Running Aground in Mobile, AL: My First Cruise Ship

At the end of this week I got a sweet work gig. I'll be installing a theater's lighting/power rig on a cruiseship. In Mobile, AL... drydock. I hope to be able to visit Henry Stuart's hurricane-proof hut (see A Hermit's Refuge Is Now a Writer's Muse - New York Times). But with 10-hour days and no great transportation options from the harbor, I may not be able to leave the ship. But while onboard I get a cabin to myself and paid meals. So, being locked up on ship may mean saving all my dough.

I'm intrigued and pleased that my first time on a cruiseship will be work related. Time spent there will mean money earned, not spent. This will be an interesting view behind the scenes, and a chance to see the ship and crew free of tourists and all that they would demand. Almost every job I've had has an element of public display: museum installations, theatrical performances and corporate events. What takes place in order to get these events ready for public consumption is usually a whirlwind of activity, often unseen nor even suspected.

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Coincidentally, while surfing the interwebs, I found out about one man's attempt to build a cruiseship of his very own. Francois Zanella's boat



This man's ship is great and so is his story.