Three Lollies Aim to Lick Seasickness Naturally

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    Three Lollies

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    Unless you’re one of those sailors with a cast iron stomach who can eat sardines in mustard sauce while smoking a green cigar in lumpy seas and 40-knot winds and suffer no ill-effects, you know just how miserable it is to be seasick. The first hour brings fear of death; the second, fear it won’t come soon enough, neither of which are conducive to an enjoyable day on the water.

    And because the problem is so widespread, it seems a day doesn’t pass that some potion, lotion, snake-oil, or other such gizmo makes its debut as the final cure-all for motion sickness. Enter Queasy Pops and Queasy Drops from Three Lollies, an all natural approach to curbing mal de mer that actually tastes good.

    Made of essential oils from all natural sources, Queasy Drops and Pops “act via aromatherapy and taste receptors to inhibit negative taste sensations and calm the tummy,” according to the company. They also provide a quick energy boost.

    We received three products for evaluation: a Queasy-Pops Variety Pack ($4) containing seven lollipops (peppermint, cinnamon, sour lemon, papaya, ginger, sour raspberry, and green tea with lemon), a box of 21 Queasy Drops ($6) (ginger, green tea with lemon, and sour raspberry flavors), and a $4 box of seven Queasy Pop Kids! lollipops (natural cola, sour raspberry, cinnamon, sour lemon, peppermint, papaya, and green apple).

    All the products tasted good, but do they work? Our past testing has shown that seasickness remedies tend to work differently for different people. One person might prefer the wrist-band style, Like SeaBands (our tester’s favorite in the Nov. 15, 2001 test), while others prefer medications like Bonine or Dramamine. We’ve had mixed results with “all natural” remedies, so we approach the lollipop solution with a healthy dose of skepticism. However, we plan to test them on fellow sailors with chronic mal de mar, and we’ll let you know they fare.

    Three Lollies, 866/773-4443
    threelollies.com

    Darrell Nicholson
    Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.