ssMaritime.net
MV Doulos
“A SHIP
LIKE NO OTHER”
By Reuben
Goossens
SS Medina
The American 1914 built ship that sailed 95 Years into History
SS Medina (1914-1948) was sold and renamed: SS
Roma (1948-1952)
MS Franca C (1952-1977) - MV Doulos - (1977-2010)
Doulos Phos – (2010 - ) Now located permanently in Singapore
*Photographic credits are usually shown
under each photo, or on the image, however if a photograph is marked
“Photographer
unknown” please read the Photo notes at the bottom of the page
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by www.timeanddate.com/clocks/free.html
This
feature deals with the remarkable vintage liner that is currently named Doulos
Phos, but was built as a simple freighter in the United States named SS Medina. More
recently, this remarkable ship that had been sold to become a migrant ship and
then a luxury cruise ship, was GBA/OM Ships International’s Christian
Missionary Ship and Book Fair the MV Doulos and she laden with up to 350
volunteers took the Gospel of Jesus Christ to countries around the globe, including
many Muslim countries.
This ship has
been an extraordinary freighter, trooper and then a passenger vessel, in
addition she has been in active service longer than any other ocean-going
passenger ship in existence - a full 95 years of sailing the oceans of the
world! SS Medina was built in 1914, just two years after Titanic’s
ill-fated voyage. Thus this vintage ship has had a long and fascinating story as
she was sold a number of times and continually saved from the breakers, and
radically rebuilt over the years, for this reason her history will be fully
explored in this work!
The World
Guinness Book of Records officially states that whist she was the MV Doulos,
she was the “Worlds oldest active passenger ocean-going ship.”
I trust that you
will enjoy the contents of – MV Doulos “A ship like no other.”
Reuben
Goossens
Maritime
Historian, author and Lecturer
Official
Maritime Historian of the MV Doulos / Doulos Phos
Please
Note: This work is owned,
protected under the International © copyright laws and the property of Reuben
Goossens of ssmaritime.net. No part of this
work including any of the images shown may be copied, or reproduced by any
means and reproduced by any format, be it for private or commercial usage,
without prior written permission from the author.
Email
the author …
Please name the ship you are writing about
Start by reading the “Introduction”
– “A Ship Like No Other”
Thereafter use this sites main INDEX below or the links to the next pages on each
page
***************************************************
PLEASE NOTE:
Doulos was decommissioned by OM Ships in December 2009
whilst she was in
Singapore
Read my … “MV Doulos Preservation Campaign” page
for details …
on how my campaign saved her for the future to
become the Doulos Phos.
***************************************************
Main
Index
PART
ONE Based on the
author’s 1999 visit to MV Doulos in Sydney
Introduction A
Ship Like No Other
Chapter One Part One - SS Medina - 1914 – 1940 – her
history and World War I
NEW Page Part Two – SS Medina – 1940 – 1948 - World
War II until sold
Chapter Two From
Onions to Passengers - SS Roma - 1948 – 1953
Chapter Three A New Beginning - MS Franca C the liner - 1953 - 1959
Chapter Four A New luxury Role - MS Franca C the cruise ship - 1959, 1970
to 1977
“ Brochures - MS Franca C the cruise ship - brochures
1959 to 1977
“ Menus – Dating from Franca
C
very first cruises in Nov/Dec 1959
“ Cabin Plan
One - 1959 - 1970
“ Cabin Plan
Two - 1970 – 1977
Chapter Five A New Role for a
Grand Old Lady of the Sea - MV Doulos - 1977 -2010
Chapter Six 1993
Electrical Project - “Heart Transplant” in Cape Town
Chapter Seven SOLAS - Safety regulations
Chapter Eight Onboard
Impressions - My visit to
her in 1999
Chapter Nine Doulos’
Mission - The work of OM Ships International
= “saving souls for Christ!”
Chapter Ten Doulos
Goes High Tech - Satellite Dome/Dish fitted 2006.
(Added in 2008)
Photo Pages Photo Page One - 1999
“ Photo Page Two – 1999
PART TWO The “2008 chapters” - The author joins the ship in Brisbane &
Continuing through to 2010
Part One Doulos
arrives in Brisbane - July 31, 2008
Part Two Doulos in Brisbane - Aug 1 to 19
Part Three ex
1950 SS Roma Passengers visit the Doulos in Australia - Aug 2008
“ My
voyage to Australia on the SS Roma in 1950 - by Paul Christmann
Part Four Doulos at Sea - Page One - Brisbane to Sydney
Part Five Doulos at Sea - Page Two - Brisbane to Sydney
Part Six Doulos’
Engine Room – Including: November 2007 dry-dock & propeller & shaft work
Part Seven Speaking
with Doulos’ Crew and Staff - Interviews
Part Eight Doulos in Sydney - Aug/Sept 2008 - Including 94th Birthday
Part Nine Geelong, Albany & Fremantle - Sept 11 to Nov 29, including East Timor & Singapore
Part Ten Doulos Deck Plan - These are current & up to date deck plans - NEW page
Part Eleven Ports
of Call – Genoa 1977 to Singapore 2009 –\
Doulos = decommissioned on 31 December 2009 –
Singapore 2010 her final destination!
Part Twelve MV Doulos Phos Campaign - She now has a new home in Singapore!
NEW Doulos Phos in
Singapore - She will be permanently berthed in
Singapore - read our NEWS updates and details, including a link to her new
owners website which shows their other vessel, which is operated as a dinning
venue as well as for meetings, etc. IF
THERE IS any NEWS regarding the Doulos Phos - it will be on this page!
PLEASE NOTE:
Doulos was decommissioned by OM Ships in December 2009
whilst she was in
Singapore
Read my … “MV Doulos Preservation Campaign” page
for details …
on how my campaign saved her for the future to
become the Doulos Phos.
***************************************************
If you
have enjoyed this feature and you feel you might have something of interest to
add, be it a story or some photographs, I would appreciate hearing from you!
Use the
Back button on your browser or Close the Page to return to the previous page
alternatively go to our ssMaritime.com INDEX for a
listing of some 260 ships
Who is the
Author of ssMaritime?
Commenced in Passenger Shipping
industry in May 1960
Email the author …
Please name the
ship you are writing about
ssMaritime.com
& ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos Story
Also
visit my …
“Save The Classic Liners Campaign”
& “Classic Ocean Voyages” pages
Photographs on ssmaritime
and associate pages are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies
and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors.
However, there are photographs provided to me without details provided
regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images
would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given.
I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other
sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and
even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback
when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the
right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do
not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners of the
photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private collection.
Copyright: “MV Doulos - A Ship Like No
Other” is owned, protected under the International © copyright laws
and is the property of Reuben Goossens of
ssmaritime.net. No part of this work including
any of the images shown may be copied or reproduced by any means or reproduced
by any format whatsoever, be it for private or commercial usage, without prior
written permission from the author.
ssMaritime is owned and © Copyright 2010 -
by Reuben Goossens - All Rights Reserved
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