Crew's Ship Affairs: Merging Cultures and Romance Aboard Ship

By Bob Ojala

Crew’s Ship Affairs is the third book in the stand-alone Blue-Collar Romance novels series, written by Bob Ojala. 

The previous two books, A Tugboater’s Life and The Tugboater Family revolved around the drama and romances of the Great Lakes sailors working in the tough and dangerous Marine Construction business.. 

This third novel continues with many of the same endearing characters, with a new character, Bob Evers, continuing to tell the tugboater crews about his unusual experiences while working aboard numerous passenger cruise ships. Most cruise ship passengers are not privy to what happens beneath the passenger decks, but Bob Evers experienced and understands the relationships that can occur, both good and bad, when 600-1000 men and women live together for four to eight months at a time.. 

The Crew’s Ship Affairs reader will be shocked and fascinated, even at times envious, of how these various cultures learn to treat one another with respect. Romance takes on many different meanings under such circumstances.. 

Mr. Ojala is a Naval Architect and Marine Surveyor, very familiar with the Great Lakes. He has traveled the world to inspect ships, including over 165 Passenger Ship Cruises as an environmental auditor.. 

Most of the characters and experiences in the Blue-Collar Romances series come from Mr. Ojala’s personal observations, changing the names where needed. His respect for the sailors and their families is obvious in these stories.. 

Maritime industry readers will love the true-life drama, and readers appreciating good romance will love the character’s personal interactions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Unapologetic Voice House LLC
• Release date: Oct 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781955090216

Bob Ojala

Bob Ojala has written several non-fiction books about Marine Surveying, including Sweetwater Sailors, a picture book describing the lives of the different kinds of Great Lakes sailors. He has worked with many men and women in the maritime business, whom he respected for their serious lifestyle. Writing about them in fiction, changing names where appropriate, was his way of honoring them. With his background, Bob feels that he can describe the life of these merchant mariners and show the reader their exciting, even dangerous career, and also how important these people are for the country. He hopes readers enjoy the stories, many based upon actual events. Bob and his wife of 35-years have six children, raising them in Oak Park, Illinois. Bob is a Wisconsin native with Finnish roots.

Book preview

CREW’S SHIP AFFAIRS

CREW’S SHIP AFFAIRS

BLUE-COLLAR ROMANCES SERIES

Bob Ojala

© 2021 by Bob Ojaka. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other— except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.  

Published by the Unapologetic Voice House

www.theunapologeticvoicehouse.com

Scottsdale, AZ. 

Identifiers: 

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-955090-20-9

E-book ISBN: 978-1-955090-21-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021922085

Cover designer: The Killion Group Inc.

Edited by: Amma Twum-Baah

Contents

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Curt – Meeting Bob Evers

Ship Changes – Los Angeles

The Background Story

Bill Gets Caught

Indignation

Bridget

Payback

Bob Evers’ Story

The Key

New Zealand

Sylvia

Finality

Wellington

Back Home

Back to the Cruise Ships

Confrontation

Indecision

Confession

Chicago

The Burbs

Shock

Dance Lessons

Curt

Niko

Sam

Sam & Niko

Niko & The Crew

Dark Side Brighter

Shocker!

Off to Croatia

Strauss Company Reunion

The Cruise Ship Doctor

Jody and the Doctor

Feeling Cheated

The Captain

New Cultures

Curt - Stevie at the Soo Locks

(Wo)man Overboard

Playing Matchmaker

AUTHOR’S NOTE

About the Author

To the working men I have known and worked with, particularly those in the maritime industry.

They are hard-working and dedicated to their jobs and are also great role models for their children. On the Great Lakes, they have spouses who put up with their long absences and understand their sailor’s dedication. The sailors on Cruise Ships have an unbelievable dedication to their duties, and you need to thank them for keeping you safe when you take a cruise vacation.

Together, they keep the marine industry moving, and our country’s heavy industry and infrastructure alive and healthy, or the cruise industry safe.

They are a diverse group of men and women, of all races, creeds and sexual lifestyles, who cooperate and take care of one another. They work together to feed their families, and when needed, they have your back as well as their co-worker’s welfare.

