Let's talk about seasickness for a moment ...

[Captain Charlotte Savvy]

If I've already addressed this topic on this board, I apologize -- however, it's been on the back of my mind to post a topic for discussion about this for SO LONG that I honestly can't remember at this point if I actually POSTED it at some point or not. (So I suppose it goes without saying that, even if I did post it, I don't remember what anyone said about it. *grins*)

I am applying for -- considering applying for, I guess I should say, though it's definitely SERIOUSLY considering -- a study program that involves, at the end of the term, four and a half weeks at sea on a brignatine (plenty of port stops, yes; but still, four weeks).

Here's the thing (one thing, anyway) -- I get motion sickness fairly easily. Not at the absolute drop of a hat -- I don't get carsick every time I ride, or anything -- but I do get _sick_. I can't ride rides at the amusement park more 'strenuous' than the carousal; I can't read in the car. I don't know if I get sick on planes because the only time I went up on one, I was definitely on Dramamine at the time -- but I imagine I'd only be fine on said planes if we didn't hit any turbulance.

I _have_ been on boats before -- sort of. Going out on a lake hardly seems to count, and it wasn't for long ... I was fine then, but still, this is entirely, unbelievably, absolutely different.

What I'm getting at here -- my actual question *grins* -- okay, I don't MIND getting sea sick. I KNOW I'll get sea sick. Just about everybody does; and I realize, for the first day or two or so, I may be in such an absolute agony of nausea that I'll be begging people to thwack me over the head and put me out of my misery. What I DON'T want to do is get on the ship and be sick for the entire bloody four-and-a-half weeks. My question, to all you knowledgable sea-farin' dogs out there, is, basically: how often have you seen someone, or heard of someone, who simply never found their "sea legs"?? Is there a realistic chance that I shall get on this ship, arrive out to sea, and spend the entire month vomiting? Because, as much as I want to do this, I don't want to do it at the expense of starvation and death because I can't keep anything down for four weeks, if you catch my drift. :)

So -- are there just some people out there who simply can't sail -- not comfortably, at any rate?? That, through all this long-winded questioning, is my basic (well) question, here.

(Thanks for any and all opinions on this -- I am NOT going to start out my application to the admissions counciler by saying, "Excuse me, but is there a chance that all I'll do on the trip is throw up???" ... so I need some advice here. Thank ye kindly, mates!)

[the Royaliste]

Don' wanna be a bummer, but there are folks who never overcome Mal de Mare, and are continually seasick.Hopefully, you aren't one of them

[Merrydeath]

there be a few things that might help... non drowsy Dramamine and its generic twin, ear wraps that you pinch when queezy and wrist bands that have a bead on your nerve spot to stop mal de mer.

I have used the dramine when my kids were young.. (car on hot day, windy, pudding for lunch, and a pillow I threw out of the car, nuff said.) and the non-drowsy works fine.

another thing I heard works is to look far out, so the horizon is even..not close up. Good luck matey.

[Zorg]

Ginger tea, particularly with fresh ginger, also is a great stomach settler. Works quite well.

[Albatross Bill]

I likes that candied ginger, meself.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

I'm fairly new to sailing meself, but I think my suggestion shall help none the less.

1. First, you want Bonine, not Dramine. Different drugs. Also, you don't want to start off taking more than 1 pill if ye can. It will make you drowsy, not matter what the package says. Ye can also take another if it is a particularly rough day.

2. You will get your sea legs eventually. Especially if ye be sleeping on the boat (err, I mean ship). It's when you go on land (even for a few hours) and then back on the boat that ye will have to start over.

3. The little wrist bands do work. Gave it to a kid already losing his lunch and it helped. So does the ear patch I have heard (need dr. prescription to get, but less nausau and drowsiness.)

4. Look at the horizon every chance you get. Imagine you are Captain Jack Sparrow and this is your horizon. Make it a point to look at the horizon (not the waves) every five minutes or so.

5. When you walk on land after being at sea, you WILL walk like Captain Jack Sparrow. Enjoy it or you will get land sick. Get back to the boat (err, I mean ship) as soon as possible.

Again, I am not a sea expert. However I recently have had these same experiences (not to the same duration as you will.) These are the things my instructor educated me about and experienced for myself.

Have a great time; I wish I was going.

Fair winds and calms seas.

~Black Hearted Pearl

[Paisley]

5. When you walk on land after being at sea, you WILL walk like Captain Jack Sparrow.

ahhhhh such a great feeling!...brings back memories

looking drunk, but being sober lol

[Bilgemunky]

Yeah - I always found taking a shower on land tricky for a few days after being at sea - couldn't quite stand straight.

