Tug Life // Seasick

Confession:  I threw up for the first two days I was at sea on this lovely ole tug. 

Thinking about how much more a tugboat feels sea conditions didn't even remotely factor into my decision making process when I took the job. 

To be clear, I'd take the job again...I'd just be a little more prepared to feel every single ripple. 

The first clue I was no longer on a ship hit me when we were tied up to the dock. I'd lay in my bunk and feel the boat rocking. I'd be standing in the wheelhouse and I'd have to catch my footing for a second. At the dock. In a sheltered harbor. With a breakwater. 

Getting underway we headed into about a four foot swell. 

To say the vessel pitched would be a mild understatement. We felt every single wave. 

My body REVOLTED. 

During my first watch I had to run to the head and toss my cookies twice. My relief showed up on the bridge and as I was giving my turnover I had to blurt, 'oh my god I'm gonna be sick'....and RUN off the bridge to make it to the head. 

This kept up for two solid days until I felt like I could barely move (and my shipmates looked at me with pity and / or disgust)...and then I started to feel better really slowly. 

I'm now at the 45 day mark. Most days I'm golden but sometimes, if we hit the swell just right I'm wishing I could be somewhere else.  

We've also had phenomenal weather so I'm a little worried that my cookie tossing days aren't over. 

Note to self:  tugs move A LOT. Pack Dramamine and ginger chews. 

Things In Mason Jars :: Semi-Homemade Ginger Fizz

Pops.  This one is dedicated to you.

My Dad emailed me and said, 'I've been looking at weather in the Atlantic....you should look at the weather....and eat saltines...'.  Ok fine, that wasn't exactly what he said.  I emailed him back and said, 'Pops, I'm all over that shit'.  I know.  What kind of daughter emails her Dad that she's 'all over that shit' with reference to eating saltines?!

Listen, I know it is slightly bizarre for a so-called professional mariner to complain about being sea sick all the time but, honestly, I've never been on a ship that rolled like this one!

In fact, I've written about it in great length.

When the icki-ness set into my tummy yesterday I got creative.  I had my trusty ginger drink mix and a sprite.  Boom!  Semi-Homemade Ginger Fizz!  Of course I also took two homeopathic sea sickness pills.  Just in case.

Now, I know what you're thinking....you're looking out at that beautiful blue ocean and wondering why we're rolling.  This can be attributed to a ground swell.  It's a long and rolling swell caused by wind that is a substantial distance away (i.e. The North Atlantic).  We're feeling the effects of a North Atlantic storm all the way south at 27 degrees North!  This type of swell is much, much different than a locally genereated wind driven swell.  This is like a gentle roll back and forth every 12 seconds.  It's just big enough that you have to brace your body and every now and then a draw will open on its own.  It's not big enough that you have to hold on.  For whatever reason, it's just enough to make my stomach flip over.

There you have it: a ground swell, a ginger fizz and, no ability to sit in front of the computer without feeling like I'm gonna hurl.

Love you guys.

(also you can read a really good explanation of a ground swell here.)