JANNEKE KUYSTERS ON SUN PROTECTION FOR SAILORS
Sailing on a sunny day is hard to beat: but apart from the mood-enhancing qualities of the sun, we all know of its dangers. After finishing our circumnavigation and returning to the Netherlands, one of the first things that struck me was how odd it seems to see people in north-western Europe deliberately sitting in the sun, and how it’s often considered rude to keep your sunglasses on when talking to someone. It couldn’t be more different in the tropics, or in countries like Australia or New Zealand, where the sun is avoided as much as possible and hats and sunglasses are worn all day when outside.
Dr Karijn Koopmans is an MD of dermatology, and also a keen cruising sailor, exploring coastal waters in Europe. She explains the effects of sunlight on our bodies: “Starting with the skin: sunlight makes it thicker and it stimulates the production of pigments, so you get a tan. But the disadvantage is that sunlight breaks down the elastic fibres in your skin and will make it wrinkly. Even worse is that the sunlight can damage the DNA of your skin cells, which may lead to skin cancer in a later stage.
“Sunlight is good for your body, because it stimulates the production of Vitamin D which you need to build bone mass and to protect you against internal types of cancer, like bowel cancer. Sunlight also inhibits the activity of certain immune cells, especially those in your skin. This is put to good use in the treatment of psoriasis or eczema, where we see a marked improvement when the skin is exposed to UV light. The disadvantage is that you are more susceptible to cold sores and such.
Check if your sunscreen contains microplastics: the Plastic Soup Foundation has an app (Beat the Micro Bead) to help check product ingredients for microbeads
“Finally, UV light can damage the lenses in your eyes and lead to cataracts.”
There are three ways to avoid sun damage: behavioural measures, mechanical and chemical. Behavioural measures simply involve staying out of the sun at its most intense periods (1200-1500). On the average sailing day this may not be possible, especially in tidal areas – we don’t always get to pick when we can be outside or not. Mechanical measures involve covering up: wearing a hat and sunglasses, lightweight and UV protective clothing, using a bimini when sailing and adding an awning or other sun shade in port. Finally, chemical measures involve applying sunscreen and lip protection.
PRACTICAL MEASURES
Sailors have an increased exposure to sun damage, but how many of them really know the risks involved? To find out, we sent a questionnaire to a
