MacGregorSailors.com

Just wondering if it should be mandatory to get a seasick patch if you'll be out on a week to ten day coastal cruise? If so, are there different types?

Thanks!

Steve

Steve, Personnaly I keep any Over-The-Counter remedies I can find aboard, as sometimes guests prefer a particular way, if they know what works for them. And they always forget to bring their meds. I also keep ginger snaps, and ginger ale aboard, and this can settle a quezzy stomach post-haste! And unless you have dietary restrictions, alot of salt helps. Saltine crackers can be great, even after the effects are past onset I have found.

Gee, I am really glad the 1st mate and I, have never been green around the gills before! It looks horrible, and I have ended trips before because guests have insisted, the fun was over for them! But 1st I have them try the tricks mentioned above, it saved me more than once from having to return to port!

West Marine has patches, and scop is one brand that I have aboard, and it has worked in at least one case when the afflicted person needed it. Unfortunately sometimes nothing works, and this can be simply the person is prone to it. Some people who have ear problems where their inner canal was affected and equllibrium unbalanced. I find this especially so when as a child the parents had ear canals altered medically because of childhood earaches. As a Divemaster, I had many a student that when I asked them if they had a proceedure done as a child, more cases then not, they said they had motion sickness episodes too! Most were unable to complete SCUBA training because of this!

I have to second the ginger snaps and ginger ale. Most effective stuff there is, even in double blind tests against over the counter "drugs".

Ginger was found in the ship's medical stores in sunken ships so this has been the treatment of choice forever.

I'm one of those with the inner ear problem. While I do have an open water certification with both PADI and NAUI, I've never made an ocean dive where I didn't feed the fishes. Sometimes you just have to get used to it.

Two other tips for seasick guests.

One, let them drive. Works wonders. You just have to be willing let go of the wheel and supervise them.

The second for the hardcore, put them below with all the aforementioned remedies. Have them lay down with their eyes covered and headphones connected to nice quiet music. I'm not really sure if this works that well, but then you don't have to look at them.

I have to add a third for the ginger, we use the pills you can buy at the health food store, another thing that seems to help is peppermint oil or candy. The ginger ale and snaps are always on board along with the soda crackers.

Meclizine is the generic form of Bonime and is available from any drug counter as an "over the counter" purchase, we bought 100 tablets for $6.00 at Sams club, I know Wal-Mart also has it because the drugist gave me 10 pills to try free (it was too much trouble to do the paperwork for that few I guess). It works well for us and is quite affordable.

Larry SeCheverell

This End Up

1991 26s

Looks like I'll be going shopping this weekend!


Steve