MV Doulos at Sea 19, 20 & 21 August 2008

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 Five

Doulos at Sea – Page Two

Sailing Brisbane to Sydney

MV Doulos heading south along the coast of Australia bound for Sydney

With the large number of photograph taken, I had to add a second page, as well as a separate page for the engine room, etc. This page covers the Carpenters shop in the bow, Hold 1, and other interesting spaces aboard the Doulos, including another cabin and Franca C deck signs and more. I trust you will enjoy this journey onboard the oldest oceangoing ship on the sea today!

Far forward on Main Deck we enter the shackle corridor and this door opens into the Carpenters Shop in the bow area

My host, Sven Benseler takes a look at a children’s Snoopy seat completed at the carpenters shop

Sven Benseler and I found no one home, but I found the location most interesting, so let’s investigate

As we head further forward we come to the carpenter’s office

The carpenter’s office – This door leads us into the next section

The most forward port hole on the ship

We have now reached as far forward as we can possible go inside the ship, as we have reached the bow section

The anchor chain columns go down to the chain store below

The photographs show the perfect state of the steel hull and its riveting, still in its A1 condition!

Down an A Deck is “The Cage” or the store room

Store Room

Store room

We have now descended down to Hold Deck one deck below B Deck, and this is Hold 1, looking up to the cover

Forward I found the base of what was once the forward mast, yet it still strengthens the new electric crane

The hold stores many things including new ropes, plumbing needs and other items that may be needed at any time

The trolley contains deck mats

An original Franca C - Cabin sign on A Deck – These signs date back to 1959

This Franca C sign points to which stairwell you should use to head to your cabin – let’s go to cabin 260 on B Deck

Cabin 260 is a small inside 2 berth cabin –all cabins have private facilities – looking forward

The bathroom wall faces the engine room and it was amazing how quiet it was

Again the furniture, lights and décor were all Franca C 1959 originals!

Small but cosy, I stayed in the lower bed of this cabin for the first two nights.

Another 1959 sign on B Deck

A Typical bathroom dating from the Franca C - 1959

Above and below: Here we see the original in cabin Waiter/Steward call buttons (no longer in use of course)

The arrows shows the direction of the cabin that made the call

This is the light outside the cabins 23 & 25 and the waiter/Steward would switch the light off when he arrived

MV Doulos will pick up the Sydney pilot early tomorrow, Thursday, 21 August 2008 and sail through

Sydney Heads and into the world’s most beautiful Harbour!

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 an 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!

Next page: “Doulos Engine Room – Enter via the Index below.

Keep MV Doulos Sailing – Give a Gift of Fuel

For details enter: Give a Gift of Fuel

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

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 – NOW online

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

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

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 200 ships

Who is the Author of ssMaritime?

By Kosta Specis & Hun-Eng Tan

Reuben Goossens commenced in Passenger Shipping industry in May 1960

Email Me at

info@ssmaritime.com

PLEASE NOTE: I receive hundreds of requests for Passenger/Crew Lists and Sailing Schedules. I hereby wish to advise that I am unable to assist due to time restrains and as most shipping companies have long gone these lists/schedules are no longer available. I regret to advise that any request for these will no longer be answered regardless of the circumstances presented!

ssMaritime.net

Also visit …

www.ssmaritime.com

Discover up to 200 Classic Passenger liners

By the same author

Please Note:

Photographs on ssMaritime and ssmaritime.net 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.

This notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

melbourne dry cleaners Counter