MV Doulos Hope explained

MV Doulos Hope is a former cruise ship now serving as a floating library owned by the German faith-based German charity Gute Bücher für Alle.[1]

Currently named after the MV Doulos, the world's oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship until its retirement in December 2009,[2] Doulos Hope was originally intended to sail as the Lady Sarah. For most of its career, it has served as a cruise ship under the names Aurora II, Megastar Aries, Genting World and The Taipan,[3] predominantly for Hong Kong's now-defunct Star Cruises.

After completion of a refit in mid-2023, Doulos Hope is based in Southeast Asia and provides a floating library service in shallow-water ports to complement its much larger sister ship, the MV Logos Hope.[4]

History

Originally laid down on May 9, 1988 to designs first drawn up by Vikelas Architects of Athens, Greece,[5] the Lady Sarah was built by Flender Werke of Lübeck, Germany alongside its sister ship the Lady Diana,[6] nowadays known as the National Geographic Islander II.[7] [8]

Lady Sarah's original buyers, the Windsor Line, a privately owned, late-1980s startup targeting the North American yuppie market,[9] could not meet their obligations on its completion in 1989. The ship was eventually sold to the Bahamas-based New Frontier Cruise Line instead, and in mid-December 1991 it was renamed M/S Aurora II.

In July 1994, the ship was again sold to Hong Kong-based Star Cruises, where it would spend the remainder of its cruising career, and renamed M/S Megastar Aries.[10] Two decades later, while still remaining with Star Cruises, it was renamed first as MV Genting World in July 2012, and then as MV The Taipan in October 2013.

After Star Cruises' parent company, Genting Hong Kong, filed for bankruptcy in January 2022, the cruise line folded. In May of the same year, the Taipan was sold to OM Ships International,[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] the ships ministry arm of Christian outreach organisation Operation Mobilisation.[17] It was purchased to give the organization access to new ports, thanks to the ship's shallower draft compared to its sister ships.[18] [19]

On May 25, 2022 Operation Mobilisation affiliate Gute Bücher für Alle accepted the ship in Penang, Malaysia, and it completed its sea trials on July 20. It then sailed to Singapore to continue a refurbishment which was concluded with its official relaunch on May 5, 2023.[20] [21] [22] [23]

Post-refurbishment, Doulos Hope is now registered in Valletta, Malta but based in Southeast Asia, where it stays in each port it visits for extended periods. As of March 2024, the ship had sailed over 4,350 miles and visited ports in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines[24] under its new name, welcoming almost 120,000 visitors and selling close to 150,000 books in the process.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Doulos Hope www.gbaships.org . 2022-12-18 . www.gbaships.org . en.
  2. Web site: World's oldest seaborne passenger vessel on tour as floating library - Wikinews, the free news source . 2022-09-11 . en.wikinews.org . en.
  3. Web site: BalticShipping.com . BalticShipping.com . 2022-09-08 . www.balticshipping.com . en.
  4. Web site: Seronay . Karen . 2022-06-09 . OM Announces New Ship To Set Sail For Ports Of Southeast Asia . 2022-09-11 . Keep The Faith ® The UK's Black and multi-ethnic Christian magazine . en-GB.
  5. Web site: Timeline Vikelas Architects . 2022-09-11 . www.vikelas.gr . en.
  6. Web site: Lindblad Relaunches Former Crystal Cruise Ship in Galapagos . 2022-09-11 . The Maritime Executive . en.
  7. Web site: 2021-10-19 . Crystal Esprit buyer Lindblad will operate the yacht in the Galapagos: Travel Weekly . 2022-12-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211019173638/https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Esprit-buyer-Lindblad-Expeditions-operating-ship-Galapagos . 2021-10-19 .
  8. Web site: Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Officially Names Newest Vessel, National Geographic Islander II . 2022-12-27 . www.expeditions.com . en.
  9. Web site: Staff . C. I. N. . 1988-09-15 . Per Diems: $1,500? . 2022-09-11 . www.cruiseindustrynews.com . en-gb.
  10. Book: Smith, Peter C . Cruise Ships: The Small Scale Fleet . Pen and Sword . 2014 . 9781781592816 . 256–257.
  11. Web site: Meet Doulos Hope OM Ships International . 2022-09-08 . www.om.org . en.
  12. Web site: Genting Hong Kong's Luxury Yacht Becomes Missionary Ship . 2022-09-11 . The Maritime Executive . en.
  13. Web site: Staff . C. I. N. . 2022-05-26 . The Taipan Sold to German Religious Organization . 2022-09-11 . www.cruiseindustrynews.com . en-gb.
  14. Web site: Boonzaier (j_boonzaier) . Jonathan . 2022-05-25 . Genting Hong Kong's smallest cruise ship trades casino chips for bibles and other books TradeWinds . 2022-09-11 . TradeWinds Latest shipping and maritime news . en.
  15. Web site: Silliman . Daniel . Missionary Group Buys Luxury Yacht . 2022-09-11 . ChristianityToday.com . 22 August 2022 . en.
  16. Web site: Staff . C. I. N. . 2022-06-13 . June Update: The Last Five Secondhand Cruise Ship Transactions . 2022-09-11 . www.cruiseindustrynews.com . en-gb.
  17. Web site: Sight Magazine - "Proclamation and demonstration": OM Ships marks 50 years with a renewed vision for sharing the Gospel . 2022-09-11 . www.sightmagazine.com.au.
  18. Web site: June 13th . Anne Lim . Comment . 2022 09:36 AM Add a . 2022-06-12 . OM's new ship to set sail for Southeast Asia - Eternity News . 2022-09-11 . www.eternitynews.com.au . en-AU.
  19. Web site: 2022-07-07 . OM's new ship, Doulos Hope, a floating "miracle" that will build communities of disciples worldwide . 2022-09-11 . Salt&Light . en.
  20. Web site: GBA Ships - This is the official website of GBA Ships which manages and operates MV Logos Hope. . https://web.archive.org/web/20220908040351/https://www.gbaships.org/en/65-doulos-hope-first-drydock . 2022-09-08 . 2022-09-08 . gbaships.org.
  21. Web site: Floating bookfair declared open! OM.org . 2024-03-06 . www.om.org . en.
  22. Web site: Nilson . Peter . 2023-05-02 . GBA Ships launches Doulos Hope in Asia . 2024-03-06 . Ship Technology . en-US.
  23. Web site: 2023-05-10 . Maritime Charity Launches New Ship to Promote Literacy and Education . 2024-03-06 . MarineLink . en.
  24. Web site: Doulos Hope Official - Facebook . 2024-03-06 . www.facebook.com.
  25. Web site: Doulos Hope Statistics . 2024-03-06 . www.gbaships.org.

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