A Guide to Preventing & Treating Seasickness

Imagine yourself out on the shimmering waters of a lake or even cruising off the Atlantic coast in your beloved boat. You feel fine as you look out at the horizon and then suddenly, you really don’t. You begin to sweat and feel dizzy or lightheaded, and nausea starts to rear its ugly head. 

These are the symptoms of motion sickness on the water, otherwise known as seasickness or, if you’re French, “mal de mer.” Motion sickness results when there’s a miscommunication between your inner ear (which is your center of balance), your eyes, and your brain, and when those signals all get crossed, your body doesn’t know what to do, so you become dizzy and ill.

Even the hardiest mariner can suddenly experience this ailment, just as a passenger on their first boat trip might, so it’s good to have some strategies in place to prevent it and treat it. Thayer's Marine in Norwich, Connecticut, is your local boat dealer. To help you combat this commonplace malady, we’ve assembled some tips for preventing and treating seasickness.

Don’t Boat While Sick

This might seem obvious, but some people are stubborn and won’t cancel a boating trip when they don’t feel well. If you’ve come down with a cold or flu or bout of food poisoning, you’re only going to open yourself up to seasickness if you try to venture out on a boat while you’re recovering. Delay your adventure until you’re feeling better so that you don’t have an unpleasant journey.

Move Your Gaze Around

Some people may try to grip the railings of a boat and stare at a fixed object like a book while they grit their teeth through a bout of mal de mer, but this isn’t a great idea. Because of the motion of the boat and the water around it, you’re much more likely to become lightheaded and disoriented, so try to constantly shift your gaze around and focus more on the horizon.

Make Use of Natural Remedies

Over the centuries, there have been several tried-and-true remedies for seasickness proposed by boat passengers, avid sailors and ship captains. You might try an acupressure wristband worn over your pulse as one means of preventing seasickness; even if it doesn’t help a lot, it certainly won’t hurt you. Or you can make use of some gentle herbs like ginger or peppermint in the form of tea or candy. Both of these help to clear your sinuses so you can breathe more easily while also settling your stomach, easing your nausea symptoms.

Eat Lightly

The last thing on your mind when you’re feeling seasick is probably eating. However, an empty stomach will do you no good and may be contributing to both the nausea and the dizziness due to low blood sugar. Try to eat lightly while you’re on a boat so that your system has something to process. Saltine crackers, bananas, applesauce, tea, pretzels and honey are all very easy-to-digest foods that will help you feel better. 

Avoid Strong Smells & Substances

Make sure to avoid spicy, pungent foods or very heavy foods like meats when feeling seasick. You’ll also want to steer away from strong smells in general, like perfumes. By the same turn, you shouldn’t drink alcohol when planning to go on a boat or while you’re cruising around, as it tends to disorient even landlubbers and it also dehydrates you, making you feel more sickly.

We hope these tips help you and your passengers avoid this ancient plague on your next boating adventure. Seeking boats for sale near Springfield, Massachusetts? Come see us at our location in Norwich, Connecticut, to take a look at our available selection of new and used boats for sale.