Will I get seasick, and what helps?

Possibly, especially on day one. Most people who feel it on a first charter settle within a day or two, and there is a lot you can do to reduce the odds.

The biggest single factor is not your constitution. It is the boat and the water you are in.

Choose the conditions

• A catamaran does not heel and has far less motion at anchor than a monohull. If anyone in the group is worried, this is the most effective decision you can make. See choosing a vessel.
• Sheltered cruising grounds move less. Inside the Whitsunday islands is calmer than open water, and Pittwater is calmer again.
• Larger vessels move less than small ones in the same sea.

What helps on the day

• Stay on deck, amidships, in fresh air, and look at the horizon rather than down at a phone or a book.
• Take the helm if you can. Steering occupies the part of the brain that gets confused.
• Eat something plain and drink water. An empty stomach and dehydration both make it worse.
• Stay out of the forepeak cabin, which moves most.
• Avoid diesel fumes and the galley in a swell.

Medication

Over-the-counter and prescription options exist in Australia, in tablet and patch form. The important part is timing: most work better taken before departure than once symptoms have started. Effects, suitability and interactions differ between people, and some cause drowsiness that matters if you are the nominated skipper.

Ask a pharmacist or your doctor well before the trip, and tell them what else you take. This page does not recommend a drug or a dose, because that is a decision for someone who knows your history.

Tell the operator

A skipper who knows someone is prone to it will plan a gentler first leg and pick anchorages accordingly. Mention it at booking, not on the dock. Families and groups covers travelling with people who need a slower start, and skippered and crewed explains how much a professional skipper can smooth out.