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By Nomadic Chris, 29 December 2009
Do all good things come to an end?
Why is the good ship Doulos docking permanently?
The service of non-profit organisation GBA Ships’ vessel Doulos will come to an end on 31st December 2009. The final port of call is Singapore. (Details below). But fear not floating book ship lovers! The Logos Hope is still sailing the seven seas to bring good book, education and supplies to people in need all around the world.
Doulos is the world’s oldest ocean-going passenger ship, now 95 years old, with the hull built in 1914, just two years after Titanic. In spite of the all year round maintenance that has taken place, the amount of steel replacement and other repairs needed for her to continue sailing are overwhelming. The ship is presently in Singapore and has been undergoing the annual period of dry dock and surveys.
Early indications are that the work would cost over €10 million and take five months to complete. The GBA Ships executive leadership team and board believe that it is not appropriate to invest resources on this scale into the ship, since Doulos would have a limited future.
Chief Executive Officer of GBA Ships, Peter Nicoll, said, “The outcome of this is that Doulos will not be able to continue in service. This is not what any of us wanted, and has serious consequences for everyone on board, those about to join and for ports we planned to visit.”
“We are committed to operating safe ships and complying with the requirements of our classification society, RINA, as well as the International Safety Management requirements for ships,” affirms Peter Nicoll.
The well-being of the 300 crew and staff onboard is of paramount importance. Each person will receive the guidance and support they need to decide what their next steps should be. Some are close to the end of their period of service, while others joined as recently as September.
Keeping the ship compliant with the highest marine standards has been a real challenge over the years. It is a remarkable tribute to the professionalism and dedication of the non-profit organisation’s technical personnel that the ship has continued to meet marine requirements until now.
CEO Peter Nicoll stated, “We recognise God’s faithfulness through these 32 years of wonderful service of the ‘servant’—Doulos—through more than 600 port visits in over 100 countries. Many lives have been transformed, both visitors and those who have served on board.
The Future?
According to Press officer, Floyd W.E. Bascones, there's a possibility of the group getting a new ship, but because of the current financial situation of the company, it would not be soon. He stated:
“There are only two possible options on what will happen to Doulos. There's a company in South Africa who's interested of buying the ship to convert it into a training facility however this is not final yet. The other option is to scrap it if it will not be sold since there are no other interested parties willing to buy the ship.”
As the ship comes to end of its tenure, a number of crew member have already left the ship with the majority leaving right after Christmas and the days leading up to the end of the year. Some will join the other GBA Ship, the LOGOS HOPE which is now in the Caribbean. And some others will go to other countries to the serve the home offices of the parent organization.
Nevertheless, the future for the remaining crew looks assured and like millions around the world, they will no doubt have fond memories of the grand old ship which sailed into their hearts, the Doulos….
ABOUT GBA SHIPS
GBA Ships exists to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world. GBA Ships pioneered the concept of using ships to transport literature, humanitarian aid and people resources.
The crew and staff, including professional seafarers, are all non-salaried volunteers. Over one million visitors come on board each year to browse the hallmark of the ships—a large floating book fair with 6,000 titles in stock.The ships also bring aid and relief to needy people and places around the world. Since 1970, more than 40 million people have visited the ships during more than 1,350 port visits in 158 nations.
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