I was so seasick that I remember very little from the 8 hour trip to Malta from Marina di Ragusa, Sicily. Living on the boat since December, by May I got so used to living on board that I developed a false sense of “safety and stability” and it didn’t even enter my brain that sailing anywhere would be any different from being docked at the marina. Big, Very Big, Extremely Big mistake!!!
When we left the marina in the morning, I was feeling great and super excited, after all this was our first big trip anywhere with Spruzzo. In the next few minutes I thought I was going to die! The boat moved in every possible direction! the sea was in a state of permanent confusion and seemed to be determined not to make up her mind on what direction the waves would be going; it seemed that waves were coming from everywhere and they were extremely pissed off by something. The wind, I assume (because I became incapacitated very quickly and cannot say for sure…) was more consistent as to direction, taking us at a great speed of 7 – 8 knots towards Malta and we reached Malta earlier than expected. Jeff deposited me on a seat in the cockpit and placed a blue bucket in my arms and was trying to make sure I was ok. It was too late to take a pill; I tried and it ended up in the bucket unprocessed. I managed to tell Jeff somehow that even thinking was making me dizzy, and obviously I couldn’t talk…at some moments I remember that my peripheral vision would capture some movement by Jeff and even that would make me worse…the boat was going forward and down, then nose up and sideways and down and sideways and then it really felt like it was even sliding a little backwards… if ever there was a dance competition for boats, Spruzzo that day would win the gold with honours!!! I didn’t know I had that much fluid in me…I guess if the human body has about 70% water in it, I would swear I dispensed of 55% of my bodily liquids that day!
Jeff, as I found out later, went downstairs in the boat to the washroom, when a huge wave knocked us around so he lost his balance and was hurled backwards in the toilet hurting his lower back badly! Now, apparently Crew and Captain were both semi-incapacitated and thank goodness for the autopilot who was driving the boat. (ed. Jeff was fine but he did bruise his back. 😉
We reached Malta early in the afternoon and immediately when we entered the harbour I started feeling better and begun communicating again with the environment (Jeff) who then told me what happened to him. I could never imagine that a person could feel so terrible…and I am a mom who went through the pains of childbirth!! Never leave home without all kinds of medications for seasickness! When we docked at the marina at Malta and I went outside to get something to drink, when I came back Jeff confessed that he was happy and relieved I didn’t get on the first flight out of there and back to the mainland! He told me that he was half expecting me to say my goodbyes, get on a plane and go home, so to make sure that I never have to suffer another day like that on the boat!
BUT….Malta was amazing and we did our maintenance work for the boat (changed the rigging) and we had a great time! Needless to say, I have an excellent stock of seasickness medications (pills, patches, bracelets) and I make sure to double check Windy before we sail and determine which remedy is appropriate to adopt (if necessary) every time and since the Day of the Great Blue Bucket I have been just fine and had no problems at all!!! (ed note: Victoria is much less prone to seasickness now 😉
Adventures on Spruzzo 