Do you get motion sickness (seasick) on a houseboat: myth or not?
As houseboat enthusiasts we get quite a lot of questions about motion sickness. Today we received another message from Anna, who is thinking about renting a houseboat in Amsterdam. “But I’m quite worried that my mother and sister would get seasick if the boat is moving”, she says." They tend to get sick in the back seats of a car easily, not to mention if we take a ferry or a fishing trip at sea. So please advice about the chances of getting seasick on a houseboat.”
No movement, no sea sickness
Well Anna, the main question to be answered is: will the boat you’re interested in move or not. Without movement, no sea sickness. That means that pretty much all houseboats in Amsterdam, for example, are safe for you to rent. Most houseboats we rent are moored, fixed to the canal walls. They will hardly move or not move at all, even with severe winds. Please bear in mind that most houseboats are very heavy and therefore won’t really be affected by waves. Boats passing by are held to a strict speed limit of 6 to 7,5 km/hour, also to avoid waves. Long story short: chances of getting seasick on a houseboat in Amsterdam are pretty much zero. Even houseboats on the more open water like The Northern Light Boat are safe to stay on.
The rest of the world
What about other houseboats around the world? The same applies: you would need quite a lot of movement to get sea sick. We can imagine that a driving boat on one of the great lakes in America could rock pretty serious on open water. But a good captain would always make sure to be in a safe sheltered place before the wind gets too bad. So over all you should do fine when it comes to getting sea sick on a houseboat. Sitting on the back seat of a car is worse for sure.
So yes, we guess we can call it a myth! You will not get seasick on moored houseboats. Looking forward seeing you on board!
Give it a try, rent a houseboat