Acknowledgments

In my previous novels, I explained how important an Editor can be to an author, and I know it may have sounded overly dramatic. I gave a lot of credit to my Editor, Nicole Amma Twum-Baah!

This third novel had a much more complicated story to tell, because of the mixture of Great Lakes and ocean cruise ship stories. The stories in my mind appeared on the written page, but may not have been real well organized. Amma again performed her magic, and the stories began to flow properly with her help, and were vastly improved.

Once again, Amma, I cannot thank you enough!

Prologue

Bill heard the shower running and looked at his watch. It was six-thirty the next morning. He threw off the covers and gasped. He was naked. It had obviously been a wild night, but he could not remember the details. His genitals ached. He looked on the floor, there were three used condoms there. He only remembered using one.

Just then, Vicky came out of the shower, naked. A bit lacking in the chest department, Bill thought. Otherwise, a nice body.

Good morning sunshine, Vicky said, greeting him. About time you wake up. You were great, by the way.

Well, if we do this again, I’d rather not drink so much so I can remember how good a time I had, Bill responded, looking at Vicky, at his naked body, at the floor, then back at Vicky.

I have another free night on Thursday. If you’re better without the drinks, I’m all for that, Vicky chided.

I’d better get back to my cabin, Bill said. I have to meet the others for breakfast at eight. By the way, what’s with all the condoms?

Don’t worry. I’ll explain on Thursday. Keep you curious, so you come back.

He quickly threw on his clothes but couldn’t find his underwear.

I’ll find them later and let you know, Vicky told him.

As Bill left the room, Vicky caressed Bill’s groin, saying, Can’t wait until Thursday, Billy boy.

Bill noticed no one had switched the coffee pot on the night before. He had never had an experience like this in his life. He wasn’t sure if he enjoyed it, and at this point, it was scaring the hell out of him.

As Bill sobered up, he started thinking about the evening, or as much of it as he could remember. Maybe if he stayed sober, this could be a really great experience. He never thought he would learn about sex from a young girl like Vicky, but he was willing to let her teach him.

On the way down the crew hallway, Bill reached for his wallet; everything seemed to be there. Hans was wrong, he thought.

Curt – Meeting Bob Evers

My job with Strauss Marine Construction had started just over two years ago. My experience with ship-handling, which I had gained from twelve years in the Coast Guard, led me to a job with the uncle of my old high school sweetheart, Lois Strauss. Although it wasn’t part of my plan, I could see that Bill Strauss was using me as part of his management team, because he had no family to help him with the business. I didn’t mind because I appreciated how Bill was treating me. Bill’s philosophy was to treat his employees like family, and this resulted in extremely high employee retention, compared to most similar marine construction companies. And now, married to his niece, Bill considered me to be family.

Originally, I had only wanted to be a tugboat captain and had reached that goal, but management duties were becoming a constant happening. I liked people, and this gave me a way to meet many new and interesting characters, other than just the crews I worked with.

Once Lois and I married, and I adopted Lois’s 10-year-old son, I could tell that Bill was depending on me to help him find new captains and crane operators, and to look at tugs, crane barges, and stone scows, which Bill wanted to purchase, expanding his growing business. Rising water levels on the Great Lakes had created a demand for shoreline protection, which Bill’s operation was well suited for.

Back at our Toledo job site earlier that spring, Bill Strauss had told me that I would spend a couple months on the big tug, the 118-foot Samantha B, so I could sit for my 300-ton master’s license. After several rotations on the Samantha B, Bill then sent me to Chicago, where he had purchased another smaller tug, a 75-footer, plus two more stone scows.

In Chicago, I was meeting Bob Evers so that he could do a condition and valuation survey of the tug and the two barges for our insurance underwriters. Bob was a naval architect and marine surveyor; he had started his own business inspecting ships all over the world. I first met Bob in Tampa, Florida, while inspecting a new tug that Bill Strauss was buying. He met us again in Norfolk, during our delivery of that tug back to the Great Lakes. Bob told me he had worked in nearly sixty countries, doing everything from simple pre-purchase inspections, like he was doing for Bill, but also investigating tanker explosions, accidental deaths, and one of the most amazing jobs he had was making environmental audits during over 160 cruises on large passenger cruise ships.

