MV Doulos at Sea 19, 20 & 21 August 2008

ssMaritime.net

MV Doulos

“A Ship Like no Other”

By Reuben Goossens

An 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

Part Five - 2008

--MV Doulos--

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!

There are some very special people I wish to thank the following on board the Doulos. The ship’s Director, Dr. Daniel Chae who was always so helpful and he has a great desire to see the ship survive! We had I fine time together discussing the ship and the Scriptures during my time on board! However, how can I ever forget my delightful host and now good friend on board, Sven Benseler and his lovely wife Mirjam and their delightful children, Joshua & Samuel. They made my stay on board very special and I soon became part of the Doulos family! Also, there was the delightful ship’s journalist Marl Terilli, who took great care of me whilst I was on board and thank you for the delightful times we had chatting during mealtime with your husband at supper time. Not to forget, two very special people, Dominic Bothello the Chief Engineer who always made me smile and I always want more time with this wonderful man and his delightful family! And the ever effervescent Filipe the Project Coordinator, who was a delightful young man with a heart desire to learn more and more and to take in all that, is good! May the LORD bless you and thank you for all that you have given me! I also wish to thank Captain Ashley McDonald who was most generous with his time, allowing me on the Bridge as we departed Brisbane and giving me an interview in his private quarters. I recall discussing the future of the Doulos relating my vision, now in 2010 this vision has come to a realisation as the ship has indeed been sold to an Asian country and will become a maritime museum, hotel, restaurant, tourist venue and a Christian Centre and Bible School in Singapore!

To all the crew and staff on board, thank you for your outstanding hospitality and cooperation, and for giving me the freedom of the ship whilst I was with you on the historic Doulos, a ship I have been personally associated with since 1971.

Go to Part Six - Doulos Engine Room - Also, the November 2007 dry-dock & propeller & shaft work

Return to the Author’s – MV Doulos “A Ship Like No Other” Main Index

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.

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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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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.

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