MV Doulos in Brisbane 1 to 19 August 2008

ssMaritime.net

“A SHIP LIKE NO OTHER”

By Reuben Goossens

SS Medina

American 1914 built - SS Medina sailed 95 Years into History as the MV Doulos!

SS Medina (1914-1948) was sold and renamed: SS Roma (1948-1952)

MS Franca C (1952-1977) - MV Doulos - (1977-2010)

Doulos Phos – (2010 - ) Located permanently in Singapore

--MV Doulos--

Part Two - 2008

Doulos in Brisbane

MV Doulos arrives in Brisbane on a beautiful winters morning and gently glides past the Gateway Bridge

and heads along the Brisbane River towards Portside Cruise Terminal at Hamilton on Thursday July 31, 2008

Please Note: All photographs on this page, except for those that are marked otherwise, were taken by the author and are © Copyright 2008 - Reuben Goossens – ssmaritime.net. These images are not permitted to be copied by any means or used on any media, be it for private or other media with written consent from the owner.

With the Doulos arriving in Brisbane on the very last day of July 2008, it was a very special day for me personally, for tomorrow I would be aboard at the official opening and spend much of the next 23 days aboard including sailing down to Sydney. I have been interested in this fascinating ship ever since I first saw her in 1971 when she was the luxurious Costa Lines cruise ship the MS Franca C. However, I only commenced writing on her in 1999 when she was the Doulos as by then she had truly become a true veteran of the sea. Today she is 94 years of age and she is officially the “World’s oldest Ocean going passenger ship,” according the Word Guinness Book of Records.

Later I will continue my report, however, as they say, “Pictures tell a thousand stories,” and indeed they do. Enjoy!

Photo Gallery - 1 to 19 August 2008

Dr. Daniel Chae PhD, Doulos’ Director during the official Brisbane opening on August 1

Captain Ashley McDonald provides some interesting information to all present during the official opening

Present were: The Honourable Mr. Paul Lucas, the Deputy Premier, and Councillor Mr. Norm Wyndham,

who had himself served on the Doulos many years ago,

Opening presentation – The Korean Fan Dance

Official opening of the Book Exhibition/Store: From left to right, the author, Reuben Goossens

Councillor, Mr. Norm Wyndham, Dr. Daniel Chae PhD and Book Store Manager Mr. Joe Parker

Captain Ashley McDonald greets the author to the opening

The Book Exhibition/Store is open and in full swing!

Far forward on Lounge Deck is a new “International Café” which is open to the public

When the ship was the SS Roma owned by Italian company Cia Naviera San Miguel SA, registered in Panama, she made a single voyage to Australia with 949 Eastern European and some Germans onboard. She departed Bremerhaven on October 30, 1950 and arrived at Newcastle after a long and troubled voyage on December 18. Knowing that the Doulos would be I Australia for the very last time, we set out to look out for past passengers of that voyage. Although many thought they had sailed on her, it turned out that many Italians confused this Roma with the Flotta Lauro Roma that commenced sailing to Australia in 1951 and continued to do so until 1966, whereas this SS Roma only came once and only with Eastern European refugees. Thankfully we did find a good number of wonderful people, the two photographs below were both taken on August 9, but there were other days as well. I have a special page online with all their stories. You can reach it via the index.

Left to Right: The author, Annemarie, her sons Ron and Peter, Sven Benseler, Doulos’ Partner Ministries Manager

In front are her grandchildren, Brandon and Rebekah – In the VIP Lounge

Gana Ralph, nee Zygis, with Captain Ashley McDonald and the author – In the VIP Lounge

Although I had been onboard so many days, it was on August 17 that I officially boarded for my time and voyage on the Doulos

A Short Tour of the Facilities in Port

The Compass Coffee Lounge – Starboard - looking aft

During the voyage, this is taken away and becomes part of the Main Lounge

The Compass Coffee Lounge – Starboard - looking forward

Main Lounge and Exhibition Hall

Mr. Hun-Eng Tan originally from Penang Malaysia stands next to the Malaysian flag and views the exhibition

In port the centre of the Main Lounge has a temporary cinema

The author out on Lounge Deck – Portside

Lounge Deck – Portside – looking aft

Children’s play ground located far aft on Lounge Deck

Above: Promenade Deck aft Lobby, looking to port. The author’s cabin is located behind the left wall, which is cabin 21. My cabin door faces the one you can see on the right, which are the extensive family quarters of the Chief Engineer Mr. Dominic Bothello, his delightful wife Jung, and their three children. Their quarters consist of a number of separate rooms and several bathrooms as well as light cooing facilities. Families onboard are well catered for, with a variety of facilities available including schooling of course. Aft on Lounge deck is a superb safe play area. A photograph is seen above on this page. Now to my cabin which is like stepping back in time, to 1959 in fact!

