Your Guide to Safe Tropical Sailing
Smart cruisers learn from their mistakes;
smarter cruisers
learn from other cruisers' mistakes.
A happy voyage can quickly turn into a nightmare when illness or injury strikes. The tropics are home to many diseases, poisonous creatures, and aggressive wildlife. Mosquitoes carry dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya, and contaminated food or water can harbor bacteria and parasites ready to derail your adventure. Marine hazards, from venomous creatures like stonefish to coral cuts that are instantly infected by marine bacteria, pose additional threats to your well-being. When you're days away from the nearest medical help, even a minor health issue can escalate into a serious crisis.
Our ebook A Healthy Sailor is a Happy Sailor is a guide to healthy sailing to help you avoid tropical health and safety dangers and enjoy your tropical adventure to the fullest. We provide practical advice on how to prevent illnesses, manage injuries, and make informed decisions to keep you safe while exploring tropical waters.
By understanding the risks and learning how to prepare, you can keep your dream voyage on course and make your time in the tropics as joyful and worry-free as possible.
"A Healthy Sailor is a Happy Sailor" plots your course to avoid the health dangers of tropical sailing with three simple, but crucial, rules:
Three Rules for Avoiding Health Risks
Rule 1
Find out what health dangers are lurking
where you are going before you set sail.
Rule 2
Don't let them get you.
Rule 3
Know what to do if you fail Rule 2.
"Be wise when you prepare,
dangers lessen if you're aware.
Know the risks before you sail,
stay prepared, and you won't fail."
A Healthy Cruise Plan
15 health things sailors need to have before extended cruising
Before setting sail for the tropics, make sure you have prepared thoroughly for the health and safety of everyone aboard. Here are some essentials to consider:
- First Aid Kit: Equip your yacht with a complete first aid kit. Ensure every crew member knows where it is, what it contains, and how to use it in emergencies.
- Emergency Medical Evacuation Plan: Update your evacuation plan based on where you plan to cruise. Ensure all crew members are familiar with the steps, including who to call, how to reach them, and the procedures for evacuating an injured crew member to a hospital.
- Medical Insurance: Make sure every crew member has medical insurance that includes emergency evacuation coverage. Some countries require this for entry. Emergency medical flights are extremely expensive if a crew member needs treatment beyond what is available locally.
- Yacht Contingency Plan: Have a plan in place for managing the yacht if the captain is incapacitated. Identify who would take over yacht operations in such a situation.
- Water Systems: Install a desalinator and a carbon filtration system. Carry bleach and/or chlorine dioxide to decontaminate any shore-sourced water.
- Mosquito Protection: Equip all entry points and hatches with mosquito screens. Bring mosquito repellent with 20-30% DEET for shore excursions.
- Mobile Phone: Carry an unlocked mobile phone, preferably waterproof. It will be critical for communication in emergencies, whether at sea or on land.
- Sun Protection: Provide polarized wrap-around sunglasses for everyone aboard. Include eco-friendly sunscreen and sunburn treatment cream.
- Swimmer's Ear Rinse: Have a swimmer's ear rinse available, either homemade (boric acid or white vinegar-based - formulas included in the Swimmers Ear section) or store-bought, for after swimming or diving.
- Wound Treatment: Keep household bleach or chlorhexidine on hand for immediate wound care. Carry a small dark glass bottle for use on shore excursions or snorkeling trips.
- Diving Safety Gear: Gloves, a full-body wetsuit, or a Lycra suit (preferably zebra-striped) for snorkeling and diving to protect against jellyfish stings or coral cuts. Zebra stripes can deter sharks.
- Foot Protection: Have rubber or plastic shoes for getting in and out of the dinghy on rocky shores or beaches.
- Vaccinations: Make sure everyone is up-to-date with vaccinations for tetanus, cholera, yellow fever, and typhoid, and carry WHO vaccination cards.
- N95 Masks: Bring N95 masks for emergencies or in case of unexpected health hazards.
