Managing bowel while distance sailing (24 hrs.)

Cat Sailors,

I have a few questions for you distance racers who must manage bowel movements while sailing; information such as dietary matters and "going on a Hobie 20"

1. Is there a specific diet that will limit the need for a bowel movement for at least 24 hours?

2. We sail with a one-piece dry suit and was wondering what means there is to actually go if need be??

Interesting questions? They are important thought. It's all part of distance sailing. Do understand a little more why we need this information, visit our website at www.sail4life.ca. Please email at teamsail4life@mac.com

I would appreciate some comments here (expert or non-expert) as to a formula to this mysterious equation.

Cheers,
Jason Ellis

squeeze and grin.

(can we refer to this as #1 and #2?)

Seriously though, I've been through two 22 to 24 hour small cat sails, and numerous 12 to 14 hour legs and #2 has never been a consideration. A good constitution I suppose?...

After reading about Steve Fossett's single handed flight around the world, he did have a very specific diet to control this - it consisted mostly of protein shakes but I don't know the details.

Cheese and bananas.

Maybe there is something to the protein shakes idea. A doctor/sailor friend of ours many years ago told me that if you consume nothing but protein, your body will metabolize and use all of it, and nothing will come out the other end.

as for the protien thing if your a member of a gym ask some of the "mocho" guys they are for sure on a strict protien diet they would know about how often they are regular...

Diet: At the risk of sounding weird... Many years ago, we had a dog that used to get very loose after stealing things like ham scraps after dinner. We had a veterinarian who told us to give her cooked ground beef and white rice. Worked like a charm.

Dry suits: I'm surprised (shocked actually) that no one has pointed out the obvious yet: spend a few more bucks and have relief zippers installed. Will be the best investment you ever make.

Hope this helps.

Mike

You can do like that crazy astronaut and wear a diaper.

Seriously though, I heard that steak gives minimal output.

D.Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067

No bananas on boats, bad Juju.

Relief zippers help with #1 - not #2

Oops, thanks Jake I left that out. That's true for the "traditional" men's zippers which go across the front, but I believe the women's setup goes from the front to the back. In theory, that could help in a dire situation...

Mike

No, you eat them BEFORE you go out.

That is OK.

I've found that keeping an eye on what you eat leading up to and during is a big help. Get yourself on a schedule where the big plopper takes place first thing in the morning. Have a little coffee very early if it needs a little coaxing. I find that staying away from the big greasy breakest helps (you know, the sausage, bacon, fried eggs thing). If I'm traveling I try to avoid the things at restaurants that can make you sick - improperly cooked ground beef, and salads (not always washed well...).

Keep food on board to things like power bars and the like. Big power from litle input, and therefore little output.

That having been said, my big piece of new advice is to be careful of being around family members that might be sick leading up to an event. This got me at this year's Tybee - my daughter came down with a huge stomach thing just as we were getting ready to hit the road. My being a big mush comforted her and got her into bed before leaving. On Friday as we were rigging the boat it hit me, and knocked me out through the first day of the race. I wasn't even sure how solid I was on the second day, but sailed anyway. Thankfully I was ok...

One thing I can speak to - Depends! I gave these a try on the second day just in case. Thankfully, I did not need it. From the physical activity (in the harnes, sitting on deck, etc...) there wasn't much left of the thing at the end of the day. If I had used it, I would have been throwing my drysuit in the trash at the end of the day!

I went camping with the boy scouts at summer camp and started the akins diet at the same time. I did not go #2 for for 3 days! All I ate was meat and eggs.

airborne

This forum is really going to crap <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

To learn how to manage your passage of human solid excrement, you need to spend some time learning your own body's characteristics and you have to avoid doing all the right things that most everyone should do to encourage good "flow-through" of foods consumed.

(Please note that these suggestions are exactly opposite to those suggestions on how to remain healthy!)

Starve yourself of fluids, water.

Consume salts and other things that will de-hydrate your body.

Dehydrating your body will make it very difficult for your stool to attain the proper volume and hydration level to promote bowel movement.

Eat a low-bulk diet. Avoid pulp (fruit, vegitables).

