The wrong things to eat for a sailing trip

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Garold

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Having just read the failed Channel crossing thread (or 'wise decision making' thread) I was laughing to myself at the mention of pot noodles for breakfast.

Our apprentice at work has eaten one every day for lunch for a whole year. So, that's proof that a 17 year old can survive on pot noodles.

However, the journeying sailor needs to be a bit more careful. Eating the wrong food before a sea journey has often left me regretful.

Hoping to avoid seasickness I once resorted to eating dry toast for breakfast, followed later by crackers with a bit of sandwich spread. The seasickness was well under control, but the indigestion accompanied by vicious heartburn mid channel made me wish for the relief of a bit of seasickness.

Anyone else got any thoughts/experiences about poor food choices for sea journeys?

Cheers

Garold
 
Years ago we anchored in the Mersey on a friend's boat to watch the Tall Ships parade past. There were quite a few people on board and one of them brought some garlic soup to 'refresh' us all. It wasn't to my taste and I refused. As the tide flooded the anchorage became increasingly rolly and pretty much all of the garlic soup was deposited overboard.
 
That "fail" when the Lamb Madras arrives followed 2 seconds later by the "what the hell was I thinking...we're sleeping on board tonight" moment...
 
Phoenix of Hamble said:
If you want a serious answer, then what you really need is a good loading of slow release carbs....

so good choices would be muesli, porridge, apples sauce, lots of pasta.... avoid sugary products.
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After nearly 30 years on the water, I still have not discovered reliable pre-voyage food.

I was just wondering about the experiences of others.

Cheers

Garold
 
Porridge for me as a pre-sail breakfast. No big heavy meals the night before, especially Indian. Depending on conditions then pasta or a sandwich en-route.
 
I eat all the normal things,plus heavy meals the night before sailing,and so do my two sailing companions.We are never sick or even feel sick.Why is this?We are all made the same.SWMBO says it,s because i have no feeling.
 
Firefly625 said:
Marmalade sandwich on wholemeal bread goes down well… done many a channel crossing starting with one of those!

Having large cod and chips night before a crossing was a bad mistake.
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A Jam or Marmalade sandwich is what I recommend if someone is experiencing the first stages or is trying to recover ..... you migh have to force it down .... but it does work.

And I'll always enjoy a good 'Fish-Supper' (as they refer to it in Scotland) anytime .... but it's not recommended for everyone.

Sandyman said:
Porridge
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Always .... and it has to be a large bowl-of first thing in the morning ... made with milk and containing honey & cinnamon, followed by well-done bacon rolls, with a large mug (or two) of Tea!
 
I can eat almost anything at sea, and even in rough conditions. The exception is GARLIC!! I'm not usually affected by sea sickness, but on a trip in a Nic 55 from Salcombe to Guernsey the ladies in the galley dished up a wonderful bowl of hot stewy stuff. It was wonderful, until a bit later I was violently ill, and only later discovered that they'd put garlic in it.

On a trip back to Plymouth from Polperro some years ago the weather had been quite bad, and we had had sea fog all the way back until Rame Head. Boat was just a 19 footer, and the seas were rolling into Whitsand Bay. I was starving, and we'd all eaten pasties and Mars Bars. My wife and son were not well, and I remained hungry, but felt I couldn't eat in front of them!

My elder son has only been sick twice, on return trips from Guernsey. Each time he'd eaten an apple!! Fried food and anything else was OK.
 
I always recommend ready break to potentially seasick crew, it is the only food known to man that tastes exactly the same on the way up as it did on the way down!

Which reminds me, an old salt once told me the best cure there is for seasickness...... Stand under a tree :-)
 
Not just a question of food. In the past I've come to realise:
1/ dont set off when tired after a full days work
2/ dont set off after drinking too much the previous night
3/ dont set off on an empty stomach
4/ dont set off if agitated / worried / stressed

Any or all of the above can cause sea sickness.

As for food we make ships biscuits which are in reality rock cakes containing a lot of dried fruit. Ideal for those passages where you need to keep up the energy and cooking isnt possible. We avoid anything which requires cooking down below in a chop.

And having once been sea sick when I broke every one of the above rules, I now take stugeron as routine. Never been sea sick since then.
 
Good: bacon and egg sarnies with brown sauce.

Bad: prawns on wheaten bread with seafood sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

On one trip this was all we brought (prawns)

Terrible food poisoning abounds
 
Garold said:
Anyone else got any thoughts/experiences about poor food choices for sea journeys?
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We have never been fully seasick, but Mme S and I have occasionally experienced queasiness, especially when down below while under sail. We both found a strong association between "cup-a soup" drinks and queasiness. Never had a problem over many years since we stopped using them. Re pot-noodles, never had one in my life but I'd work on the assumption that they're just as bad.

Better with proper hand-knitted meals and snacks. We usually have strong espresso coffee once or twice a day, but only drink tea or water in rough conditions. Things with ginger in them are generally regarded as being helpful in avoiding seasickness.

Incidentally, we start each day with porridge, no milk no sugar. Maybe that helps.
 
Pancake mix is good to, just add milk and shake in the bottle.

Add bacon and maple syrup, lovely.

You need gymbals or the pancakes will be all thick on one side!
 
Bosun Higgs said:
2/ dont set off after drinking too much the previous night
3/ dont set off on an empty stomach
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Especially those two. Real Ale being rather worse than gin or rum, unit for unit.*

*Edit: By which I mean with respect to the "previous night" part rather than the "empty stomach" bit.
A Bloody Mary, a Mimosa or a can of Tennants Super are obviously the only acceptable breakfast drinks, though for sailing purposes oats/porridge seem to be a better choice.
 
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Bosun Higgs said:
Not just a question of food. In the past I've come to realise:
1/ dont set off when tired after a full days work
2/ dont set off after drinking too much the previous night
3/ dont set off on an empty stomach
4/ dont set off if agitated / worried / stressed

Any or all of the above can cause sea sickness.
Click to expand...

IMHO a good list of the causes for 90% of sea sickness, Tired, Dehydrated, hungry and fear/ stress...

Very few people truly get car sick, air sick etc these days the fear has gone...

Oh and foods to eat? I like pot noodles :D

Mars Milk is good it tastes the same both ways...
 
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