foods before going out and no alcohol. Stay above deck and enjoy. We've yet to have anyone get seasick.
Benthic2
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For some people I think its all in their heads. They get so convinced that they will be sick that they are. When I worked on a ship we used to get people complaining before
we even left the dock!! ( and this was,40,000 ton vessel) Being in a room with no window below decks was the worst, and dramamine won't help once you already feel bad so that has to be taken early, as someone already mentioned. You may want to have some Gatorade or the like as dehydration can be a problem for extended bouts.
we even left the dock!! ( and this was,40,000 ton vessel) Being in a room with no window below decks was the worst, and dramamine won't help once you already feel bad so that has to be taken early, as someone already mentioned. You may want to have some Gatorade or the like as dehydration can be a problem for extended bouts.
High Wire
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We always keep a fresh bottle of Non-Drowsy Dramamine on-board.
When we go on a tuna trip, if you get sick, too bad. I'll even take some NDD with me just-in-case it turns into a Victory at Sea trip. I still can't understand why someone will choose seasickness over $1.00 worth of pills.
When we go on a tuna trip, if you get sick, too bad. I'll even take some NDD with me just-in-case it turns into a Victory at Sea trip. I still can't understand why someone will choose seasickness over $1.00 worth of pills.
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Lou_tribal
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Right, my wife was not dealing very nicely with motion so I divorced and put an announce to search for one that was better
(of course I am joking just in case...)
L.
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I'm one of the lucky ones that can head out in rough conditions the morning after a spicy hot curry and a few beers, with no ill effects. Others struggle to hold onto their lunch in rough, rolling conditions regardless of what they do. Most people are somewhere in the middle and need to follow certain procedures as mentioned to stay well.
btw - One other big factor in seasickness on a boat is air quality. Any diesel odour from a spill in the bilge or saturated soundproofing will greatly magnify the chance of people getting sick. Same with a dirty exhaust, especially if there is a backdraft. Clean fresh air helps to keep everyone happier.
btw - One other big factor in seasickness on a boat is air quality. Any diesel odour from a spill in the bilge or saturated soundproofing will greatly magnify the chance of people getting sick. Same with a dirty exhaust, especially if there is a backdraft. Clean fresh air helps to keep everyone happier.
Benthic2
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Lou_tribal: I admire your priorities !!
Quote #1:
"I will never abandon my ship, I will end with her, we will remain together for the best and for the worst"
Quote #2
"my wife was not dealing very nicely with motion so I divorced"
Quote #1:
"I will never abandon my ship, I will end with her, we will remain together for the best and for the worst"
Quote #2
"my wife was not dealing very nicely with motion so I divorced"
I think the majority of people CAN get sea sick.
I also think for most people it's real, not "just in their minds."
That said, there are some who never get sick, and some who always do (even on a large vessel not yet underway.)
Disregarding those two groups, different people are affected by different situations. Some may be fine in rough seas, but get sick with just a slight motion. Some can't stand rolling, for others it's pitching. There are some combinations of conditions that will get almost everyone sick, just the right frequency of movement or whatever.
Bonine or Dramamine do work, if taken early. Ginger may work even after someone starts to feel queezy. I prefer strong ginger pills or candy to something like ginger ale.
Be careful dispensing any medication to passengers; you may end up liable if something goes wrong (allergic reaction, or even something unrelated that can get blamed on you.)
I also think for most people it's real, not "just in their minds."
That said, there are some who never get sick, and some who always do (even on a large vessel not yet underway.)
Disregarding those two groups, different people are affected by different situations. Some may be fine in rough seas, but get sick with just a slight motion. Some can't stand rolling, for others it's pitching. There are some combinations of conditions that will get almost everyone sick, just the right frequency of movement or whatever.
Bonine or Dramamine do work, if taken early. Ginger may work even after someone starts to feel queezy. I prefer strong ginger pills or candy to something like ginger ale.
Be careful dispensing any medication to passengers; you may end up liable if something goes wrong (allergic reaction, or even something unrelated that can get blamed on you.)
I'd never been seasick until I helped take a boat from Seattle to Stockton, CA. Second day out we got into some nasty water and I gave back breakfast. First time ever.
I was wearing a seasickness prevention watch band at the time but it didn't seem to help.
Our next stop in CA and I headed to Costco to get some of their motion sickness pills. Worked like a charm and no more seasickness.
I've found that I do have issues with motion sickness but also found if I stay "above" and keep my eyes on the horizon it usually passes without sacrificing breakfast.
