Overcoming Seasickness (also seen on tracers cruise blog)

Overcoming (or coping with) Seasickness

Sarah had it the worst. I probably had it second worst. This was both our first extensive trip at sea. Sarah knew beforehand that she was prone to seasickness and I didn’t know what to expect. She hoped that the Palmer would be a giant icebreaker in the “calm” waters found in the Ross Sea. How misplaced was that hope. Her inner ear proved to be extra in-tune, and she turned out to be susceptible to seasickness in even the mildest of conditions. Here is her story:

On the first day at sea on the Palmer, I woke up with confidence, telling myself that I was going to beat this. To do this, I decided that the first thing I should do is go up to the bridge to preemptively watch the horizon before my seasickness could even begin. Bad idea. As I sat at the bridge, one of the highest—and thus least stable—points of the boat, and stared intently at the lurching horizon, my head began to get heavy and my stomach started to churn. I knew at that point that I was doomed.

Sarah showing signs of seasickness on the bridge.  Photo credit: A. Lee, at the expense of losing

My own breakfast shortly after taking this photo.

The head (bathroom) closest to the galley, which we have gotten to know quite well. The worst part about being seasick is needing to vomit because you are already nauseous from the rocking boat, but then continuing to vomit because the smell of the head nauseates you even further. 
Photo credit: A. Margolin.

I spent the next several days learning oceanography fieldwork while battling seasickness, which I think is best described as doing science while feeling simultaneously the worst kind of drunk (stumbling around the rocking boat), and incredibly hung over (nauseous you can’t see straight). I grew accustomed to the feeling, all the while trying a series of normal and sometimes bizarre seasickness remedies that I’ve collected this past week. These include:

• Chilean saltines

• Pickles (surprisingly not bad)

• Caffeine

• Avoid caffeine

• Raw ginger

• Ginger candy

• Rice and lentils

• A natural herb oil placed behind my ear

• Holding my thumb

• Acupuncture bracelets

• Exercise

• Apple juice

• Seltzer water

• Saying “f*** it all” and taking a bite of a peanut butter fudge brownie.

Worth it? Definitely.

The stash of the seasickness remedies that Sarah has stored next to her workstation in the hydro. Allison ate most of the candy and gum…

lab. Photo credit: A. Margolin.

From my time at sea so far and this eclectic mix of seasickness treatments, I’ve grown some less shaky sea legs (I hope). One other remedy I heard was from the captain himself, recited from an old sailor he knew: “Two ounces of whiskey, a beer, a raw egg, and tomato juice.” Didn’t try that one. Definitely sounds like a hangover cure. Maybe I’ll save it for crossing the Drake Passage. Seas are supposed to be the roughest in the world.

 

Sea spray, caused by rough seas and strong winds

--written by Sarah Bercovici, modified and added to by Allison Lee