Gathering Our Sea Legs

Getting up this morning was surprisingly difficult because the gentle swaying of the Palmer made it feel like the ship was trying to rock us back to sleep. After several long days of hard work, we all enjoyed being able to sleep in (I am not entirely sure how many people made it to breakfast at 7:30 am, I certainly did not). For the most part, the scientists on board have their sea legs, with only a few showing signs of seasickness. Unfortunately, I found myself among those having a pretty rough morning. In case you ever find yourself out in the open ocean, there are a few little tricks I learned that are supposed to help. There are several kinds of sea sickness medications that work differently for different people. Mine helped quite a bit but it knocked me off my feet for a couple of hours. Stepping outside into the fresh air does wonders and eating ginger can also be helpful because it sooths your stomach. One of your best bets is to drink a lot of water. Thankfully, after trying these tricks, I am feeling much better. The rest of the team is slicing a few more points of attachment for our buoys so we will be able to find our crab pots back after we deploy them. I wish I could join but I have been advised to get my sea legs first so I will be feeling well enough to eat dinner.

     We have had a few meetings yesterday and today to familiarize us with safety procedures and rules of the boat. When the alarm sounds, we are to collect out life vests and survival suits from our rooms and “muster” (gather) in the lounge on the third deck. The survival suits are aptly called “Gumby suits,” and as you can see from the picture below, they are quite a stylish! We also hopped onto the life boats which are stocked with food, water and other important survival supplies.

     There have been a few changes to the Palmer since I was onboard three years ago, including having access to the internet. Considering that we are traveling to one of the most remote places in the world, it is quite surprising and impressive that internet access is available to us! Our connection is limited so I may have to have a friend from Florida Tech post a few pictures for me. I will tell you if new pictures are added to a previous post!

-Steph, Katie, and Dan

CJ, Katie, Steph, and Dan in our Gumby suits