- Dinghy Security: Use a reliable locking system for your dinghy and outboard motor to prevent theft.
A Quick Summary of The 10
Most Common Tropical Health Hazards
(And How to Easily Avoid Them)
1. Contaminated Shore Water
Shore water in tropical harbors often carries bacteria, parasites, heavy metals, and agricultural runoff. The fix is simple: always treat shore water before drinking. The hard way? Boil it for one minute, use chlorine dioxide tablets, use a water filtration system, decontaminate your fresh water tanks at regular intervals. Still risky. I
f you want the easy way, the sure way, invest in a desalinator and make your own fresh water from the sea. Your stomach will thank you. See this article for why a desalinator gives you more than just water; it gives you independence.
2. Coral Cuts and Marine Wounds
Those beautiful reefs hide razor-sharp coral, sharp barnacles and spiny creatures. Every cut you get in the marine environment is instantly infected with bacteria that thrive in warm, saline human blood. If you do get cut, immediately, before it stops bleeding, rinse the wound with ordinary household bleach (full strength and less than 3 months old) or Chlorhexidine Guluconate, then clean it thoroughly and apply antibiotic ointment. It is vital to disinfect the wound before it stops bleeding because once the marine bacteria get into the circulatory system it requires very strong antibiotic treatment and may result in serious infections that go right down to the bone. Many sailors have ignored small marine cuts and they have turned into major infections with long term complications. Never put iodine on marine cuts, marine bacterial are highly resistant to iodine.
3. Mosquito-Borne Diseases (Dengue, Malaria, Zika)
Mosquitoes are more than just annoying—they're vectors for serious diseases like dengue
fever, malaria, and yellow fever . Install mosquito screens on all hatches and portholes and make sure they are in place at dusk. Apply DEET-based repellent to exposed skin when going ashore any time of the day (Dengue Fever mosquitos attack during the day and in towns and villages). Wear long sleeves and pants if you're going ashore in known mosquito zones. These simple barriers keep you bite-free.4. Fish Poisoning
Ciguatera toxin accumulates in large predatory reef fish like barracuda, mackerels, grouper, and some snappers. The rule is straightforward: don't eat large predatory reef fish. Stick to pelagic fish caught in deep water—tuna, mahi-mahi, and wahoo are generally safe. Ask locals which fish to avoid in their waters. If you're unsure, don't eat it. Ciguatera poisoning is miserable and can last for months.Scombroid Fish Poisoning happens when fish like tuna and mahi-mahi aren't properly chilled after being caught. The bacteria create histamine that cooking won't destroy. The prevention is easy: gut and chill your catch immediately, and keep it cold. If fish smells or tastes peppery or metallic, throw it out. Fresh fish properly handled equals safe eating.
Our ebook gives you all the information you need to diagnose and treat fish poisoning and many other food borne diseases.
5. Venomous Marine Creatures (Jellyfish, Sea Snakes, Cone Shells, Stonefish)
The ocean has its share of creatures you don't want to touch. The rule here is simple: Watch where you put your hands and feet, wear shoes when wading in shallow water and shuffle your feet to frighten stingrays and stonefish. Look, take photos, but don't touch. If there are jellyfish around stay out of the water or wear a full length Lycra body suit to protect you from jellyfish stings or coal cuts. If you're stung by a jellyfish or anything else, rinse with vinegar (box jellyfish) and immerse in hot (50 degree C) water.6. Sharks and other aggressive marine creatures.
Shark attacks are extremely rare and easily avoided with some very simple preventative measures. The primary way to avoid being bitten by a shark is to not act like prey when in the water - splashing about on the surface of the water - and avoid baiting them with speared fish or food wastes thrown into the water, or swimming when they are actively feeding or in areas where people feed them. My wife and I have spent thousands of hours snorkeling and diving in the tropics and have seen many sharks but they steer clear of us because we wear a zebra-striped lycra full body suit and swim like we are the most dangerous creature in the ocean (and humans are the most dangerous creatures on the planet).
