After arriving in Southampton and going through Dock Gate 10, a walk along the quayside of Berth 101 gave a wonderful view of the whole length of the ship, which is an almost-impossible achievement nowadays in most docks and berths. The counter stern was a fascinating sight on this little liner.

Doulos was visiting Southampton for the first time since 1986, and many of us were ready to welcome her and curious to see her for the first time. She was built for the Mallory Steamship Co. in 1914 as a coal-fired steam freighter named ‘Medina’ at Newport News in the USA. Amazingly this name can still just be seen in the steelwork on her hull. The ship became a passenger liner of 6,500 tons in 1953 for the Italian Costa Line and was renamed ‘Franca C.’ This name can also be seen on the hull if one looks very carefully at the present paintwork. In 1977 the vessel was bought and re-named by the international Christian charity Operation Mobilisation as an ocean-going Passenger Ship. She is registered in Valletta, Malta and since then has visited over 490 ports in 94 countries and has welcomed over 17 million people on board. She is said to be the largest floating bookshop in the world – selling mainly Christian books but lots of others too. Her name Doulos means ‘servant’ in Greek.

We soon boarded and guides arrived to collect small groups from the canvas-sheltered waiting room on the Forward Deck. We were all given a security badge on a neck cord to wear and I was amused to find that mine was called Walvis Bay. I found myself telling our Zimbabwean guide Charles that I had been to Walvis Bay several times, originally when I worked at sea on the Union-Castle Line Mailships. He mentioned that his parents had travelled out to Rhodesia (as it was then) on the Mailships. After we all told him of our great interest in ships and this one in particular, we were treated to a comprehensive and fascinating tour of the ship that is home to Charles (an electrician on board) for at least two years.

We went up to the ancient bridge, and could see the instruments inside the locked doors, then down to the dining room where the port side was for families working and sailing on board, and the starboard side was for the solo volunteers.

We walked along ‘Main Street’ with its cabin accommodation and Charles very kindly showed us his tiny shared cabin and shower facility. Walking down a staircase brought us to a familiar sound and smell – the Engine Room. Steep stairs led down to the grating platform where we could look down on what I was told was an 18 cylinder Fiat diesel that has powered her since 1970. I was fascinated to peer down and round the grating to see the actual propeller shaft moving and powering the facilities needed for the ship in port. We were told she needs 3 tonnes of diesel per day in port and 12 tonnes a day at sea to produce her 11 knots. She spends more time in port than at sea.

We saw the bakery, galley, laundry and electrician’s shop, fire station 3, the funnel, lifeboats with their vertical wind-out davits, lifeboat instructions which included a first instruction to ‘insert plug’, a spare propeller on the forward deck near a derrick, and of course the vast bookshop situated on the aft deck, under another canvas awning. The spare volumes are stored in cardboard boxes below deck at the aft end, and I shall never forget the sight of the boxes placed on shelves in that riveted counter stern area.

We bought postcards and keyrings and then enjoyed coffee and conversation on the beautiful wide-planked teak decks, still admiring those riveted lifeboats. What an amazing ship, and what a great privilege to be on board this little liner. Her days are probably numbered now with the 2010 new Regulations, but do go and visit Doulos if you get the chance – she is in Edinburgh (Leith) from 4th to 21st June 2004 – and I count myself very fortunate to have done so.

Review By Ann Haynes, April 2004