I was wearing a seasickness prevention watch band at the time but it didn't seem to help.
Our next stop in CA and I headed to Costco to get some of their motion sickness pills. Worked like a charm and no more seasickness.
I've found that I do have issues with motion sickness but also found if I stay "above" and keep my eyes on the horizon it usually passes without sacrificing breakfast.
Lou_tribal
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lol!
markpierce
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Amazingly, some passengers (poor things) of cruise ships with stabilizers become seasick even in mild conditions where I hardly sense motion. Been seasick several times (when I wished death), thanks to the rollers coming off Potato Patch shoals, while sailing outside the Golden Gate during sailing races in the 1960s.
Benthic2
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I didn't mean to imply that motion sickness wasn't a "real" malady. Sorry for that confusion....I was just pointing out that some people seem to be susceptible to the idea of it as much as the actual illness, but they are the minority. I know its very real. You make a good point about different people and different conditions. I've been in very rough conditions for extended periods of time with my wife and she's totally fine....but if she tries to read while in a car she can't do it.
Not to get all "Cliff Clavin" here...(but...ahh... actually there... ah Normy....) Evolutionary Biologists think since motion sickness would be an evolutionary disadvantage, there must be a positive attribute to it. Its believed that its a conditioned response to a disagreement between what your eyes see and your inner ear feels. For early man, the most likely reason for those to inputs not to be in sync was because of the ingestion of something toxic, and therefore vomitting could be beneficial.
Not to get all "Cliff Clavin" here...(but...ahh... actually there... ah Normy....) Evolutionary Biologists think since motion sickness would be an evolutionary disadvantage, there must be a positive attribute to it. Its believed that its a conditioned response to a disagreement between what your eyes see and your inner ear feels. For early man, the most likely reason for those to inputs not to be in sync was because of the ingestion of something toxic, and therefore vomitting could be beneficial.
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hmason
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When I was about 9 years old my dad and my granddad took me out on a head boat in Florida. That was a first and last for me. On my own boat there have been times I got queasy "out of nowhere" but it is a very rare occurrence. I do become ill just thinking of that head boat experience.
Someone mentioned hydration and I'd add things like saltine crackers help some. When I was a kid, I got car sick, but it was one particular circumstance. We'd get up very early to head to relatives in the mountains and I'd be in the back seat and we'd wait to eat at a restaurant my parents liked about an hour up the road. Change to front seat and food and I was fine. However, people new to boating have no idea how it will impact them. If weather is good we either are in an open boat or on the bridge. Looking ahead and the nice breeze help. Still, until you build up a history of no problems, take a pill is our rule for guests.
As to dispensing drugs such as sea sick meds, our guests for any major long distance ocean cruising provide medical information and sign a waiver. The waiver really isn't important for those we'd take but having the medical information is.
As to dispensing drugs such as sea sick meds, our guests for any major long distance ocean cruising provide medical information and sign a waiver. The waiver really isn't important for those we'd take but having the medical information is.
wwestman
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Just remember that about 70% of astronauts get motion sick. NASA used to (may still) restrict tasking during the first 72 hours in space to allow the motion sickness to abate.
The moral of the story is.... it is gonna get you no matter who you are when you turn comes in the right conditions.
Downwind rail or a bucket should be explained to everyone, even those who "never" get motion sick.
The moral of the story is.... it is gonna get you no matter who you are when you turn comes in the right conditions.
Downwind rail or a bucket should be explained to everyone, even those who "never" get motion sick.
If they don't mind getting sea sick, they can. 5' seas with a 5 second period, not very easily. 5' seas at 10 seconds, probably they can. We're always on our tablets.
BruceK
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That is exactly what you should not do.
catalinajack
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Different folks, different effects. A number of years ago, I joined my US Navy sailor son's frigate in Puerto Vallarta for a three night cruise back to San Diego at the end of his deployment. On the second night out seas became 10-foot rollers on the bow. Our berthing was in the forecastle. The ship would rise on each wave and then slam down the back side with a bang. The waves developed overnight. When I woke up and jumped down from the top rack I was immediately sick. Jumped back in the rack horizontal, not sick. This went on for hours as I did not want to embarrass my son by soiling a passageway. At length I decided to take a chance that I would have enough time to scale three ladders to get outside. I was successful.
I headed to the flight deck aft. There I met a sailor who was also seasick. So, the conditions for inducing seasickness existed. Anyway, once outside and in the fresh air my sickness subsided in about 20 minutes. I went below, had pepperoni pizza for supper, played poker in the mess until 2:00am, and was not sick again even though the sea state did not mitigate until the next morning.