Every time Bob was with us at a shipyard or during a tug ride up the lake, the crew would ask Bob to relate one of the many amazing stories he shared with the tug crews. Bob said he had written down many of his cruise ship stories, which he emphasized, were not sea stories. Sea stories are based on true events, but the storyteller occasionally embellishes them, at least a little, to keep the listener’s attention. Bob swears that his stories are true, only changing some names. I had met Bob’s current wife, Jody, as well as his ex-wife, Chris, who were both very good friends, and Jody vouches for the validity of Bob’s tales because she was a participant in most of them. Bob had even mentioned to me that he and Chris’s youngest son was born after he and Jody were married. He said he’d explain how that occurred, at a later time and kept saying, But that’s a story for another time.

And the two wives are still good friends? I asked him that time.

Again, Bob just said, Later. You won’t believe that story.

I asked Bob if he wanted to make the trip up Lake Michigan with me, to deliver these new vessels. I knew that despite all of Bob’s ship-riding time, he was not wild about being on the water, because he was prone to motion sickness. However, maybe due to all the wine he had drunk that night, Bob agreed to make the trip, as long as he could be back in Chicago by the following weekend. Seeing this was only a two-day trip up to the Soo from Chicago, I told Bob that shouldn’t be a problem.

The evening before I was to leave with my tug and two barges, I was sitting outside a South Chicago restaurant near Chicago Drydock, with Bob, Lonnie Willis, my Toledo work-mate captain, two of my deckhands, and a new captain we had just hired out of Chicago when Bob asked if we wanted to hear one of his stories. We were in Chicago inspecting a new tug in need of minor repairs. None of the others had heard any of Bob’s stories.

Sure. Why not? I said, responding to Bob’s question. We have all day tomorrow to recover before our run up the lake. No use going back to the tug early tonight.

Okay then. But just so you know, most people I’ve told this to think I made it up, Bob said. But ask my wife. She saw it happen.

I’ll remember to ask Jody, I answered, smiling, knowing this was going to be another good one. I was getting to like his stories. I’d never traveled outside the United States and never been on a cruise ship, so Bob’s experiences working in over fifty countries and having audited cruise ships on over 160 weeks aboard them, made for some rather amazing stories. I was learning about people and places I might never otherwise experience in my life.

Because Bob got to know the various cruise ship crews after many repeat visits, they started to open up to him about their personal lives. You can imagine that life for crew members creates some very unusual social circumstances upon occasion. It comes from spending about four to eight months on a ship, away from their homes and families. Life on those ships, below the passenger decks, does not fit the mold of what landlubbers consider normal. Even though Bob said he’d spent a lot of his life aboard tugs and ships, he never spent anything close to those four or eight-month contracts aboard, and he wasn’t surrounded by all those women from all over the world, while on tugs, cargo ships and tankers. That created a vastly different atmosphere.

However, Bob said some of the craziest events involved the non-crew members. The crew may be having unusual relationships with other crew members, but they were more civilized in their dealings with one another. Every cruise ship has a brig, the marine term for a jail, and the brig is seldom used for the crew. The crew has rules, both written by the company, and unwritten amongst themselves, but not the same can be said for passengers.

Just listen to the news for crazy cruise ship problems, Bob began. "Everything from throwing their wife overboard, to suicide! I had landed a contract with an environmental contracting company, which was auditing the pollution prevention equipment and record-keeping for a fleet of large, passenger cruise ships. I was hired because of my familiarity with the engine room equipment and records, such as Oily Water Separators and the Oil Record Books, which the Coast Guard keeps a close eye on.

I had met the other team members at a couple planning meetings, but this story started on our first cruise, from Miami to Aruba and back. We were then flying back to Curacao for a second cruise. The story ends on our third cruise which started in Los Angeles. That may seem confusing, but it will make sense as the story progresses.

