MV Doulos Visit to Geelong, Albany and Fremantle Australia

ssMaritime.net

A Vintage Liner Sails into the 21^st Century

Reuben Goossens

MV Doulos - 2008

Ex SS Medina, SS Roma, MV Franca C

Part Nine

Doulos in Geelong - Albany – Fremantle & Lifeboat Drill at Sea

1 - Geelong Victoria

As Holly Suffron the ships reporter said “Pastel clouds, along with a multiplicity of buildings and supporters welcomed the Doulos into Cunningham Pier in Geelong, Australia. Situated in a small-town atmosphere, this private pier allowed more visitors to come than all the other ports so far in the Land Down Under. Thus, Geelong proved to be a massive hit! With Doulos open from 12 to 28 September the number of visitors was far above expectations. Unexpectedly, some 28,500 people visited the ship, that is 3,500 more than in Brisbane, and that was already a record. However, many had come from further afield, such as Melbourne and Ballarat. The Doulos was berthed alongside Cunningham Pier, which is close to the city centre and along the boulevard! The crew greatly enjoyed their stay in beautiful Geelong and the wonderful hospitality that was extended to them there! On the 29^th of September she departed Geelong for Albany Western Australia arriving there, as I was told, after a somewhat rough voyage, especially for the a good number new volunteers who had only just joined the ship!

MV Doulos berthed at the Cunningham Pier Geelong

As Doulos sailed out of Geelong (Doulos port number 585), the bright blue skies and the friends that were made whilst in port came and waved the ship a fond farewell, it was a moving experience and it made Geelong a standout port!

Andrew MacKinnon was fortunate to sail on Doulos as the guest of Pilot Captain Neal Oxley, as the Doulos sailed to Port Phillip Heads on Monday the 29th of September 2008 and he returned back to shore on the Pilot boat. The following photographs were all taken by Andrew during his special experience on the Doulos’ first and last call to Geelong.

I hereby wish to thank Andrew MacKinnon for making the following photographs available to ssMaritime for they will be greatly appreciated by all who love this fine and historic ship for many years to come! However please note that these photographs are Copyright © 2008 Andrew MacKinnon and that they cannot be copied or reproduced without written consent.

As the Doulos slowly slips away from Cunningham Pier, Geelong Pilot Captain Neal Oxley seen on the left and Doulos’ ship’s master, Captain Ashley McDonald just behind him, overseeing the manoeuvre.

With the helmsman just out of sight on the far right, we see telegraph showing full ahead as the Doulos is underway sailing at 11 around knots.

Here is a fine view of Arthurs Seat as we approached the Hovel Pile off Rosebud. At first it was hard to see, but once a little rain had passed, we could clearly see it.

Doulos always has a well-packed foredeck, complete with a small fleet of vans to travel about in when in port

MV Doulos seen at sea bound for Albany

2 – Albany – Western Australia

Doulos berthed at Albany – A superb sunrise scene!

The Doulos arrived in Port Albany Wharf 1, at 9am on October 4 for what was to be only a short but a most enjoyable stay and what proved to be a delightful town.

Albany will now join the Doulos record books as she will forever be listed as the 586th port visited since the ship commenced sailing in 1977 and she has visited a total of 103 countries.

A fine stern View of the Doulos at sunrise

At the official opening his Worship the Mayor Milton Evans of Albany welcomed the Doulos by saying, “We have a strong and deep maritime history.” During the proceedings, Korean singers, accompanied by the piano sang an emotional song in remembrance of the love Albany shared with the crew years ago when in 1991, Doulos made its first visit to Albany for recuperation after the terrorist attack in Zamboanga, Philippines. Two visits to Albany later, with 48 nationalities, the Doulos crew continues to “have chosen to serve the needs of people around the world,” said the Doulos’ Director Dr. Daniel Chae (South Korea). Mayor Milton Evans commented, “That’s a principle people try their whole life to find.” As this is the last tour of the Doulos in Australia, it was important for the ship to visit this city for, “Albany has a long friendship with the Doulos,” concluded Dr. Daniel Chae.

However, on the negative side, unlike in every other port in the world and whilst the Doulos visited Brisbane, Sydney and Geelong in Albany Doulos’ sewage waste had to be trucked away at an incredible expense, considering the ship is but a charity organisation. Why did this happen? It was because the treatment used on the ships sewage system was not recognized by the WA government, even though it is fine with the rest of the world! Fremantle would again cause the same problems, more about that later.

