MV DOULOS

This remarkable ship was built in 1914 as the freighter SS 'Medina' at Newport News.  She was rebuilt by Genaviter in 1948 as the passenger motor-vessel, 'Roma' and took emigrants to Australia for some years.  Then in 1952 she became the 'Franca C' of Costa Cruises, before being bought in 1977 by Operation Mobilisation/Good Books for All, taking Christian literature to many parts of the world.  She remained in OM's service until December 2009, when, very sadly, she had to be decommissioned because of decay and fatigue which would have cost £10 m. to repair.  She was then 95 years old, and the hope was that she could sail (with modified certification) beyond SOLAS 2010, and reach her century.   She is still afloat, but her future is undecided.  I painted this picture in her honour in March/April 2009, to celebrate her 95th birthday - and I am so glad that I did so, given how the future turned out.  I envisaged her somewhere in SE Asia, possibly in the Srait of Malacca, in a context very different from the Hebrides, as the colours show!  A lovely, lovely ship.  Note the modern 'golf ball' on this old-timer!  She survived, and adapted to, many a refit, sailing from the age of steam to the age of satellite navigation.  Bravissimo!