How to avoid "bulk" and get enough caloric intake: Eat eggs!

Eat a steady diet of what you think that you should eat while on the voyage. Study your results for a few days.

Re-enter this diet on occasion to learn how long it takes your body to react to the change from a normal diet.

Timing is everything. Learn how to time yourself.

Use mass quantities of water to provoke a bowel movement when convenient to do so.

When choosing to be on a boat for 24 hours, pick a boat that has a way to take a crap. Don't ever embark on a long trip without at least an alternative way to relieve oneself; you never can know what the body may decide to do.

Now that is truly sage advice! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I might use that one for other situations in the future!

I've stripped everything off (life jacket, harness, dry suit, clothing), put the life jacket and tether back on and jumped in to take care of business. Not a pleasant experience but it was unavoidable. My clothing did not get too wet - I put it inside the dry suit and tied it too the boom.

Normally I stick to small breakfasts, perhaps a power bar for lunch and don't have a problem managing this. Coffee first thing in the morning is helpful.

Chris.

I didn't think I would ever say this- you guys are spending way too much time online!

And maybe if you don't think this is an issue worth discussion, you do not spend enough time on the water.
It's something I have been wondering about for 25 years, and I was so happy that somebody finally asked the question publicly.

Garbage bag works OK just need to be sure you have easy access to the poop shoot... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Some years ago, I took 6 others including 2 females across the untracked Okeefenokee swamp in Georgia on the canoe trail in July, a 3-day trip. Cross-swamp travellers are told by the Rangers, "Y'all be sure to bring out everything solid you brung in- use big plastic bags". As described above- powerbars plus bananas, lots of drinking water, swimming amongst the gators for cooling off, and great exercise paddling in the scorching heat- our bags came out as pristine and white as when they were first packed! However there was a 7 person line for the head at Steven Foster Park on Sunday afternoon. A great trip!

The excitement of getting ready for the start of any competition seems to get a lot of people headed to the facilities. Check any bathroom before any type of endurance or high energy race.... It will be pretty busy. Must be the stress and that "fight or flight" response.

Perhaps a prudent approach would be to express any bulk several days prior to an event using a natural laxative (not a stimulant), and then proceed to steadily reduce the bulk in your diet up to, and during, the event.

A protien only diet for any sustained period of time will reek havoc on your microbial flora in your gut, leading to poor nutrient absorption, gas, bloating, cramps, water sequestering, inflammation and other undesirable effects.

If you can get yourself "regular", as in having movements within a specified time period each day (or every other day), it will work far better than any freak dietary change (which usually shocks the system and causes irregularity). At least you'll be better able to predict future "events".

I'm not a doctor.

How do you keep the newspaper dry?

I heard Carlton Tucker talk about the Worrell 1000 and the green streaks that were left as you relieved yourself during the night. They didn't even slow down to go.
His description was very funny.

I think the secret to regularity is to eat dry dog food. I take our dog for a walk every morning and then he is fine for another 24 hours. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

But give him some people food and.... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Well, the point is, don't change your regular diet if it works for you. We have been to regattas where we based our breakfast on the wind conditions. If it was going to be light air, I would have a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. If it was going to be heavy air, I would have a BIG breakfast of pancakes and bacon and eggs and hashbrowns, just to try to add some weight. Neither extreme is good if that is not what you normally eat for breakfast. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Or, if it's going to be nasty, wake up early and watch the weather channel. That'll get you going...

Well I guess I'm older then I think...or experienced....No one has even mention Imodium Advanced. Its for insurance. If your hanging off the wire doing 20+ with the chute up-- my crew, as would I to him, Beat one another after the leg if we had to stop to take care of business (#2). This stuff is great......hopefully the afternoon of the next day is not as long. Forget the bananas and regularity.
Oh, that leg with Carlton--was that with Glen Purcell?? I heard both ends of the story-- Glen was on the front.

Imodium is GREAT! I found that out this year when I had an impending "problem" when I was stuck in traffic somewhere in an Ohio city. I had Imodium in my purse (just in case, since I had never tried it before) and took one and it was instantaneous relief. It was like magic.