April 13, 2006

I had a fishing tournament ruined by a bunch of morons who wanted to be MACHO MEN. Seas were three to five, and these assheads were too MANLY to bother with those GAY PILLS.

They started puking one hour out, and we had to go home and give up our shot at glory.

I have no respect for punks who are too insecure to take the damn pills.

20 years in the Navy. Spent most of the time on smaller ships. Never sick. (Sometimes hung over..)
I went sailing in the English Channel. Felt ill! Sailed in Thames Estuary; Puked!

I took a pill called "Stugeron", Cinnarizine 15 mg. Didnt feel queazy or tired. Took all the way across Atlantic. No problems.

If you can sail, the motion is much easier to handle. Especially on a beam or close hauled reach.

I have only has any kind of motion sickness one time and that was in the back seat of a T-33 Jet Trainer when the damn jet jockey did some loopedly loop shit and I did a number in my fatigue cap. The only reson I didn't shit my pants was because I was so scared you couldn't have drove a toothpick up my ass with a sledge hammer..first time out and 20 years old--damn what a ride.

I hold the distinction of being the only person who has ever ridden the jump plane back to the ground with Don DuPont and DIDN'T puke. He got everybody else, including guys with hundreds of jumps. That half a hammer head got them everytime.

I got seasick on a cruise to Bermuda many moons ago. I had gone to bed early and a storm came up during the night. My ex, who had spent the evening drinking and entertaining a few hookers, was kind enough to mention to the purser that his wife was in the cabin dying. When the purser let himself in, I figured he was there to kill me, which I welcomed. He had, however, brought a basket of fruit and an appointment time for a shot from the ship physician. He said he had worked ships all his life and that the trick to never being seasick is to NEVER let your stomach get empty, even if you have to set your alarm to attend the midnight buffet. He said to ALWAYS eat before boarding any boat, as after you feel queasy, its too late. So far, it has worked.

You know I am not a sea person by any means. I was in the Air Force not the Navy. I have done some cruise ships and never gotten sick except for one almost. And that was on the Mississippi rive rolling from New Orleans to the Gulf and back again a week later. Seems the current of the river caused the ship to rock and roll in a way so different from the open water that I was not the only one who got that way.

Very nice story, Rob. One for the book.

Hi Rob: Great essay. I will only add two things: people do turn green when they are seasick; and I've never been seasick in my whole life, 52 years, with some time spent on the water in all conditions. Hopwever, I do take your observation seriously: It can hit anyone when they least expect it. Regards, Pensat

I've suffered with motion sickness my entire life. if I sit in the back of a car, I have to be able to look directly out the front window to see what's going on. I can't ride anything backwards (in middle school, I barfed on the double ferris wheel, right into my back of cotton candy), and plane/boat turbulence? fuhgetaboutit. blech. it's only gotten worse since I had my rough bout with vertigo last year, too.

You folks can call someone who gets seasick a lubber if you wish, but you would be wrong in a lot of cases.

I served in the Navy. I have been to sea in all conditions, including North Atlantic storms. It didn't matter what the sea state was - 20 ft swells or glassy smooth - the first 24 hours at sea were very tough for me because I always got terribly seasick. However, after that first day I always got my sealegs under me and then I was okay no matter how rough the sea became.

I am in good company. I personally knew guys that had a lot more time at sea than I had - from grizzled old CPO's to high ranking officers - that all suffered from seasickness at one time or another.

And as I commented tongue-in-cheek after Rob's last post about seasickness, the great British Admiral Nelson suffered the same.

Admiral Nelson was a lot of things, but a "lubber" is definately not one of them.

Roy - Who gets a little queasy just thinking about going to sea in one of those tubby old ships-of-the-line.

Ok, here comes my 2 cents. I have yet to get seasick. I used to sail quite a bit, nothing huge, pleasure and the occasional Ensenada annual event from Newport beach to Ensenada, Mexico. My biggest challenge was trying to sail from Pismo Beach to Santa Cruz, CA. under gale force winds. Took 24 hours to get there, beating against the wind. I was fine to finish my turn at the tiller and go join the rest of the crew on the sole of the boat, until my next turn. No prob. Had a rough trip across the Monterey Bay once, which can be rough! But I had seas that with a full moon, while I was strapped in on the tiller, saw the prop shining in the glow of the moon. Still no seasickness. However, had a trip to Ensenada once, where a handpicked crew person was aboard, and her problem was that as soon as she couldn't see land, she was up top begging to be put out of her misery. As soon as we spotted Ensenada, she was up and running, as though nothing had happened. Go figure. She didn't tell me before the race, but after. She was a great "deck ape" as we fought for whatever our finish place was at the end, and was suberb. Gotta remember, that at the end of a race, whether you are in the top 1/3rd or the end of the line, as long as you beat that one guy ahead of you, you score a victory!! Just thought it was interesting, no land, barf, land, cool, calm and collected. Anyone need a helm person just for the Sh---, and Giggles??
It has been a few years, like 25, but this blog started my juices flowing. Kathy

I've crossed the Atlantic by ship twice. Eastbound, we went through a storm where the waves were breaking over the bow -- the ship would plunge down, shuddering its length, and come up again. Troop ship. Very show showing up at the mess hall. But yours truly was up in the wheelhouse watching the waves break and doing the equivalent of "wheee!"

Then comes the Gulf. I figured I'd be fine, what the hell. Went out into the Gulf on a survey ship. Seasick as all heck. Hanging over the rail.

I was told the Gulf of Mexico has unique currents; unlike the open sea.

So I wish you well in your upcoming journey! But take all the precautions.

I'm fortunate enough to have never gotten seasick, but I'm like you: I know it can grab you any time.

I've dealt with 12-foot seas OK - that was the biggest. But I've been on small planes in which I've been sorely tested, up to the point where if we hadn't landed when we did, my stomach contents would have been decorating the back of the head of the guy in front of me.