Singapore :: God's provision during engine repairs as Doulos Hope makes a technical stop in Singapore
Following Doulos Hope’s opening port of VivoCity, Singapore, an unexpected main engine problem while en route to her next port of call in Malaysia meant that the vessel had to return to Singaporean shores in late May.
The ship was provided with a berth in Loyang Shipyard, Singapore, where much of her outfitting work had taken place in the second half of 2022. The marine team on shore soon got to work sourcing parts, companies and service technicians to help with the required work.
One of OM Ships' long-term marine engineers, Harald Smit (Netherlands), was appreciative of both the quality of the work and the speed at which this was carried out. He said, "God really provided the right people in the right context and at the right time and that was a big encouragement for me!"
“We had spare parts in a warehouse in Penang that were to be shipped to our Florence, South Carolina office, but thankfully had not been sent yet. The entire project was completed in two months and two days!” said Harald.
“There is much to be grateful for — the availability of the engine block and all the parts the marine team in our head office sourced and sent, the technician who came from Germany to supervise the project, and the people we could work with, in Singapore."
While the ship was unable to open during this time, due to the nature and location of the berth, Harald is also thankful for the connections the onboard team had during the repairs.
"We've had people come up to us and ask, 'How can I come and work with this ship?’ We can have great impact on people's lives in how we live and how we talk with them in the ports we visit."
After successfully completing sea trials, Doulos Hope continued her journey to Penang, Malaysia, where during the months of July and August, she was able to open to the public again.