Doulos’ mini busses lined up at Albany’s wharf ready for another day’s outings

During her enjoyable but rather short visit in Albany some 8,268 people visited the Doulos. Total visitors to the Doulos since 1977 including Albany have been 20,688,207. Books were in popular demand, with educational books sold covering some 40.81% and Christian books 30.91% of the sales. She departed Albany on October 8, at 8pm bound for Fremantle.

A fine early morning bow view of the Doulos in Albany

3 – Fremantle/Perth – Western Australia

The Doulos berthed at Fremantle

The Doulos arrived in Fremantle on 10 October and is berthed at Berth C at Victoria Quay. Present at the official opening was his the Mayor of Fremantle Mr. Peter Tagliaferri and Honourable Minister for Culture & the Arts, Mr. John Day.

Her first few days in port were difficult to say the least as port authorities, as it was in Albany WA, but unlike every other port and State in Australia and the world for that matter, would not provide clearance for the ship to discharge its fully treated sewerage water into the sea. Thus, all staff onboard and visitors alike were forced day and night to go ashore for the first day or so to go to use the facilities. Soon it was proven that ship ships system was in A1 condition and clearance was given, but, Western Australia this is what your (WA people) have written me “I am and always have been a Western Australian and very proudly so, but, in the situation the Doulos found itself in, we in WA certainly have nothing to be proud of. I have to say that the Doulos staff are a wonderful bunch of people and they took it so well and without a single complaint, it proves that they are true bunch of Christians. But I as a Western Australian feel utterly ashamed that this situation occurred, for our authorities actions put a blot on our State and our nation.” John G.

Comment.

It is true that the Doulos is an old ship, but I can tell you that she is in far better condition than many modern ships that Fremantle allow into their harbour. I sailed on the P&O liner MV Oriana last year and her maintenance was nothing short from atrocious, but it was well hidden. Out of 50 nights, we were without air-conditioning for 35 nights and suffered every night, there were toilets out of order all over the ship and many were never fixed during the cruise, and yet this ship was only built in 1995. However, in spite of the the obvious signs of neglect, Fremantle had no problem with her, but the difference is that she injects well over 500 million dollars into the local community during her eight hour visit, and that makes all the difference! Yet the Doulos which is spotless and superbly maintained and accepted in every port around the world and Australia, yet only Western Australia had a problem with her - WHY?

Early morning in Fremantle

During her first 12 open days the Doulos received some 12,412 visitors to the book exhibition alone, in addition there were those who did the ship tour as well as those who attended the various conferences onboard. From reports from various staff members, they are having a wonderful time and meeting some great new and some old friends!

By the time Doulos departed Fremantle on November 29 her stay had been a tremendous success with some 26,823 visitors boarding the Doulos to visit the book fair, attend conferences and other programmes as well as the ships tours. Book sales were reported to have done quite well and over all, the Doulos and her crew told me that they had a wonderful time in Fremantle and they just loved their time in both New Zealand and Australia!

4 - Ports after Australia & Lifeboat Drill at Sea

DILI, East Timor: After Fremantle the Doulos will sail to Dili East Timor arriving on November 4 and will depart on the 11th. Whilst she is there the ships crew have some important aid work to perform as there have been significant donations made whilst the ship has been in Australia. Both medical equipment and other much needed items have been donated especially for East Timor. Thus, the Doulos team will have a grand task ahead of them, a task that the Douloid’s (Doulos’ crew) are really good at!

Lifeboat drill at sea.

Whilst the Doulos was at sea along the Western Australian coast sailing the Indian Ocean, bound for East Timor, on November 1, considering it was a nice calm day, time had come for an official lifeboat drill where lifeboats are lowered into the sea. The photographs below were taken by the ships photographer Andrea-Choi and they provides us with some excellent images of that event, as well as some superb photographs of our beloved vintage liner!

Doulos’ ever graceful bow as we see a port side lifeboat lowered and several in the water

As you can see from the photos above and below all lifeboats are lowered into the sea

and each is filled with the ships crew

“Future Ports of Call”

After the Doulos departs East Timor she will head for Singapore where they arrived on November 17. During this time Doulos underwent annual maintenance work in Dry-Dock.

