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View Full Version : One Year After!


Abraham
12-31-05, 04:54 AM
How come I always get subsim.sick when I visit other forums?

Of course as a navy-buff I had visited Subsim.com for years, following the chequered development of SHII, downloading the Vickers mod and making a habit of checking the News section a couple of times a week. Drebbel & Bill Nichols make sure that when you do, you can pretend to be the local Naval Attachee on any cocktail party...
And then I followed the often delayed devellopment of SHIII, with the excited previews of Neal Stevens and Drebbel.
Who was this Dutch guy 'Drebbel' with his fine Dutch submarine site and his awesom knowledge of submarines anyway? And who was the - for me - mysterious guy they referred to as "Onkel Neal"?

I decided to sent this Drebbel an e-mail.

He answered me thanking me for my intrest and asked if I did any posting on the subsim forums. My answer: "No". Then he said: "So many people visit the forums, I wish they all posted..."
I kept mailing him and he kept asking: Ïf you're so interested, why don't you post?
To make a long post even longer; Drebbel more or less press-ganged me good old Navy style into subsim service. So if you don't agree with my opinion, you know who's to blame for me being on the site in the first place...

The story since Dec. 31th, 2004 is litterally on record.
What a fun it was. I've met people from all over the world, exchanged ideas, formulated opinions, learned from others (really), received and sent personal messages, learned from criticism (hardly) and shared friendship, fun & knowledge. It's sometimes been a rough year for me - as usual - and I found the friendship I met from some of you really supportive.

The highlight of the year for me was without no doubt the Big Intercontinental Subsim & Subclub Meeting. I've already thanked the organisers and participants enough. To those who did not join the meeting this year I would say: "You can make up for your sins next year." It is really great to meet people unknown and to say goodbye a few days later as old friends. It's great to see that virtual contacts can become real ones!

I know I have to thank Neal and Drebbel and I know I have to say something to thank all of you...
This is really a bit emotional and difficult for me, so the only appropriate words at this moment would be:

"Na Männer... Auf Manöverstation!"
("All Hands... Harbour stations!")


Abraham

(with party cap on)
:-j