Bonine every morning. If you wait till you're sick, you'll just puke it up.

My understanding is that seasickness is actually your body trying to reconcile the fact that the motion it sees doesn't jive with the motion it feels. Thus your body comes to the conclusion that it's been poisoned, and seeks to expel the poison from your body - hence puke. Sometimes the best thing to do is to let'er rip. Once you've done the deed, your body SOMETIMES will decide it's done all it can, and let you start feeling normal again. Sometimes not.

Last summer while working on a schooner I religiously took bonine (I'm prone to motion sickness as well.) Only once did I turn green, and on that particular day we had about 30 schoolkids puking all over each other, so I wasn't the only one. Funny thing - right when I was feeling my worst, some little girl puked at my feet and I suddenly felt much better. So there's a tactic: if you happen to have a seasick friend standing next to you - egg'em on, poke them in the belly, do whatever it takes to make them puke first - it just might do wonders for you.

But I of course make no promises

[Maraudin Sparky]

I don't know any of these 'Bovine' drugs people are talkin about...

But you generally find different people are affected in different ways by movements onboard ship. For instance, one of my Navy mates was fine in the heaviest storms... but in harbour he felt awful!

So don't worry about it too much, and eat lots! Then if you're sick, at least you have something to show for it!

[Captain Charlotte Savvy]

Thanks, one and all, for the advice -- this was exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. I know there's no guarentees -- it's like Maraudin Sparky's comment about the Navy sailor; you can't really know WHAT'S going to make ya seasick. Maybe I'll get out there and find it doesn't bother me in the least (unlikely), despite my aversion to the Tilt-A-Whirl rides at amusement parks.

Most likely, it will bother me a bit -- so I'll be packing up on Dramamine AND Bonine (though I 'aven't heard of the second one, I have used Dramamine in the past, and it works wonders), not to mention loads of ginger (tea, root, pills, etc etc) ... and hoping for the best. I can't take Dramamine (or Bonine) for a month straight, after all; so ginger root it is. I just want the rest for any real emergencies or particularly rough-water days. I will also have my eyes glued to the horizon for quite awhile when we first get out there, so yah.

We will be sleeping on the ship, so I won't have the on-again, off-again adjustment of going back and forth between land and sea too terribly much, which is nice.

I hear keeping busy, and eating when you can, are two things that also help -- so I'll be sure to do that, as well.

Thanks again, guys. I'm certainly not going on this thing for sure -- but you'll be the first (after me family) to find out once I know one way or t' other. Thank you!!!!

[Red Maria]

I am one of those people who has yet to find her sea legs. A trick Philastina de Morte taught me is a half hour before who go on board take a bonnie. The about a half an hour out take another. It reduces the droziness factor. It worked fine for me during tall ship battles. Day after day I guess just spread it out and cut back gradually to see if you adapted or not.

Also ginger beer or good quality ginger ale works wonders.

[Rumba Rue]

Uh bad news Maria, poor Phillistina was at the railing 99% of the time we were going over to Catalina last summer. Her idea failed miserably.

Course I was right behind her....if I had made it to the railing....

Rumba Rue

**Confirmed land pirate**

[Captain Charlotte Savvy]

Uh bad news Maria, poor Phillistina was at the railing 99% of the time we were going over to Catalina last summer. Her idea failed miserably.

Course I was right behind her....if I had made it to the railing....

Rumba Rue

**Confirmed land pirate**

You people are trying to encourage me, aren't you????

Naw, I'm just being sardonically evil, don't mind me ... I did wanna know the TRUTH, after all! I'll jest apply to the thingy, see if I get accepted, and then worry about it from there ... I fear I may turn out to be a confirmed land pirate, but I'll hafta wait and see. :)

BTW -- hauling ginger beer (or any sort of alcoholic beverage, for that matter) would have me getting my butt "marooned" in port permanently (even though I'd be of age at the time we're going out to sea); alcohol is strictly prohibited on board, which makes sense to me. Though I'm a HUGE fan of ginger ale, so that may be coming with me if I do indeed get out there ...

[Creed]

From me own experience, wot works for me is to keep a full stomach (crackers n bread work best), take 2 Dramamine, keep busy an if ya get a headache take a nap. Eventually, yer body will get used to the rockin'. They used ta call it gettin' yer sea legs.

[Rosalinda]

Yep. Eat a big chunk of bread and that'll hold everything down. You won't feel any better, but you won't lose it, either.

I found that staying as cold as possible also helped, which was pretty damn easy crossing the Irish Sea in March. Ever had ice form on the end of your nose? That helps a LOT.

