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The Top 10 Ways to Avoid (or Cure) Motion Sickness on a Sailboat

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If you’ve been sailing long enough, you’ve seen it.
The pale face. The thousand-yard stare. The sudden obsession with the rail.

Motion sickness is one of the great equalizers of sailing. It doesn’t care how smart you are, how tough you are, or how badly you want to love boating. It can hit seasoned sailors, first-timers, kids, adults—and yes, even people standing on a calm floating dock.

I know this firsthand. My wife gets motion sickness very easily. Not just offshore. Not just in rough seas. She can feel it on calm days, tied to the dock, with barely a ripple on the water. So over the years, we’ve tried just about everything—medications, home remedies, behavioral tricks, and more than a few questionable sailor “cures.”

Some things work better than others. Some work only for certain people. And some… well, some are mostly sailor superstition.

What follows are the top 15 proven, practical ways to avoid or reduce motion sickness on a sailboat, ranked not by miracle cures, but by what actually helps real sailors stay comfortable enough to enjoy being on the water.

1. Start With the Basics: Look at the Horizon

This one sounds obvious. It’s also one of the most effective.

Motion sickness happens when your inner ear says “we’re moving” but your eyes say “everything’s fine.” That sensory mismatch is what makes your brain hit the panic button.

Looking at the horizon helps synchronize those signals. It gives your eyes a stable reference point that matches what your body feels. Whatever you do, don’t go down inside the boat where you can’t see the horizon. That is an instant trip to pukey land.

What works best:

  • Stay in the cockpit whenever possible
  • Face forward
  • Keep your eyes outside, not inside the cabin
  • Avoid staring at sails flapping wildly (they lie)

This alone won’t cure severe motion sickness—but it’s the foundation everything else builds on.

2. Be in the Right Part of the Boat

Where you sit matters more than most people realize.

On a sailboat, the motion is least pronounced near the center of the boat, close to the waterline. The bow rises and falls the most. The stern pitches and yaws. Midships is your friend.

Best places:

  • Cockpit, near the companionway
  • Just forward of the cockpit on deck (if conditions allow)
  • Avoid the bow at all costs when seas are up

If someone is feeling queasy, sending them forward to “get some air” is often the worst possible advice.

3. Take Motion Sickness Medication Before You Need It

This is one of the biggest mistakes people make.

Once motion sickness fully sets in, medications are far less effective. Prevention beats rescue every time.

Common Over-the-Counter Options

  • Meclizine (Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy)
    • Longer-lasting
    • Less sedating
    • Popular with sailors
  • Dimenhydrinate (Original Dramamine)
    • Works well
    • Can cause drowsiness
    • Sometimes helpful if sleep is part of the plan

Take these the night before or at least an hour before departure. My wife uses Dramamine for when we go out sailing. It’s what she has found works the best for her. It does leave her feeling drowsy for the rest of the day and sometimes the next day also. This isn’t ideal and were still trying to find something that works better.

Yes, you may feel a little sleepy. That’s still better than worshipping the rail.

4. Prescription Options for Severe Cases

For people who get motion sickness easily (like my wife), over-the-counter meds sometimes aren’t enough.

Prescription Options Include:

  • Scopolamine patches
    • Worn behind the ear
    • Long-lasting (up to 3 days)
    • Very effective for many people
    • Possible side effects: dry mouth, blurred vision

These are worth discussing with a doctor—especially if sailing trips are planned regularly.

5. Ginger: The Sailor’s Root

Ginger isn’t just folklore—it’s one of the most researched natural remedies for nausea.

It doesn’t sedate you. It doesn’t mess with your head. It just helps settle the stomach.

Ways to use ginger:

  • Ginger chews
  • Ginger tea
  • Ginger capsules
  • Ginger cookies (yes, really)

I have a coworker who swears by eating ginger cookies before going out on the water. It doesn’t work at all for my wife. Your mileage may vary for this one.

It’s not magic, but it’s gentle, safe, and often surprisingly effective.

6. Acupressure Wristbands (They Actually Help Some People)

Those stretchy wristbands with a little plastic nub?
They look ridiculous.
They work for some people.

They stimulate the P6 (Neiguan) acupressure point, which has been shown to reduce nausea in certain cases.

Are they guaranteed? No. My wife has tried these bands and they don’t do a thing for her.
Are they drug-free and cheap? Yes.

For mild to moderate motion sickness, they’re absolutely worth trying.

7. Stay Hydrated (But Not Overloaded)

Dehydration makes motion sickness worse.
So does chugging water like you’re prepping for a marathon.

Best approach:

  • Small, frequent sips
  • Cool water
  • Avoid sugary drinks
  • Skip alcohol entirely if prone to seasickness

Yes, even that “one beer” can push things over the edge. Drinking enough to give you a little buzz is a great way to send yourself over the edge.

8. Eat Light—and Eat Smart

An empty stomach is bad.
A greasy, heavy meal is worse.

The sweet spot is light, bland, and familiar food.

Good choices:

  • Crackers
  • Toast
  • Bananas
  • Rice
  • Simple sandwiches

Avoid:

  • Fried food
  • Heavy sauces
  • Spicy meals
  • Anything you’d regret eating twice

9. Fresh Air Is Not a Myth

Cabins trap smells, heat, and motion cues that amplify nausea.

Whenever possible:

  • Stay topside
  • Open hatches
  • Let air flow through the boat

Diesel fumes and galley smells are especially good at flipping the nausea switch.

10. Don’t Read, Scroll, or Stare at Screens Below Deck

This one hurts in the age of smartphones—but it’s true.

Reading or scrolling below deck is almost guaranteed to make motion sickness worse.

Your eyes say “still”.
Your body says “absolutely not.”

If someone already feels off, put the phone away. My wife has a habbit of wanting to read her phone all the time in the car. As soon as we drive over any bumps at all it sends her straight to queasy land. Put the phone down if you are on a boat and have a tendency towards motion sickness.

Build Up Tolerance Slowly

People say that you can build up tolerance over time. For some people it works. For some people it doesn’t. My wife has been going out on my boat for years now and still gets sick sometimes. She still has a problem on floating docks or wobbly docks. It does seem to be less severe than it used to be.

Start with:

  • Short sails
  • Calm conditions
  • Familiar waters

Over time, the brain learns the pattern—and protests less.

Final Thoughts from an Old Boat Sailor

Motion sickness can steal the joy out of sailing faster than a blown sail or a dead engine.

But it doesn’t have to.

With the right mix of preparation, technique, and a little experimentation, most people can find a system that works well enough to enjoy being on the water—even if they never become immune to it.

If someone in your life gets seasick easily, don’t dismiss it. Don’t joke it away. Work with it. Because the best sailing memories are the ones everyone actually enjoys remembering.

And if you’ve discovered a cure that works for you?
Trust me—other sailors want to hear about it.

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