How do I get over my fear of boating holidays?

[sward]

Hey folks,

So now it's summer I've gotten loads of invites to go cruising, boating etc but honestly I just have this massive fear of being stuck out at sea. Also, when it comes to yaughts I think I must have watched some awful 90's Watchdog episode where everyone got locked on a yaught with overflowing toilets and I just can't get it out of my head! My mum wants to take us all on a cruise in four months but at this point, I'm just not in the headspace to say yes! Welcome all suggestions to get over this - really want to get into it!

Stephanie

 

[gordmac]

Welcome! Unlikely you will be stuck out at sea, boats will tend to drift ashore somewhere! Probably start with a trip of a couple of hours on a tourist boat (or friends boat) and see how you get on. It would, in my opinion, be foolish for someone with no boating experience to go away for a few days even without your fear, you need to know if you will enjoy it. After that perhaps a few days on a canal boat, there will be facilities ashore. Something like a large cruise boat with crew to look after you would, I suspect, be more like a hotel than a smaller boat if that was what was in mind.

 

[James L]

You don't need to worry about being stuck out at sea, unless you're going to try crossing the Atlantic.
Just make sure you have your mobile charged and you are only a phone call away from being towed home. You'll also have a two way radio and every other boat you see will be listening on channel 16, so if you were to ask for help you'll have multiple other boats available.
But, it almost never happens, boat engines don't go wrong at sea, generally they are much simpler than car engines and once started they very rarely stop.

Your cruise will only involve boating in good weather and you will likely be tied up or anchored most of the time.

If you give us more details of the Cruise, we can give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Jeez it must be bad if youre worrying about it 4 months in advance. I'm tempted to say that if your fear is that bad then just dont go but I sense you do want to go

I dont know your circumstances or the type of boat or the cruising program envisaged but I think taking it slowly could help. How about as a first step, just visit the boat in its marina. Spend a few hours onboard, maybe even sleep overnight, start the engines but dont go anywhere. The idea is to get used to how the boat feels, how it sounds, how it smells and how it moves when you walk around it. If that goes well ask your mother whether she can take you for a very short cruise in fine weather to a nearby bay and stay at anchor for a couple of hours just to get a feel for how the boat moves at sea. If that goes well then you are probably ready for whatever program your mother has in mind

One more word of advice. Dont get pissed up before you go on the boat to try to calm your anxiety because the booze is likely to make a reappearance at sea. If you do think you will suffer from seasickness take some tablets before you go

 

[Caraway]

If you don't want to go. Just don't go.

I take it you are talking about the USA.

 

[sward]

Thanks so much for the tips!

 

[MapisM]

I'm tempted to say that if your fear is that bad then just dont go

+1.
Nowadays, there's plenty of folks offering training to get over all sort of fears.
And in some cases, I see the point of that - for instance, if airplanes scare you but flying is essential to your job.
OTOH, getting over fear is one thing, and transforming fear in enjoyment is quite another.
Not saying it's impossible, but I've never heard of anyone who actually managed to do that.
So, getting over fear of boating for pleasure without actually enjoying it doesn't sound very attractive to me...

 

[[2068]]

Several years ago, "Motor Boats Monthly" organised cruises in company.

You were responsible for plotting your course correctly and rocking up with a seaworthy enough boat, but having an experienced skipper in the fleet does wonders for confidence, and we ended in places that we never thought would be possible on a 28ft boat (e.g. Paris, Netherlands, France, and Lymington(?))