We never forget how it feels to be seasick. Or car sick, for that matter. We can all agree that both are best avoided. But this is easier said than done. Having a grandfather who sailed the seven seas isn’t very much help. The problem is that the combination of waves and motion out at sea creates a conflict in our brains which receive contradictory signals from the balance organs in our inner ear, our bodies and our senses.
“We can train ourselves to resist sea sickness, but even seasoned sailors may have to experience a real storm before they become ‘immune’, especially if they haven’t been at sea for a while”, says researcher Toralf Sundin Hamstad, who is also a Senior Project Manager at SINTEF Ocean.
One of Hamstad’s recommendations is that if you are planning to go to sea in stormy conditions it is best to have eaten and slept well beforehand. You should avoid alcohol, both on the day before setting out, and while on board. Ideally, you should spend your time close to the centre of gravity of the vessel where the motion is least. Avoid being too high in the boat or too near the bow. Ideally, you should find a spot halfway along the vessel. Being out in the fresh air is good because it helps us to rock back and forth in harmony with the rolling motion of the vessel instead of fighting against it.
Part of Hamstad’s research is involved with sea sickness, and how it might be possible to construct vessels that not only offer passengers more comfortable journeys, but also reduce their vulnerability to getting sick. For commercial vessels, reducing sea sickness will result in fewer working hours lost and better opportunities to perform work tasks on board.
If you want to find out more about this research, why not listen to this summer episode of the podcast series ‘Smart Forklart’ (Smart technology explained, in Norwegian). You will find it wherever you access your podcasts.
Ship Ahoy!
