FAQ - How do you decide where you're sailing next?

 

We received a comment from Catherine who asked how we decide where we're going next. She was particularly interested in our decision to head along the south coast of Australian across the Great Australian Bight (GAB) and up the Australia's wild west coast. Most folks don't do this and she wondered why we had chosen this option.

The decision of where to sail to next sometimes takes a lot of effort and research. We look at the world map and then, based on where we are, figure out what options make sense. Weather (cyclone/hurricane season), prevailing winds and currents obviously play a major role in our choice of next destinations. We review wind roses and pilots for historical weather information for particular months of the year.

We also take a look at where other folks have been and how they liked it. There are innumerable resources available on-line. We're members of SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Assn) and we spend time reading input from other SSCA members to determine their recommendations, how they enjoyed certain areas and what their passages were like. There are lots of sailing blogs and websites to consult.

Once we've narrowed down our options, we begin gathering all the cruising guides and travel guides possible. We're pretty good at trading information with other cruisers which keeps the costs down. We tend to enjoy “off the beaten path” routes for a myriad of reasons (another FAQ to be addressed in the future), but there's nowhere that another cruiser hasn't been before, so we always find adequate information.

I tend to do the research and figure out where I'd like to go. David is always an easy sell. Most of South America was never on the agenda; it just happened. Once we have all the information, we settle on a plan … which usually evaporates in seconds when we hear of another place that we'd like to visit that's more exotic or more remote. Pitcairn Island, Tristan da Cunha or Tasmania … for instance! Too many places and too little time.

To address Catherine's question directly … why cross the Great Australian Bight? First, because it's there. Second, because the rounding of our final Great Southern Cape, Cape Leeuwin, is along that route. Third, because it's “off the beaten path” and fourth, because it's shorter to get to Africa that way, than to go back up Australia's east coast.

Thanks to Catherine H. for asking this question and giving me a good topic to think about and post. Where's your next destination? How do you choose your travel routes?

If you have a question you'd like answered or a topic you'd like discussed, leave a comment or send us an email. We love your input.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Alfred Hitchcock Day

The master of cinema suspense and thrillers...even now watching Psycho or The Birds gives me an adrenaline rush. Why not rent one of these old classics and give it a watch tonight.

FAQ - Do you get seasick? If so, what do you do about it?

 

Call it what you will … mal de mer, mareado, seasickness, it's very real and it's a problem for many sailors. We've heard from many folks who say “I'd love to do what you're doing, but I get seasick.” Well, join the club … after 13 years aboard, so do we... still! A recent passage from Portland to Adelaide confirmed that we haven't “outgrown” it. It certainly doesn't prevent us from sailing, but we do what we can to minimize the problem.

We've read that there are three states of seasickness:

1. You're afraid you'll get sick

2. You're afraid you're going to die

3. You're afraid you won't die

I get a kick out of people who don't ever get seasick and who assume that people who do have a choice in the matter. If you will it to go away, it will. Trust me, it doesn't. I'd certainly prefer not to deal with it, but as determined as I am about not getting sick, it still happens sometimes.

Early on, we thought we'd just grin and bear it. After one particularly bad trip, however, when we not only thought we'd die, but we were hoping we'd die, we decided that perhaps we should investigate and come up with some relief. We started with crystallized ginger. I loved it, but it really didn't do anything to calm my queasy stomach and subsequent heaving. David hated it and now associates all ginger products with seasickness.

We've tried wrist bands and patches which don't seem to have much of an effect at all on us. We've tried over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, but they leave us very drowsy (even the non-drowsy formula) and still sick. So far, the best we've come up with is Stugeron (generic: cinnarizine) which is a prescription drug. Last we checked, it was not available in the USA or Canada. It's an anti-histamine, anti-vertigo drug which is used regularly in the treatment of nausea. We were able to purchase it in the Caribbean and in South America and South Africa without a prescription and a friend has supplied us ever since. We take a small dosage (15-20mg) the night before we leave on a passage and then twice a day after that until we feel the seasickness has passed. It works. There is some drowsiness, but definitely not enough to impair our ability to stand watch or do whatever is necessary to handle the boat. The best thing about it is that we can take it even after we're seasick (assuming we can hold it down) and it starts taking effect rather quickly.

In our particular cases, we usually recover from the symptoms in 1-2 days and once we have our sea legs, we're fine. With the experience of knowing that we'll get better eventually, it's easier to handle the seasickness at the time. I'd hate to think of what I would have missed in our years aboard Nine of Cups, if I'd let seasickness get the better of me.

All this said, different drugs work differently on different people. We are not taking any other meds at all. There may be contraindications taking Stugeron with other medications or in certain medical conditions, e.g. pregnancy. Definitely read up and consult a physician if you have any questions.

What are your experiences with seasickness? What works for you? Share!

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Cheese Doodle Day

Really? I hate these things, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Yuck. Better yet, watch this video on how they're made.

FAQ - What happens when there's an emergency at home?

You forget all your plans, find the closest safe place to leave the boat and go home. We've done this twice before. We were in Portland, Maine when we received a call from David's mom that his ailing dad had died. We put Cups on a mooring, packed up and the three of us (including Jelly) were on a plane the next morning.

We were all provisioned and ready to leave New Zealand for Tonga when we received word that David's 92-year-old mom had fallen and broken her hip. Once again, Cups went on a mooring and we were back in the States in just a couple of days.

My mom is really sick. I'm going home.