Logos Hope is here!

Nov 27, 2009 News

Captain Dirk Colenbrander, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Managing Director of the Logos Hope, Gian Walser, during a tour of the ship.

… ship boasts over 7,500 book titles

The Logos Hope is here! The 132.5-metre vessel docked at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) wharf last Wednesday to the music of steel pans, and was officially launched yesterday.
The Logos Hope is the successor of Logos Two, which had been sold after 20 years of service. The refurbished ship was built in 1973, has nine decks and houses a volunteer crew of over 400 members from around 45 different nationalities.
The book titles – which fall under a wide range of categories; including science, sport and cookery – are over 7,500. The ship is much larger and boasts a more luxurious atmosphere than that of the Logos Two, and accommodates a larger crew, which includes families.
GBA Ships, the organisation under which the Logos Hope sails, is a non-profit organisation based in Germany.

The Logos Hope at the GNSC Wharf

It operates ships that sail around the world to bring ‘knowledge, help and hope’; the Logos Hope’s slogan.
The ship’s voyage began in February of this year. The vessel has docked in ports at European countries, and began its Caribbean voyage at St. Vincent. The journey will last for a year, and some of the crew are hoping to visit out-of-town areas to ‘mix’ with the locals and observe culture here.
On previous visits to Guyana, the Logos Two had also provided medical aid and distributed food and supplies to families living along the Demerara River. Describing the vessel as more than a ship with books, Managing Director of Logos Hope, Gian Walser, said “the ship has a vision to make a difference in the world.”
According to Walser, thousands of school children are expected on the ship during its stay at the GNSC port, between November 26 and December 13, and will be open seven days a week.
It will be open to visitors from 11:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs from Mondays to Saturdays and from 13:00 hrs to 19:00 hrs on Sundays.
An entry fee of $60 will be charged to visitors, and children 12 and under will be free of charge. Children under 16 years of age, however, will have to be accompanied by an adult.
Part of the vision of the Logos Hope is to extend equal opportunities of knowledge to all, promote peace by embracing diversity and guide people towards a purposeful life.
As Guest of Honour at the Opening Ceremony, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds received a gift from the Captain of the Ship, Dirk Colenbrander.
Mr. Hinds expressed his appreciation for the efforts the crew gave to bring knowledge to Guyana, and all the other countries that have been visited by the Logos Hope, and all those that will be visited by the ship.
He acknowledged the members of the crew as a micro community, and said “it is a clear picture of what a larger community should and can be.” He applauded the Logos Hope for enabling its visions of embracing diversity and guiding people towards a purposeful life.
(Andrunie Harris)