My cabin – portside # 21 on Promenade Deck

The décor of this cabin and the furnishings are 100% 1959 Franca C

See the image below

A twin bedded cabin from a Costa Line brochure

Note the wall colour scheme, the chest of drawers and the wall light fitting on the images below

The only change is a new white top to the chest of drawers dating back to 1959

Note the original 1963 Franca C brochure – The interiors are online on the Franca C pages

An original wall light fitting originally installed in 1959

Looking toward a large bathroom, which certainly was aging somewhat! – Shower to the right, WC to the left

The stainless steel reading light above my bed goes back to 1953

The view from my porthole whilst at sea

My tag, cabin key, coffee mug and guest information leaflet

Plummer and welders area located port aft on Promenade Deck

Plummer and welders shop

Looking toward the welders shop

The Laundry – Starboard aft Promenade Deck

Regarded as the “ancient spinner” - could date from 1949, but no later than 1953

The laundry

Sorting racks

Laundry

Fire Station No 3 Promenade Deck Starboard forward

Fire station 3

Fire Station 3 right next to the next pictures a special facility ????

I can smell something really good and I know why, for this is the door to the Bakery

This is Doulos’ Swiss baker, Claire Bussy. Is that Strudel I see? Yes it is!

Bread and strudel, how good does it get!

These are but a few of the photographs taken, but it provides an insight of my first few days onboard. The next pages will be far more detailed as they will contain photographs of the engine room and other interesting spaces, I will take you to bow section, being the carpenter shop to the very end of the propeller shaft, up to the bridge down to the depths of the dark and musky hold number 1. See the many deck signs dating back from the Franca C days, and her Dinning Room and Lounges and other spaces not yet seen.

In addition, there will be the various interviews with the crew and staff onboard the Doulos. Including Doulos’ Director Dr. Daniel Chae PhD, Captain Ashley McDonald, Chief Engineer Dominic Bothello, former and one of the longest serving Chief Engineers with these ships Alon Alva, Chief Steward Glenn Leaver, and a host of other wonderful people who will inspire us. All serve on the Doulos as volunteers and do so for two years each time and they keep coming back again and again.

Whilst onboard, I gave a number of lectures and provided the ship tour guides with updated information regarding the history of the Doulos as some if the information they had was frankly incorrect. Even the Passport that visitors receive showed that the Roma received new diesel engines, which of course did not happen until Linea C (Costa Line) purchased her in 1953. I can say that I was busy, both with hosting past SS Roma passengers on the various days in Brisbane as well as doing all the interviews and walking around the ship, which is no mean feat for me these days. My host onboard Doulos was Mr. Sven Benseler, Partner Ministries Manager and he was simply a wonderful host in every way possible and took great care of me.

During my time aboard I was able to befriend the ships Director Dr. Daniel Chae as we have so many things in common and the obviously same love for the ship and the desire to ensure its future. Be assured we will be working on it and I will continue to talk with the ships owners in Germany re this.

This page is now complete and we are about to set sail for Sydney on August 19.

Aft on the portside, up on Boat Deck, we find this superb beauty, the oldest lifeboat on the ship.

Although I am unsure of Boat #6 actual date, but all other lifeboats onboard are made of fibreglass.

It is all quiet up on the Bridge, for tomorrow morning we sail

Here is a preview of the Bridge, which is fully covered whilst we are at sea and we’ll see it in action!

The Telegraph at “Stop” – The next time we will see it – it will be at full speed ahead!

Doulos is ready and we see her here at full steam ahead and Sydney bound

Thank You Ken Miller (HQ) & Sven Benseler (MV Doulos)

Thank You! Mr. Ken Miller, based in HQ Germany, whom I have known since 1999, and we have kept in contact on and off over the years in regard the Doulos. Thank you Ken for arranging my stay on board my favourite ship in the world as well my voyage on her!

But a special thank you must go to Sven Benseler. Sven lives on the Doulos and is currently signed on for two years with his wife and children. He holds a senior position and has a office on starboard side on what is know as “Main Street” or Main Deck. During my stay he was my official host and I was without doubt in the best, and most capable of hands! Beside the ship, which we both love dearly, we had so much in common and simply had a wonderful time together. Sven arranged for me to provide a talk on the ships History to the ships tour guides, which also led to two other opportunities for me to speak, but on a different subject, more in fitting with the Doulos’ message.

Thank you Sven for everything, for you made what was already a superb event even better and I will never forget the wonderful time you allowed me to have on this, historic ship, as I managed to cover every nook and cranny of the ship from the interior of bow at the carpenters shop to the very end of the propeller shaft, from the heights of the bridge to the depths of the engine room and hold No 1. Also, thank you to so many wonderful staff members who did everything to make my journey special!

Go to Part Three: ex 1950 SS Roma Passengers visit the Doulos in Australia – Aug 2008

Followed by - My voyage to Australia on the SS Roma in 1950 – by Paul Christmann – Aug 2008

Or return to “A Ship Like No Other” Main Index

PLEASE NOTE:

MV Doulos was decommissioned by OM Ships in Germany in December 2009

whilst she was in Singapore - Read the … “MV Doulos Preservation Campaign” page for details

and how we saved her for the future as the MV 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!

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Reuben Goossens commenced in Passenger Shipping industry in May 1960

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