And by the way, these cruise ships were medium-sized, with 2500-3000 passengers, with about 450 crew. They weren’t small, but they also weren’t the newer, 5500 passenger mega-ships, which have as many as 1000 crew members.

This story happened on one of our cruise ship auditing assignments. Bill Taggart was one of our fellow auditors. None of us had much cruise ship experience at that time, having just started the project. There was Bill, me, Sam, and Jody, we were a crew, a team. Some of us were having marital problems, due to our nomadic lifestyles, but we were still married and trying to work on our relationships. None of us fooled around while on these cruises. But Bill, Bill was single, around thirty-five, and he liked to head off on his own after dinner. He didn’t feel any social connection to Jody, Sam, or me. He told others that he liked working with us, but we otherwise seemed old and beyond our ages. That sorta’ hurt my feelings a little when I heard what he said about being old. And by the way, Samantha, whom we all called Sam for short, was divorced, so we had two women and two men on the audit team, including me.

Bill first started hanging out in the ship bars after dinner but found that most people were older, and he found no single women to talk to, other than 60-year-old widows. So, one night he decided to attend a show in the ship’s theater. He hadn’t realized that the shows included a team of men and women dancers, all of whom were young and good-looking. Remember, none of us were experienced cruisers.

One afternoon, during a break between crew interviews, Bill was walking near the theater when he heard singing. Surprised and curious, he entered the theater and sat in the back row. He watched and listened intently to the rehearsal, quite amazed by their talent. Not too long after, he heard a feminine voice behind him.

Passengers aren’t allowed to be in the theater during rehearsals, the voice said.

Well, I’m not really a passenger, Bill answered, turning around to see who she was.

Are you a crew member? she then asked.

No, I’m actually a contractor.

In the shops? she continued.

No, I’m sorry. I’ll explain. We’re auditing records and conditions in the engine room, garbage room, and places like that. Bill explained.

Oh, I see. No wonder. I’ve seen you around, and you never seem to have a lady with you. You also seemed too young to be cruising on this ship, she said with a slight laugh.

You got that right, said Bill. Even the people I’m working with are boring. I don’t know what to do with myself at night.

Well, seeing as you’re a contractor, maybe we can invite you to hang with us when we have a night with no show. What’s your name? I’m Veronica, but here they call me Vicky. It sounds better for the shows. My mother would hate them doing that.

My name’s Bill.

Okay, Bill. Let me ask the group and see what they think.

Vicky ran up on stage, waited for a break in the rehearsal, and then spoke to the other performers while pointing toward Bill. She then literally bounced back to Bill.

Bill, you’re in, if you want to be. The others would love to meet you. We have no show tonight, so can you meet me in the main crew hallway, down on deck one. About six-thirty? Let’s meet around the main embarkation door. The passengers will all be aboard by then.

Fantastic, said Bill. I’m really looking forward to some energetic company for a change.

That afternoon, after the crew interviews were done, Jody said they would meet for the early seating dinner, as usual, to discuss the day’s findings.

Bill then asked, Would you mind if I skip dinner tonight? I have some things to attend to. I can catch up on any changes or problems at breakfast.

No problem, Bill, said Jody.

As Bill walked away, Jody looked at Sam and me, and said, That’s strange. I wonder what he’s up to?

I answered, Bill just doesn’t click with us socially. That’s okay. Let him have a break.

Bill went to his cabin, showered, and changed into something more casual, and was waiting in the crew hallway fifteen minutes early, not wanting to miss Vicky. Hans Nilsen was walking down the hallway, and seeing Bill, walked up behind him.

Are you lost, Bill? I thought you three had a dinner meeting every night.

Oh, Hi Hans. I begged off tonight. I needed some younger companionship, and one of the showgirls invited me to hang with them tonight.

I see, said Hans. Can I warn you about the showgirls, though? The crew calls them, young trouble. They’re not like the crew; being contractors. Many of them are fresh out of school, still trying to break away from over-protective mothers, and some are looking for a quick husband. They don’t make much money on these contracts, so they’re always looking for a sugar daddy.