[Black Deacon]

Hey Savvy. I'm in the same boat as you so to speak. I was notrious for getting car sick on even short rides as a child. Couldn't and still can't go on the spin and puke rides at amusment parks. But I spent a few summers in Alaska on a commercial Salmon Fishing Boat. Alaska That boat is only (by law) 33 1/2 ft. long and 14 feet wide. The only time I got seasick was when we had some bad weather. 15 ft. swells. So I laid as close to the keel as I could and slept as much as possible during those times (only twice). Good lucj too ya.

[Red Maria]

[quote name=

BTW -- hauling ginger beer (or any sort of alcoholic beverage' date=' for that matter) would have me getting my butt "marooned" in port permanently (even though I'd be of age at the time we're going out to sea); alcohol is strictly prohibited on board, which makes sense to me. Though I'm a HUGE fan of ginger ale, so that may be coming with me if I do indeed get out there ... [/quote]

Ginger beer is as non alcoholic as ginger ale is. Meaning zero alcohol . So no worries. :)

[Merrydeath]

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside,thoroughly used up,worn out, leaking oil,shouting GERONIMO!!"

Hey! I have the same signature, or just about! Good minds think alike I guess.

[Isabella]

I've lived a large majority of time on the water, and used to get seasick fairly often. I've tried dramamine, which made me pass out and sleep, but half or a quarter isn't a bad idea either, I tried it without too bad sleeping side effects. (Also good for those with Galbladder problems BTW, if you have them.)

Also consider ginger ale, it sooths the stummock.

They also have Seasickness patches, that I've used that aren't too bad. You might consider that. Do some online looking for different Seasickness stuff.

I used to get sick a the drop of the hat also. We'd drive to Yosmite, and I'd have my head out the door. We'd go whale watching, or go to Catalina to visit our great Uncle, and be sick as dogs.

[Captian Wolfy Wench]

I's true, those wristbands with those magnetic beads work. As do drugs. :) I suggest to bring everything you think you'll need for such a long trip. I.E. two boxes of said drugs, wristbands, etc.

I used to get seasick, bu' only on certain types of rides. I was out recently on a few boat (and ship) rides, and I ended up being fine.

I's also true you will walk like Captain Sparrow, both when first being on the ship and when you get back. A month at sea... I wish you luck getting yer landlegs back after that.

As Merrydeath says, stick yer head out and shout "Geronimo!" Ye'll have such a good time, I know it. I actually planned on the same type of trip next acedemic year when I'm in college. For the semester. Be sure to tell us how it turns out!

Captain Wolfy Wench

[Spydre Rogue]

Arr...

Four weeks at sea without any alckohol?! Wot be ye, daft? Best ter be sick th' entire time, sez I, less'n ye come to yer senses at some pointe an' find yerself without a drink.

Th' only cure fer th' open seas be rum. Less'n o' course it be tropical seas, an' then rum with pineapple juice.

-Spydre

[MinRat]

The worst is not being seasick, it is going on shore and being so land sick that you cant walk. Raw ginger is the best to keep the stomach calm.

[Pirate Dumplin]

I have a bad stomache and i take prilosec the day before and drammamine the day of.plenty of bread stay away from the rum

[Captian Wolfy Wench]

Two words... ginger ale! I hate ginger, but it works. >_<

Captain Wolfy Wench

[The Touring Gentleman]

A sour stomach is nobody's friend. I remember a trip back from Anacapa last year... we were in a 69-footer and we hit 15' swells in the channel. Whole crew was whooping it up like cowboys - except one poor kid that made a dash for the rail. I swear he disappeared in the water - we were ready for a man overboard - but somehow the kid held on. He was drenched, but at least the "spray" took off all the bits that didn't quite make it to sea...

My stomach is medium-strong, but I still get bouts. The Bonine/Dramamine I only use as a backup. If you don't have room to stock a couple cases of ginger ale, try your local vitamin store. They sell ginger capsules and they probably work better (in my experience). Pure ginger, doncha know.

Second, and a hair pricier, are the scop patches. The "ear patches," if you will, are worth their weight in gold. Stick it on and it'll last you a couple days. Doesn't knock you out quite as bad as OTC stuff, and it keeps working without you having to down another pill. I'd recommend starting with a patch, get used to the motion, let it peter out, then keep an eye on the weather. If it looks like you're gonna hit chop, stick that lil' sucker behind the ear about three hours before it hits the fan and you'll be ready to bull fight Davy Jones himself.

Best of luck

~The Touring Gentleman