Bild: OM - Ships
Das älteste Passagierschiff der Welt, die 1914 in Dienst und Ende 2009 ausser Dienst gestellte DOULOS von OM Ships, die derzeit
in Singapore aufliegt und einem ungewissen Schicksal entgegensah, ist an einen Geschäftsmann aus Singapore verkauft worden:
http://www.gbaships.org/index.php?optio ... eid=R20720
Zur zukünftigen Verwendung des Schiffes heisst es in der Presseerklärung von OM Ships weiter:
"After renovations, Eric Saw plans to have the ship accessible to the public, but from a fixed berth. Even though the ship has avoided the scrap yard once again, it does now seem that her sailing days are over. The plans include an exhibit on board telling the story of the ship's remarkable history and roles as an onion carrier, coastguard vessel, migrant ship, first-class cruise liner and most recently, floating book fair and home to an all-volunteer international Christian community of over 300 people from around 50 countries."
"Subject to approval by the various authorities, we would like to have themed restaurants and cafés, a bookshop and a banquet room for seminars, conferences and weddings," said Eric Saw. "We also plan to have the ship play a role as a maritime museum with conducted tours. From a Christian perspective, we hope to host a small Bible School for lay persons which we hope to eventually establish on board. It will essentially have non-certification courses that busy lay persons can attend to grow in their Christian walk. One thing we will strive to achieve is to continue with the wonderful culture that has been so evident whenever someone comes on board the Doulos -a culture of love, friendship, and fellowship. This will be a hard act to follow!�
A change of name is also in Eric Saw's mind. Having felt clearly led to the Bible verse Isaiah 49:6, he says, "Our plans are to rename her 'Doulos Phos' where she will, in her new role, be both a servant and a light.
Eric Saw also operates the Singapore based "Stewords Riverboat" (http://www.riverboat.com.sg), a non-motorized Mississippi-styled riverboat moored at the city's Marina South Pier which is a venue for a wide variety of functions and events, including Breaking Bread, a café themed around Bible-inspired food and fellowship."
Bleibt zu hoffen, dass die Pläne wirklich umgesetzt und dieses Schiff der Nachwelt noch lange erhalten bleibt!