When I was in the seventh grade one of my classes went on a field trip to see the USS North Carolina battleship. It was one of the most exciting field trips I experienced. Oh the goose bumps I still get. I remember, my best friend, a few others and I had already previously made plans to make our way to CIC. We must have made that trip in less than five minutes.
Just three summers ago, I took the tour again for the first time since that field trip. It turned out to be a very hot, grueling several hour tour. No water fountains aboard ship or restrooms. Our organizers had supplied water bottles for us in the seventh grade. I found out how invaluable they were to us. By the time we got deep into the bowels of the ship, we were exhausted, dehydrated and couldn't breathe. Hot is not an accurate description for being deep into the bowels of that ship on the 4th July! I can't imagine the sailors who worked in the engine room. Pics showed them working shirtless. It was unbearably hot
without that behemoth of an engine throwing off heat!!! And the poor misinformed women, who wore short skirts and heels trying to climb completely vertical on a metal ladder followed closely by a male trying not to look under her skirt. Or the same short skirted women standing on an upper deck that is simply metal grating and people one deck below seeing classified under garments or lack thereof.
The second tour was completely different than the first as I remember it. But the arrival at CIC proved to be just as exciting. You feel powerful. Turn the ship on, let's set her out to sea!!!
I am so looking forward to the Honorverse CIC.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/55f.htmhttp://www.virhistory.com/navy/ships/bb55-cic.htmAside:
Missing from the pics are the location of ships shown on a huge board peered thru a cutout from CIC, outside on the deck of the ship. They were just toy-like models moved by a huge pointer by hand. Very interesting the advances in CIC even now, much less on a Superdreadnaught.
Women, if you ever tour the USS North Carolina, dress extremely comfortably, without short skirts or heels. Take plenty of water. Pace yourself, but remember, no restrooms. A trip to the restroom requires backtracking several hours of touring, through people.