When we are at sea I spend as little time as possible inside because – ahem – it makes

me sick.

I proved this in spectacular fashion last year…. Our plan was to speed down from the

Gold Coast to Coffs Harbour non-stop, doing two hour shifts at the wheel and on the

navigation. All was well until I went into the galley to make chicken salad for lunch…it

was very rolly and polly… I then forced myself to do the next log entry, which involves

peering at screens and making graph entries… So far, more or less, so good… The next

hour I tried to do it again and – ooops spent a miserable time hanging my head over the

back of the boat.  For the rest of the many long dark hours I sat with a bucket clenched

between my knees, occasionally getting rid of yet another meal from the previous few

days. Ghastly! Poor Pete was left with ALL of the driving and ALL of the navigation. I

tried to do an hour but failed quite dismally; I just couldn’t concentrate, and didn’t know

when I was hallucinating or when there really was a big boat on the radar screen coming

right at us… I’m not sure why it happened, all the vomiting and misery. I would have

taken a pill or two, but you can only take them half an hour BEFORE you start being ill…

Next time we do an overnighter I will take pills JUST IN CASE, in good time.