Ship-phobic?!!

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Ahoy scoundrels,

I was channel surfing the other day and happened upon an episode of the reality show "real world" which required the housemastes to spend a day crewing aboard an Americas Cup sail boat.

One girl was so petrified with fear that she had to be lead to the boat by two of her roomies shading her eyes so that she could not see the boats. They got her on the boat and she had to spend the entire time on the water with her head lowered between her knees, shading her eyes so that she could not see where she was.

The funny thing was that she could swim and didn't require or desire a life jacket, but her phobia was apparently associated with the ships more so than the water, or so it would seem.

Have any of you ever heard of such a phobia as this?

[Desert Pyrate]

Never heard o' such a thing, at least that extreme, but me dear sister canna' bear the thought o' a boat that rocks in th' sea. She's upset, cause she likes th' piratin' but doesn't want t' get onna boat.

[AkashaZuul]

Poor girl. . . . not only was she put through torture, but missed out on a great experience!

I've never heard of anyone being afraid of just the boat. Generally, it's either a fear of the water itself projected onto the object "boat", or it's fear of falling off a boat and drowning. I searched, and there doesn't seem to be a technical phobia name for it, nor anything about it other than fear of objects or natural phenomenom in the DSM-IV. The closest I can get out of my Abnormal Psych text is fear of the sea, Thalassophobia.

Me, I'm the opposite. I am terrified of the water, but love boats. Staring mindlessly at heaving water will give me panic attacks, but I've never gotten motion sickness on a boat. I only get queasy after I've gotten *off* the boat, and I'm trying to sleep in bed while my body is still rocking back and forth. Someone once told me that I was probably a sailor who drowned in a past life. Go figure. :)

[hitman]

I can relate to this in a slightly wierder way I have no fear of hieghts when in an airplane or a deer stand but put me on a ladder or the top row of a pair of bleachers and my knees get so weak I find it hard to stand. This leads me to think that its not the heght but the lac of control that gives me the proplems. I'm scared when on a rollercoaster or on a mountain but standing on a roof I framed out or climbing a deer stand I built gives me not a quiver........go figure I chalk it up to just being odd!

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Thanks for the info AkashaZuul! Interesting to know the name of a fear of water!

I have a funny one- I love ships (that's kinda obvious) and the water too but I have an absolute terror of fish. Nasty awful little creatures they be! Slimey little monsters with big flat googly eyes and gaping mouths. *shudder* I won't eat anything from the sea and won't touch the little creepies. They are OK in a tank, as long as they stay put!!

[Ida Dunnitt]

I saw that Real World too channel surfing the other day. I found Megalophobia- fear of large objects, since she seems to be okay about small boats. So maybe she has Hydromegalophobia or Megalothalassophobia? (fear of big things and water or big things and sea?)

[Wartooth]

I saw that Real World too channel surfing the other day. I found Megalophobia- fear of large objects, since she seems to be okay about small boats. So maybe she has Hydromegalophobia or Megalothalassophobia? (fear of big things and water or big things and sea?)

Or maybe Claustromegalothalassophobia? (fear of big enclosed things in the sea) Or perhaps Megalopyrosubhydroclaustrophobia? (fear of large fires underwater in enclosed spaces) Or maybe Cootiephobia? (fear of catching whatever that tavern girl has)

Wartooth

[LadyLeigh]

That'd be the funniest thing I've ever heard, Wartooth. As for the lass being afraid o'boats, maybe she gets extreme sea sickness, or had a bad experience on one before...

[MinRat]

I have seen this happen before. I work on an old tallship in the summer. I saw a young boy, about 12, being forced to board. His parents were pretty mad and they insisted that he go on the day trip with us. He sat below the entire time crying. If someone has that bad of a fear I would keep them on land. Forcing a fear can only make it worse.

[El Pirata]

Better her than me. I couldn't imagine not enjoying sailing on a ship, sailboat, dingy, etc.

[El Pirata]

Forcing a fear can only make it worse.

I hate to open a can of worms but sometimes that's the only way to overcome fear. While I would prefer little by little but there really times where you need to react immediatly and forget the fear.

[imadrunkenpirate]

Someone once told me that I was probably a sailor who drowned in a past life. Go figure. :)

Aye.. ye never know!

Sadly, as much as a pirate that I am... the last time I was on a ship was 10 years ago... when I was 14. It was actually a sailboat down in Florida.. so I can't be remembering it too much.

I hope te be on ships more frequently than before, but hope not te get sea sick.

The other thing, me pop has always taken me out on his small, fishing, motorboat, but I'm sure that wouldn't get anybody sea sick.

Just thought ye might te know!

Cabinlass Maggie

[Col. Hawkyns]

Aye,

Ships are a pirates life. I couldn't imagine not being able to sail. I'ther a large vessel, or a race dingy. My grandparents have both in the Puget Sound. Aye!! The feel of a salty sea breeze and da smell of the ocean. It calls to a pirates heart. Me grandmother though loves boats and sailing, and fishing, But you can't ever get her to snorkel, something 'bout the face in the water me thinks. Or even really swim for that matter. It all must depend on the person me thinks.

[Milamber]

Arr... i love water and boats i am a certified scuba diver, i sail i water ski, i wake board, and all... i figure if so much of our planet is gonna be water i am sure as hell gonna enjoy it!

[Coastie04]

I hate to open a can of worms but sometimes that's the only way to overcome fear. While I would prefer little by little but there really times where you need to react immediatly and forget the fear.

I'd have t' agree with ye here. I was working on the schooner Adventuress many years back and we had a group of kids come onboard for a weekend sail. There was one girl who was extremely frightened of being below the water, especially to sleep. However, she had a great time above deck, and eventually became confident that the boat was not going to sink. She overcame that fear completely by nightime, and was looking forward to going sailing agian.

One o' my favorite quotes: Without fear, there is no courage.

Coastie

[Captian Wolfy Wench]

Fear of the ships themselves? What kind o' madness is this?! *brandishes cutlass*

I have a fear o' fish, but it's specifically fish while they're in the ocean... and I'm in there, too. I'm alrigh' with fish in tanks and dead on dinner plates, but when they're 'round me feet, I freak out.

Captain Wolfy Wench

[the Royaliste]

Fear of the ships themselves? What kind o' madness is this?! *brandishes cutlass*

I have a fear o' fish, but it's specifically fish while they're in the ocean... and I'm in there, too. I'm alrigh' with fish in tanks and dead on dinner plates, but when they're 'round me feet, I freak out.

Captain Wolfy Wench

I'm fond 'o flyin' fish on deck! yer dog's an' cats luv 'em!!

[Captian Wolfy Wench]

I'm fond 'o flyin' fish on deck! yer dog's an' cats luv 'em!!

I'm sure they do!

I'm okay wif fishin'... even if they're on deck and still alive and squirmin'... it's just when they're in the ocean, swimmin' around me... I get unsettled. :/

Captain Wolfy Wench