No, I was asking which particular ship you were referring to. I'm
primarily involved with oceanographic vessel design so I get to deal
with motion and comfort questions a lot. I also hear lots of
scuttlebutt and that particular vessel was legendary. Even after she
came to Maine, people said the same thing about her.

--

Roger Long



"renewontime dot com" wrote in message
...
Was that the "Cayuse"? I've heard more people say that was the
only ship they ever got sick on than any other. She was here in
Maine for a while but I don't know where she is now.

Hi Roger,

I'm guessing your asking why one ship might be more prone to causing
seasickness than another?

There are alot of determining factors, to name a few (I'm sure there
are others, these are the ones that come to mind):

Seas - The most obvious reason. The seas off the Washington /
Oregon coast during the winter is about as bad as it gets. Gales
hit every three days (like clockwork) and the seas are big and
steep. I've been in bigger seas, but these seemed more
uncomfortable.

Vessel Motion - A vessel's size, obviously, has a big effect on it's
motion at sea. Additionally, a more stable vessel will roll faster,
thus making the motion more uncomfortable. The further you go from
the vessel's center of gravity, the more motion you'll be subjected
to. Yes, some ships are just more uncomfortable in a seaway than
others, and the research ship I was on had a reputation for being a
"puking machine". Since most of my waking hours were spent on the
bridge, some 30-40 feet above sea level, it was a pretty "fun" ride.
Below decks (in my bunk), it didn't seem quite as bad. The Irony was
that our mission was to count whales, but because the weather was so
bad, most of the scientists never left their bunks. Incidently,
most cruise ships have "roll stabilizers" and "bilge keels". These
usually do alot to reduce the vessel's roll.

Health - If you're otherwise ill (or tired), sea sickness will
definitely hit you faster. In my case, I had recently recovered
from an inner ear infection, which I'm sure had alot to do with why
I became sick.

Smells - I know certain noxious smells trigger sea sickness in some
people.

Psychology - I am one of those that believe that if you think about
it too much (or watch other folks that are sick) eventually you will
get sick. Consequently, I do everything I can -not- to think about
it.

I know nothing about the circumstances with the cruise ship and
students that everyone is talking about. I only caught a few
seconds of the video that appeared on TV, so I'm in no position to
judge or criticize, so I won't even try. The last I heard, she was
docked here in Honolulu.

Two other points on seasickness that are worth mentioning:

One is that the seasickness pills I took while working off Oregon
(Dramamine I think) worked like wonders for me.

The other is that extended seasickness can be a -very- dangerous
medical condition. If you (or one of your crew) should become sick,
proper rest, meals and lots of fluids are -crucial-.

Here's wishing everyone fair winds and following seas!


--
Paul

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