MV Doulos Visit to Geelong, Albany and Fremantle Australia

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 Nine - 2008

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

Including her final Asian ports & her decommissioning in Singapore on December 31, 2009

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!

November 29, 2008 - MV Doulos departs Australia for the very last time

Sent in by a supporter but the *photographer is unknown

*Please see the photo notes at bottom of page

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

“Singapore Dry-Docking & Future Ports of Call”

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

I received the 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 few years at sea.

Internally her boilers have been upgraded as has much in the engine room and other parts of the ship. Although there have 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 to the ship for each works in combination to keep this ship operating perfectly and looking the way 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 worldwide, and you can join that support team if you are part of the Church! See the note at the bottom of the page.

Her ports of call:

After Singapore she departed on December 8 and headed for Kuching Malaysia arriving on the 10thJ. MV Doulos departed Kuching on January 3 bound for Cebu in the Philippines where she arrived on the 8thjand departed on the 11th. The next day she arrived at Bacolod and departed for Manila on March 3, where she arrived on the 5th. She is due to depart Manila on 31 March for Kaohsiung Taiwan.

A stormy voyage from Manila to Kaohsiung:

The voyage from the Philippines to Taiwan was far from being “the smoothest voyage I have been on” wrote Gary Barto one of the best known Douloid’s. He said “It was rough for the two and a half days and some just stayed in their beds.”

Stormy weather bound for Taiwan

Someone else wrote, “huge waves kept breaking over the bow hitting the foc’s’le and it caused some damage due to the strength of the wind and the huge seas, which also resulted in the ship arriving some seven hours late.”

Apparently many of the Douloid’s were sea sick whilst going through going through a type 8 seas, something we certainly so not see very often. As Gary Barto stated, “It was really spectacular and awesome to see God’s power in the sea. We got drenched if we went out on deck. The captain declared the outside front of the ship off limits for safety purposes.” Needless to say that the dinning room was not filled like its usual self during these days. Happily this kind of weather does not happen often and as most douloid’s sign on never having been to sea most get their sea leg’s in a short time.

Taiwan – Cambodia – Thailand & Malaysia.

Doulos arrived a little late on April 2 and remained there until the 29th. There will be two more ports in Taiwan, one being, Haulien arriving on 30 April and departing for Keelung on May 13, where she will arrive the next day. Doulos will depart Keelung on June 4 for Hong Kong on June 6 and stay until 4 July 2009.

Her next stop was Sihanoukville Cambodia where she arrived on July 10 and departed on July 28 bound for Bangkok Thailand arriving the next day July 29. She remained in Thailand until August 24 and headed for Kota Kinabalu Malaysia and departed on September 21 bound for Pasir Gudang in Malaysia arriving on September 24 and she remained there until her departure for Singapore on October 24, 2009 that would prove to be her final voyage as the OM Ships Christian Missionary “Book Fair” for Singapore would be the end of the line for the Doulos and great controversy would commence!

Thailand & Malaysia.

MV Doulos arrived in Singapore on October 13 and she remained open to the public unto the 12 October. On the 13th she headed for dry-dock where she was to undergo her annual maintenance, but the problem that had been well known to OM since, well I have known since 1992, were discovered and the Doulos would not be given her annual clearance to sail again unless a great deal was spent on her. Obviously OM Ships was not prepared to do this and decided very quickly to dispose of the ship that had kept them afloat since 1978 and the ship that had made them the vast majority of the money! As well having had some 23 million people come and visit the ship not because she was a missionary or a Christian ship, but the vast majority came just because she was the world’s oldest passenger ship! OM became successful for one main reason, I call it the Doulos, not any of their other ship have the same impact! But, now she was to be disposed off and she was placed on the market. She left dry-dock and was first placed at anchor and then back at a berth. OM commenced with moving most of the Douloids (volunteers) and at the time of writing February 26) only 70 persons remain onboard. In additions they commenced stripping the ship of as much as was possible.

On February 25, the Chief Purser on board the Seven Seas Voyager sent me a number of photographs of the Doulos which was berthed just beside the Singapore Cruise Centre, and she looked superb. His photo can be seen on the “MV Doulos Campaign page.”

For further details regarding what happened to her being sold, I suggest that you read about her future as she has now been sold on the MV Doulos Campaign page.

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

Whilst in Singapore’s dry-dock

Shipyard / Anchor / Singapore	Oct 13th, 2009	February, 2010
Singapore, Singapore	Oct 7th, 2009	Oct 13th, 2009
Pasir Gudang, Malaysia	Sep 24th, 2009	Oct 7th, 2009
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia	Aug 29th, 2009	Sep 21st, 2009
Bangkok, Thailand	Jul 29th, 2009	Aug 24th, 2009
Sihanoukville, Cambodia	Jul 10th, 2009	Jul 28th, 2009

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. I give praise and thanks to the Almighty for allowing me to share Your Word on several occasions whilst on the voyage to Your Douloids - servants!

Reuben Goossens

Pastor, Maritime Historian & author

ssMaritime & RMI-Ministries

Go to Part Ten - Doulos Deck Plan – These are current & up to date deck plans

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.

***************************************************

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