Still Rocking Ashore?
The boat has stopped, but you still feel the movement. For most people, it passes quickly.
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What Is Land Sickness?
Land sickness is the feeling of rocking, swaying or bobbing after leaving a boat, even though you are no longer moving, explains Cleveland Clinic. It is also called mal de debarquement, meaning sickness of disembarkation. Most cases pass within 24 hours.
Ashore, but Still Moving
You have handed the boat back after a week's charter. Yet the ground still seems to move beneath your feet.
Seasickness happens during travel. The NHS describes it as dizziness or feeling or being sick while travelling; our guide to seasickness covers that experience. Rocking afterwards is different. A brief spell is common, while the persistent syndrome is rare. The names overlap, but how long symptoms last matters.
Quick Navigation
- 1 Readjusting Ashore Getting Your Land Legs Back
- 2 Usually Brief Seconds to a Few Days
- 3 Recognising Symptoms Rocking Can Worsen When Still
- 4 Persistent Symptoms When the Rocking Stays
- 5 Medical Advice Tell a Doctor About Rocking
- 6 Sailing Again Know What Can Return
1.Readjusting Ashore
Getting Your Land Legs Back
Most people readjust to being ashore within two days, according to Cleveland Clinic. On board, you adapt to the movement and acquire your sea legs. Cleveland Clinic links the lingering sensation to the brain's ability to readapt when that unfamiliar movement stops.
Our account of a first sailing holiday admits that motion sickness can be a trial.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders, or NORD, says the true cause remains unknown. The persistent syndrome affects the vestibular system, which handles balance. Readapting after movement is the proposed explanation, rather than a settled answer to why some people keep rocking long after a charter ends.
2.Usually Brief
Seconds to a Few Days
A brief spell of feeling movement after prolonged travel is common in healthy people and normally lasts seconds to three days, says NORD. Our BVI handover day tips page covers the last day of a BVI charter, when the boat goes back.
The published recovery times differ. A 2016 review in the Journal of Neurology reports studies where symptoms resolved within 48 hours, and another where they resolved within two hours. Cleveland Clinic says most symptoms disappear within 24 hours, while also describing land legs returning within two days.
Sea travel is the most common trigger, though flying and extended car or train journeys can trigger symptoms too. These recovery ranges describe what sources report; they do not set a waiting period before you can contact a doctor.
3.Recognising Symptoms
Rocking Can Worsen When Still
Rocking typically worsens when you stand still or lie down, says Cleveland Clinic. That can make the first night in your own bed an unwelcome reminder of the boat. Unsteadiness, balance problems and brain fog are also reported.
NORD describes the ground feeling uneven underfoot, or a sense of still being aboard. Symptoms can increase around fast movements, flickering lights and supermarket aisles. The US National Institutes of Health's Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center also lists fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
Cleveland Clinic says the syndrome does not cause vomiting. By contrast, the NHS lists being sick among motion sickness symptoms, the subject of our seasickness remedies guide. Cleveland Clinic also distinguishes the syndrome from conditions that cause spinning, ringing ears or hearing loss. Those differences give you useful language when describing symptoms to a doctor; they cannot establish the cause on their own.
4.Persistent Symptoms
When the Rocking Stays
Persistent mal de debarquement syndrome is rare and can last months or years, says Cleveland Clinic. Anyone can develop it, though 85% of cases affect women aged 30 to 60. It is also more common among people who have migraines.
The NIH centre describes temporary relief during passive movement, such as travelling in a car or train. NORD says symptoms tend to return when the journey ends. Feeling better on the journey home therefore does not necessarily mean the rocking has passed. This describes the condition; it is no recommendation to keep travelling.
If the rocking does not pass while you are still away, contact a healthcare professional. On a Croatian charter, our guide to medical care in Croatia explains that doctors are usually available on the Croatian islands and medicines are sold only at pharmacies.
Cleveland Clinic says most people improve within one year, even without treatment. Improvement is possible, but persistent symptoms still warrant medical attention.
5.Medical Advice
Tell a Doctor About Rocking
Tell a healthcare professional if you feel movement while still, especially beyond 24 hours, advises Cleveland Clinic. Contact them even if your symptoms fall within one of the reported recovery ranges.
Cleveland Clinic says referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist or neurologist typically follows at least one month of symptoms. That concerns specialist referral, rather than when to first seek help. There is no definitive test for the syndrome. Investigations help rule out other conditions, including vestibular migraine.
Motion sickness medicines do not improve this syndrome, Cleveland Clinic explains. The remedies in our seasickness guide are for the sail itself. Treatments for the syndrome may include vestibular rehabilitation exercises or brain stimulation, but responses differ between people.
The NIH centre states that only a healthcare professional can diagnose you. Tell them when the rocking began and whether it continues while you are still.
6.Sailing Again
Know What Can Return
Symptoms can return after another journey or during stress or illness, according to the NIH centre. NORD also reports that symptoms may reappear spontaneously. Mention an earlier episode when discussing current symptoms with your doctor, even if the first one passed.
NORD says the length of exposure to movement does not determine the severity or duration of the syndrome. A shorter charter is therefore no guarantee against the persistent condition.
When planning your next charter, our guide to choosing and booking a sailing holiday covers destinations and boats. If symptoms return, tell a healthcare professional about movement felt while still, especially beyond 24 hours.
We have advised on charters since 2011, and we are tied to no operator, so the brief you get is the one that suits your crew, not ours. The Art of Charter.
Christopher Lait
Chris founded Drake Academy, a sailing company that provides leadership training to businesses. Now the CEO of SailChecker.com you will find him handling many of your enquiries as he attempts to drive SailChecker.com forward as the company of choice for yacht charter and sailing by focusing on quality advice and great customer service.