7. Sun Damage and Heat Exhaustion
The tropical sun is relentless and can cause serious damage before you realize it. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, polarized, UV-protective sunglasses, and long-sleeved UV shirts. Apply reef-safe sunscreen every two hours. Stay hydrated—drink water even when you don't feel thirsty. Take breaks in the shade during the hottest part of the day. Heat exhaustion and sunstroke are completely preventable with common sense and proper gear.
8. Waterborne Parasites (Leptospirosis and More)
Freshwater streams, rivers, and even puddles can harbor nasty parasites, especially leptospirosis from animal urine. Avoid swimming or wading in fresh water unless you know it's safe. If you must enter questionable water, wear waterproof boots and cover any cuts or scrapes. After exposure, wash thoroughly with soap. When in doubt, stay out.
9. Swimmers Ear
Swimmers Ear infections can develop after swimming in seawater. The outer ear canal becomes infected, inflamed, or irritated, due to water getting trapped in the ear, creating a moist environment ideal for bacteria or fungi to grow.
The best way to prevent ear infections is to rinse the ears before diving with a few drops of Johnson's baby oil or olive oil and, immediately after the dive, use a diver's ear rinse solution. It prevents ear infections by drying the ear canal, maintaining its natural acidic environment and neutralizing harmful microorganisms.. Most dive shops sell ear rinse solutions but it is very easy and less expensive to make your own Vinegar or Boric Acid rinses (Full details on making it in our ebook).
10. Human to Human Diseases
There are lots of diseases you can catch from other people and the very best way to prevent any of these diseases is to avoid getting them. These simple precautions will minimize the risk of getting sick from other people.
Avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose with your bare hands whenever you are ashore. Use a hand sanitizer after shopping and after shaking hands (or don’t shake hands at all). In French countries, don’t participate in the usual French Kiss Greeting. This can be considered rude or unfriendly but we use the now recognized fist bump instead of a handshake and a blowing a kiss gesture for the kiss greeting and these are greeted with the same response and a big smile. And we carry a tube of hand sanitizer when we go ashore just in case.
Wash your hands a minimum of 20 seconds the instant you return to your yacht.
Avoid sick people and crowds, especially indoors (like in bars). If there is a cruise ship in port, don't shop where the passengers shop (cruise ships are major importers of the latest diseases).
Wear a N95 rated mask if you can't avoid crowds or areas where there are sick people.
Eat aboard and practice good sanitation with your food.
Never drink tap water or drinks with ice when ashore.
Quarantine entry to your yacht. If someone wants to come aboard, or if you want to invite someone aboard for drinks, always ask if they are, or have recently been, sick. Not the ritual, “How are you?” Or “How’s it going?” resulting in a ritual reply “Fine, Good, Never Better”. Ask directly “Are you contagious?” or, even better “Do you have a flu or cold?” If they do have a contagious disease and come aboard to spend the evening down below in the cabin of your yacht you will catch whatever bug they have for sure.
Reciprocate. If you are sick and are invited to visit another yacht, tell them you have a flu or cold or whatever and do not go aboard to share it with them.
Want the Complete Guide to Safe Tropical Sailing?
These 10 hazards are just the beginning. A Happy Sailor is a Healthy Sailor gives you the complete toolkit for safe tropical cruising—with detailed prevention strategies, real-world stories from experienced sailors, comprehensive first-aid protocols, and the confidence to handle whatever the tropics throw at you.
You'll learn:
- Exactly which fish are safe to eat and which to avoid in every region
- Step-by-step first aid for every marine injury and tropical illness
- How to set up your boat's water system for maximum safety
- What medical supplies to stock and how to use them
- Real stories from sailors who learned these lessons the hard way—so you don't have to
Don't let preventable health problems ruin your dream voyage. Get the complete guide that's helped thousands of cruisers stay healthy and happy in the tropics.
Get Your Copy Now
Because a healthy sailor is a happy sailor
and knowledge is your best life jacket.
