Why we don't need to give up and what is to be accomplished?

byAllanG2

202 followers

5 years ago

There's a lot of reasons, but first let me tell you a short story about my adventures. If I may, to get your attention. There are things in life that we want to keep it buried as a secret or maybe just keep it for ourselves for a moment?

Today, I will tell an anecdote that has been kept for 25 years and never been told to anyone. That's correct, and I hope it'll give you an interest to read further, so let's move on.

TRANSITTING ON A DARK NIGHT

It was on the night of August 1994. I was still a young navigating officer aged 28 on board a merchant freighter on a 0000h-0400h (Midnight to 4:00 AM) watch. There were only two of us on the bridge, me and my buddy an (AB) Able-Bodied seaman. We were loaded with cargo of heavy steel products from Japan bound to Sri Lanka.

Transiting the Malacca strait which is in between Indonesia and Malaysia on a very dark night. Everybody on board that ship were all asleep except for the two of us on the bridge (conning tower) and two engine personnel down under, below sea level who has no idea what is happening on deck. We were a complement of twenty-two souls.

I was monitoring the Radar and observing multiple blips, mostly fishing boats and one is representing a ship. We are to meet each other on a narrow channel called the one-fathom bank (a dangerous pass).

Normally, the Captain would get up and head for the bridge when passing that area, but that very night, he did not appear, maybe because we just finished taking up bunker and provision a few hours back in Singapore, felt tired and was dead asleep, or he could have told me to wake him up, but not a word.

THE ROUTINE MANEUVER

It was supposed to be a routine piece-of-cake maneuver on that area if one will just follow the International collision regulation, wherein when meeting each other on a narrow channel, each ship should alter to her starboard (right) side, to give way to the other vessel, and both shall pass each other safely on the port (left) side.

We are nearing the mouth of that narrow pass and the other vessel was still positioned on my right side, I was also monitoring her navigation lights with my binoculars. I immediately called her attention on the VHF radio, to know what is her intention, but to no avail, nobody is answering, the automatic Identification system for ships was not yet in use that time.

Therefore, I don't know her name and can only call her by range and bearing. I cannot go to my right side, to keep her on my left as what the regulation requires, but because the ship is already on the verge, and the next thing is putting my ship at risk of grounding, I stayed on course.

Nevertheless, I assume then, that she wants us to pass both on our right side, so I open up going to my left side to give her a safe passing distance on my right, but I was horrified in an instant! because at the very moment that I was opening up to my left, she was also going to that direction, and we were only a mile apart! (a close-quarter situation).

We are going to collide if I will not make a decisive move, therefore I acted instinctively and commanded a rudder hard right! for the ship to turn back to the right. It was the longest couple of minutes of my life! the ship tilted and shuddered as the rudder was put hard over while the ship abides and gone past the other ship in a hairline distance.

Luckily, we made it! not a scratch, but a death-defying act and hair-raising situation it was, and the next thing the phone was ringing, a call from the engine room, asking, what was that? I simply told them in a controlled calm voice,( while my heart was still pounding)" nothing, that was just a fishing boat impeding our passage".

The unbelievable thing? nobody knows about it, everybody down was snoring in their sleep, and we keep it quiet for the rest of the day, never again mentioned, as if nothing happens, until now.

I hope this storytelling of mine amuses you somehow, and want to read further, so let's get back on track.

WE ARE A ONE BIG FAMILY HERE IN WA

Honestly, I was not going to write any sooner here for the community to read. I was indulged in my website to make it more productive and earn that first cent, but I was surprised to reach the Online Entrepreneur Certification Level 4: Lesson 7-The Benefit of Being Social at Wealthy Affiliate.

Now, I fully understand, that no matter what we do, No matter how we look at it, once you become a WA member, we are interconnected with each other somehow. It is contagion, that the very pulse of the community gets into you, the desire to HELP people, the desire to make friends, is in the air.

I truly believe that is what makes this community alive and strong. I was able to write my first article here in WA and with that, I am very grateful. Never dreamed of accomplishing things which has made me strive for more in dedication to help those in need in every way possible that I can.

I created a website that can, and will help a lot of people worldwide, though it is not yet perfected, but in due time it will, by the help continuously of WA mentors, trainers, and members as well.

Feeling proud of the 15 posts, 5 pages that was created, the 90 comments that have been garnered. The articles that were Indexed, and the one that gets ranked on the First pages of the following search engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Duckduckgo, Search Encrypt, Swisscows, and Ecosia, competing with 8,450,000 results.

My goals for the next 3 months to six months are to continue writing content that is unique in its way and relevant that will help and benefits a lot of people. That is the very reason why we don't need to give up, and what is the benefit that out-weight of not doing so.

Cheers,

Allan