Warning registered, Hans. Thanks. I’ll be careful.

Just then, Vicky came bouncing down the hallway. She walked up to the two men, threw her arm around Bill’s arm, and started to walk away.

Bill turned to Hans, with a smile on his face, and said, See you tomorrow, Hans.

How do you know that guy, Bill? We all think he is a stick in the mud.

Bill explained how he worked with Hans on this contract, but quickly changed the subject.

So, how many performers are on board? Are you a dancer or a singer? Bill asked.

Our troupe is just eight, but there are some special artists in the show, like tonight. We don’t count them because they’re older and don’t hang with us much. The magician guy is weird. The trapeze act is a man and wife from Brazil, so they don’t even talk with us.

And what about you? Bill reminded her.

Oh, yeah. We all dance and sing, but only the better singers get a solo. I’m rehearsing a solo, so maybe I can sing it in the show by the end of my contract. I’m really excited.

And how long have you been performing? asked Bill.

This is my first contract. I spent two years studying dance and voice in college when one of our graduates came to school recruiting for this troupe. It sounded exciting to perform on a cruise ship, and when she chose me to be in her group, I left school. My Mom was not happy.

Bill was about to ask more questions, but Vicky pulled him through a doorway and into a space he had not seen before. It was a small lounge, with a wet bar on one end and several leather sofas along the walls. The middle of the floor was open, and two couples were dancing. One of the couples was two guys.

A tall thin man, about thirty, said, Welcome to the performer’s lounge. The crew doesn’t like us hanging with them, so we put this place together ourselves. Make yourself at home. If you want something to drink, just leave a few bucks. It’s the honor system.

Vicky went straight to the bar and asked Bill what he was drinking.

Bill saw a bottle of vodka, and a bowl of half-melted ice, so he poured a half-glass. Vicky poured herself nearly a full glass, turned to Bill, and said, I think three bucks should cover it.

Bill smiled and dropped three dollars into the jar. Then he went over and tried to talk to the other members of the troupe, but Vicky came over a few seconds later, obviously wanting his attention. They finished their drink together and Vicky wanted to dance. Bill was starting to enjoy her company.

They danced to two songs and Vicky went back to the bar and poured two full glasses of vodka.

I think we’d better leave four bucks for this round, she said to Bill.

Before the night was over, Bill was totally sloshed. He told Vicky he needed to get some coffee before he left, or he’d never find his cabin.

Tess and I have a coffee pot in our room, Vicky said. Come on. I’ll make a pot.

Bill started for the door as Vicky said goodbye to the others. Then she led him down the hall to her room. There were two single beds, one on each side of the room, and the room was strewn with clothing. Vicky started a pot of coffee and told Bill to have a seat. The only chair in the room was covered in clothes, so Bill sat on the edge of the bed.

Vicky walked over to Bill, faced him, and sat on his lap, wrapping her dancer’s legs around his waist. Then she began kissing Bill’s neck and caressing his back, pulling his shirt up. Before long, his shirt had been pulled over his head. Vicky unwrapped her legs, pushed Bill backwards onto the bed, and started to take off his pants.

Won’t your roommate be back soon? Bill said.

I told Tess to get lost, Vicky said. I do the same for her.

---

That Thursday, the auditors had been invited to eat dinner with the chief engineer, and after dinner was over, we all stood around talking to the chief, who was a great guy, living in Denmark.

As soon as the chief started shaking hands, Bill got in front of him, shook his hand, thanked him, and said he was sorry and needed to leave.

No problem, the chief said.

Then Bill headed to the crew’s main hallway where Vicky was waiting.

Got worried you weren’t coming, Billy boy. What happened?

Had dinner with the chief and the other auditors. Boring evening. So, what is the plan for tonight?

Maybe a couple drinks in our lounge, but I don’t want you drunk tonight. You said you’d be amazing if you weren’t drunk.

Well, actually, I said I might remember what a good time I had if I wasn’t sloshed. You were the one who hoped I could do a better job.