Now that he's preparing for the role of the tough captain of a commercial fishing boat for the movie version of Sebastian Junger's bestseller "The Perfect Storm," George Clooney has been cavorting with fishermen and learning to navigate the 68-foot boat that is doubling as the doomed Andrea Gail. "I've been here a little over a week and spent some time down with the guys, hanging out, occasionally trying to get the guys to speak into a tape," Clooney told PEOPLE while on location in Gloucester, Mass. As for getting his sea legs, he said, "I didn't throw up out there, but there was a moment." He also took his first turn at captaining the boat. "The guys are saying, 'Slow, slow, slow! Back it up, back it up -- you can't just jam on the brakes!' " Clooney also suggested that he's prepared for the role in other ways: "I've learned how to drink."