MV Doulos in Brisbane Australia 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

--MV Doulos--

Part One

Doulos sails into Brisbane on July 31, 2008

MV Doulos has just passed under the Gateway Bridge and continues up the Brisbane River

Although the Doulos was a day late arriving due to having to delay her departure somewhat bad weather conditions in Wellington New Zealand, she had the perfect arrival to Brisbane with a bright and sunny Brisbane winters day. The Brisbane River was as placid as could possibly be and even more so, it looked cleaners that I have seen it in years! The photograph above was taken with a tele-lens as she had just passed under the Gateway Bridge under the guidance of the Pilot and a single tug. The photographs tell their own story, for we see a ship that is a miracle in its own right, for she will be 94 years of age on August 22, and yet she will sail on for a few more years yet. Built just two years after the Titanic, well, we are reminded that some worker wrote on her hull, “Even God can’t sink her.” An Iceberg certainly did! However, on the Doulos they also have a saying, “Only God can keep the Doulos afloat.” And certainly, with the massive maintenance work that is carried out by the ships Christian owners and the wonderful volunteers onboard, she is in a wonderful condition. I attended the official opening on the 1^st of August onboard and I found the Doulos, not having been onboard since 1999, looking just superb, and even better than before!

But now, sit back and enjoy the photographs!

The Australian Flag can be seen forward. The crew and staff are mostly

on the starboard side with flags of the world as they will dock on that side

Crew & staff with their flags on the starboard side

A sunny day and a smooth River

Doulos’ famous Counter stern is clearly shown in this view

The Doulos has arrived at Australia finest Cruise Terminal – “Portside”

Home of a range of Cafes and Restaurants, shops, a supermarket and even a cinema

A fine view of her sharply raked bow

Doulos has its own fleet of mini busses on board

A series of views of the ship

Note the timber stairs seen between the lifeboats - these are original 1914 SS Medina stairs

Under this cover is the massive bookshop

Lifeboat machinery is kept in superb condition!

The Bridge is the original 1914 SS Medina Bridge, but was raised several decks up

when the ship was rebuilt into a passenger ship in 1949

The fleet of mini busses will soon come ashore

Note the satellite dome. The Doulos may be a 94 year old ship, but this old girl is “really with it!”

In this photograph and in the one below we again see the original SS Medina stairs

The row of windows show the main Lounge deck, below is the Restaurant deck, with Boat deck & the Book shop above.

Go to Part Two - Doulos in Brisbane – Aug 1 to 19

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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Commenced in Passenger Shipping industry in May 1960

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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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