When the boat just won’t stop rocking

After spending any amount of time on a boat, it takes a few minutes on solid ground for our brains to readjust. If we’ve been on a long cruise, the readjustment to the unmoving nature of earth may even take a few days. But for some, the feeling of rocking over waves just doesn’t go away at all.

This rather bizarre condition is aptly known as debarkation sickness, with the simple symptom that the vestibular system of the brain doesn’t readjust once you leave the boat. Imagine feeling nauseous all the time.

A sufferer of this condition is Mary Richards, a 37 year-old American woman.
“Have you ever seen those wave machines at amusement parks? That’s what my body feels like all the time.”

This condition can remain for decades after the initial voyage in some extreme cases. A cure is being sought in many diverse places, and not everyone agrees that it’s a long cruise that creates the condition. Some doctors claim similar symptoms are the result of head injury or viral infections.

As the debate continues, there is no solid cure, so cruise/trawl/sail at your own risk.