I headed to the flight deck aft. There I met a sailor who was also seasick. So, the conditions for inducing seasickness existed. Anyway, once outside and in the fresh air my sickness subsided in about 20 minutes. I went below, had pepperoni pizza for supper, played poker in the mess until 2:00am, and was not sick again even though the sea state did not mitigate until the next morning.
Maybe I should try repeating my question, I don't know... 
I know about motion sickness, I am not interested in studying motion sickness. The question is not about motion sickness. Please do not talk about motion sickness any more.
The question is whether passengers will be able to pass long stretches of time in a way that is not going to be tortuous for them in ocean conditions. So by typical ocean conditions, I mean an ocean fetch with 10 knot winds, so about a 2 foot swell.
Most people will want to read or work on the computer. Other stuff, like watching a movie or working in the kitchen will be possible, but reading and computer are going to be the most common desires. Is this going to be difficult or uncomfortable for the "average" person in 2-3 foot seas?
I have been on the Long Island ferry many times and I have never had a problem reading or working on the computer and there seems to be very little motion, however, the ferry is a 300-foot boat so the experience in a 40-foot boat might be completely different.
I know about motion sickness, I am not interested in studying motion sickness. The question is not about motion sickness. Please do not talk about motion sickness any more.
The question is whether passengers will be able to pass long stretches of time in a way that is not going to be tortuous for them in ocean conditions. So by typical ocean conditions, I mean an ocean fetch with 10 knot winds, so about a 2 foot swell.
Most people will want to read or work on the computer. Other stuff, like watching a movie or working in the kitchen will be possible, but reading and computer are going to be the most common desires. Is this going to be difficult or uncomfortable for the "average" person in 2-3 foot seas?
I have been on the Long Island ferry many times and I have never had a problem reading or working on the computer and there seems to be very little motion, however, the ferry is a 300-foot boat so the experience in a 40-foot boat might be completely different.
FF
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Much of seasickness is real, much in the mind.
Ginger root and ginger ale are common to sooth a quesasy stomach.
Ask your guests to take ginger root "just in case" ,before departure , and it psychs them into the belief they Wont get sea sick.
Far better than asking are you spew vomiting yet?
Ginger root and ginger ale are common to sooth a quesasy stomach.
Ask your guests to take ginger root "just in case" ,before departure , and it psychs them into the belief they Wont get sea sick.
Far better than asking are you spew vomiting yet?
AusCan
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Its not a clear question because there are too many variables.
First of all, what are typical ocean conditions. You have now mentioned a 2 foot swell. Thats about as smooth as I've ever seen it anywhere. I certainly wouldn't call it typical.
And what type of boat? Stabilized or non-stabilized. There is a huge difference with comfort levels.
Also - direction? Is the swell on the beam or the bow? Again - big difference.
Then, as we have discussed, there is a big difference in individual comfort levels at sea.
So the answer is - it depends.
As a wild guess, I'd say with a 2 foot swell on the beam of a non-stabilized boat, 25% of people would have a problem with reading or doing computer work.
Double the swell to 4 feet, double the uncomfortable rate to 50%.
Is that what you were after?
First of all, what are typical ocean conditions. You have now mentioned a 2 foot swell. Thats about as smooth as I've ever seen it anywhere. I certainly wouldn't call it typical.
And what type of boat? Stabilized or non-stabilized. There is a huge difference with comfort levels.
Also - direction? Is the swell on the beam or the bow? Again - big difference.
Then, as we have discussed, there is a big difference in individual comfort levels at sea.
So the answer is - it depends.
As a wild guess, I'd say with a 2 foot swell on the beam of a non-stabilized boat, 25% of people would have a problem with reading or doing computer work.
Double the swell to 4 feet, double the uncomfortable rate to 50%.
Is that what you were after?
Yes. So, if 4-foot swells are typical in good-weather coastal cruising in the open ocean, then in an unstabilized 40-foot boat, then you estimate about 50% of passengers would be able to read or work comfortably on a computer for 4-6 hours straight?
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Maybe I should try repeating my question, I don't know...
The question is whether passengers will be able to pass long stretches of time in a way that is not going to be tortuous for them in ocean conditions. So by typical ocean conditions, I mean an ocean fetch with 10 knot winds, so about a 2 foot swell.
Yes, they could. We often do. Wife always reads when we are on the move, even when rough. If she can do it, anyone can. Does that answer your question..?