I received the following photograph below from Chief Engineer Dominic Bothello and I am very grateful to him and his wonderful family! The work was a great success and the Doulos is ready for a further two years at sea, at least until SOLAS 2010 comes into effect.

Doulos looking gleaning white with her blue boot topping and red hull working in perfect harmony

Internally her boilers have been upgraded as has much in the engine room and other parts of the ship. Although there has been Singaporean workers from the shipyards assisting the work, but the volunteer crew, from the Chief Engineer down to the Deck Hand is a credit t the ship for each works in combination to keep this ship looking the ways she does, and sailing the globe for over 94 years without any major mishaps. Mind you, being a Christian ship, you will also be told, that there is not only a great deal of prayer on board the ship, but by those who support the ship, and you can join that support team if you are part of the Church! See the note at the bottom of the page.

Next ports:

After Singapore she headed for Kuching in Malaysia where she arrived on the 10thaand Doulos departed for Kuching on January 2 bound for Sihanoukville in Cambodia arriving January 5 and will depart on the 20th.

Although at the time of writing the above details are correct, please note that Doulos’ itinerary can change and it is best to always check the “Future Ports of Call” page by using the index below.

Conclusion of Doulos’ final Australian voyage

This page concludes the 2008 Doulos’ final Australian visit, and I am so pleased that I was able to spend almost a month onboard and sailing down to Sydney on her. During this time I made countless new and wonderful friends who will always be very special in my heart! I have come to know this most loved ship so much better having lived on her and explored every remote corner of her as these pages will have shown in photographic detail. However, I wish to thank OM Ships International for inviting me, Mr. Ken Miller in Germany and my gracious host onboard Mr. Sven Benseler and his dear wife Mirjam and their delightful children, Joshua and Samuel. Their kindness and willingness to assist me in my endeavours onboard was never ending! Thank you and I am sure that you will know that you are my friends and brethren forever! To all the Douloid’s I met and you know who you are; thank you for your wonderful hospitality and your kindnesses, you have made my stay onboard so special and I think that it has reflected in these 2008 pages.

Now we need to think of the challenges that lay ahead of us as we think of 2010 and the future of this superb ship! Thus, I ask all believers to pray for wisdom, that OM/GBA Ships International management will listen to the Almighty and do that which He has appointed, and not allow the will and stubbornness of man to stand in the way and thus allow this ship to be destroyed, for indecision will have her destroyed rather than see her used as a Bible College long in the future! If she is destroyed in 2010 – it will be the German management of GBA Ships that will have gotten in God’s way with their indecisiveness and their never ending meetings, rather than taking a solid stand and follow a single project. I have had the opportunity to sell the ship four times over, but constantly rejected by Germany, for they have no idea what they want. They need to get into His plan, for it is His work, not theirs!

Reuben Goossens

Pastor, Maritime Historian & author

Keep MV Doulos Sailing – Give a Gift of Fuel

For details enter: Give a Gift of Fuel

Also contacts for prayer support

MV Doulos Index

Chapters

Introduction A Vintage Liner Sails into the 21^st Century

Chapter One “Hull 176” – SS Medina – SS Medina -1914 - 1949

Chapter Two From Onions to Passengers – SS Roma 1949 – 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

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 …

Chapter Six 1993 Electrical Project - “Heart Transplant” in Cape Town

Chapter Seven SOLAS – NEW “Safety Of Life At Sea” regulations to come in place mid 2010

Chapter Eight Onboard Impressions - My visit to her in 1999

Chapter Nine Doulos’ Mission - The work of OM International

Chapter Ten Doulos Goes High Tech – Satellite Dome/Dish fitted 2006

Future Ports Future Ports of Call

Photo Pages Photo Page One - 1999

Photo Page Two – 1999

NEW - Doulos - 2008

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

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

Part Four Doulos at Sea – Page One - Aug 19 & 21 - Brisbane to Sydney

Part Five Doulos at Sea - Page Two – Aug 19 & 21 - Brisbane to Sydney

Part Six Doulos Engine Room - Also, 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 the official opening & 94th Birthday

Part Nine Doulos in Geelong, Albany & Fremantle & Singapore dry dock – Updated

The Doulos Campaign – We are planning her future after 2010!

Give a Gift of Fuel – Help to fuel the Doulos or provide in other ways!

Return to the The Doulos Title Page

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Reuben Goossens commenced in Passenger Shipping industry in May 1960

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