The "Drake"

   On January 18, 2007 Suzie and I boarded the Sarpik Ittuk with a little trepidation and quite a bit of excitement.  The uneasiness  came from the impending Drake crossing – sailing due south past the “Horn” through some of the toughest seas on the planet.  The ship appeared more than up for the challenge, but the weather was particularly bad.  The winds were blowing a gale and the skies were dark.   A few hours before departure, we ran into some folks just retuning from the Drake that morning.  They claimed to have endured 80+ MPH winds and 30 foot seas.   Great. 

 

Seasickness is always a concern when crossing the Drake, so we came prepared.  Uncertain whether to go with the more traditional Bonine pills or the newer prescription scopolamine patches, we approached the ship’s doctor shortly after boarding: “Do you recommend the scopolamine patch or the seasickness pills?” we asked.  The ominous response:  “Both.”

 

 

The two and a half day passage was bad, but not terrible.  Seems that those that said “I never get seasick so I don’t need the medicine” spent most of the passage vertical in their cabin (save for the occasional sprint to Neptune’s spittoon).  Some were really in bad shape, requiring cabin-calls and hypodermic needles, but most were just riding it out in their bunks. Meal time was lightly attended, as were the lectures in the panorama lounge.  Those that were up and about usually had patches or otherwise medicated appropriately before departure.   An ounce of prevention in this case was worth three tons of cure.

 

The staff mentioned that rather than the common gentle and predictable “rolling” through the swells, we were actually “corkscrewing” – meaning rolling and pitching.  It was this motion that was making everyone (including a few of the staff) sick.  Thankfully, we weren’t sick at all, and in fact quite enjoyed the rocking and rolling.  It was like living in the circus funhouse for two days. 

 

Fortunately, the ride home was much smoother – with a nice predictable roll, which made for a very congenial atmosphere in the lounge/bar after dinner.  It also made for some very comfortable slumber.