By BitcoDavid
MS Majesty of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean International’s Sovereign class cruise ships (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Let me tell you a story. Years ago, when I had a business, building and repairing audio equipment for musicians and recording studios, I received a call.
[Ring, ring.]
“Thank you for calling Bitco Electronics. May I help you?”
“Yes, this is John Smith from Norwegian Cruise Lines…”
“No thanks. We’re all set.” [Click]
[Ring, ring]
“Thank you for calling Bitco Electronics. May I help you?”
“Don’t hang up.”
“Look pal, I’m not interested in any stupid free cruises or whatever pie-in-the-sky you’re selling.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m calling in regards to one of our ships. We have a unit called a Mackie 8 bus that’s in need of repair.”
Studio A control room at SugarHill Recording Studios, Houston Texas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Thus the adventure began. You see, cruise ships can’t bring equipment to repair shops, due to Customs issues. Repair shops must go to the cruise ships. I had managed somehow, to land Norwegian Cruise Lines as a client, and would now spend a significant amount of my time on a ship. The Norwegian Majesty to be precise. Well, it was one of the most educational experiences I’ve ever had. Everything you know about anything is the exact opposite of how it is on a ship.
View of the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal at the Port of Boston taken from the Norwegian Majesty cruise ship leaving port. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For example. I’m standing literally right next to the thing, as it’s docked in Black Falcon Pier in Boston. I mean, I can hit it with a rock. But, in order to get on board, I needed to call an escort. Well, that meant that I had to call the Bahamas. They in turn, would contact a Ship to Shore Service who would relay my message to the boat. A 50 foot call, cost me 30 dollars, and took 15 minutes to place.
In fact, the work of working on a ship is more work than the work you’re doing on the ship. It requires an act of Congress just to go to the bathroom.
Mackie 8 bus with Meter Bridge attachment. Image credit: Gearslutz.com
The theater where the Mackie was located was absolutely gorgeous. Quite possibly the best professional sound system I’d ever worked on. And when I was done, the whole system howled like a hurricane and growled like a grizzly bear.
But in the midst of all this revelry – as I was doing my final calibrations – some guy in an overly starched white uniform came and told me I had to disembark, as the ship was about to turn around. “So, turn around. I’m almost done.”
“No, you don’t understand. You can’t be here when we turn the ship. Only crew are allowed on board when she turns. You need to wait on the pier.”
[Civilian sigh of frustration] “OK. I’ll wait.”
Here’s an idea of the size of structure, we’re talking about. Image courtesy: ShipCruise.org
Well, here’s what I didn’t know. I’m thinking they’ll turn the thing around. I turn my car around all the time. Jack, when he’s getting ready for bed, turns around. Hell, I’ve even turned around a few trucks. What’s the big deal?
Neither my car, Jack nor even the trucks, were one and a half times the length of a football field – that’s what. In order for non-American cruise ships to turn around, they have to go out past the 12 mile limit. Do you know, I waited from 3:00 in the afternoon, ’till 1:00 in the morning. How am I going to bill these guys for 10 hours of standing around an abandoned pier?
Wow! Fascinating story BitcoDavid. And you write so well. But, what the hell does any of this have to do with DeafInPrison.com?
At one point, I happened to espy the ship – 12 miles out to sea. It looked so tiny. So helpless. A forlorn little dot, bobbing around like a cork, in the vastness of the Atlantic. That image never left me, and I recall it every time I hear the phrase, when my ship comes in.
Well dear readers, DeafInPrison.com’s ship is about to come in. We today, celebrate our 75,000th view. Since our launch, just over 2 years ago, 75,000 of you have seen our work. Well an unknown number of you have seen our work 75,000 times – anyway. We’ve been viewed at least once in 134 different countries. We’ve generated over 5000 click-throughs to other sites. We’ve posted 515 articles. And through all sources, we have over 1100 followers.
Our next milestone will be 100,000 views. That’s very important, because that’s the magic number that Google needs to see us as a real Web site. When we get to 100K, we’ll be barking in the tall grass with the big dogs.
There are 2 other ways you can help us to achieve World domination. “Like” our page on FaceBook. We have 320 Likes so far, and we need 500. And of course, help us finish, and finally close the longest lived petition to free Felix Garcia – in Internet history. We are almost around the bend. Our ship is out at the 12 mile limit. A mere 125 more signatures would get us there.
But all these things are about ambition. I’m thrilled that we’ve had what limited success we’ve had. 75,000 views! Who’d a thunk it?
BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.
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