Marine Reach vessel Pacific Hope is hosting an open day ahead of its first mission for to Fiji, Vanuatu and The Solomon Islands, to thank the public and volunteers who've made it happen.

The open day will be at the Port of Tauranga No 1 berth, which allows for better public access than the city's former slip jetty where the Pacific Hope has become a fixture during the last two years.

Ship director Mike Mears says Pacific Hope will heading off to the Pacific Islands this month.

But she's still a work in progress, says ship director Mike Mears.

Pacific Hope will set out on the first voyage this month with the refit about 80 per cent complete. But they're hoping to continue with the work en-route.

'We're hoping to do some work as well while we are sailing, so we'll have a few extra crew on-board who are contractors and builders, so we will carry on with some of that while we are sailing, assuming that the seas are favourable.”

Pacific Hope is a former Japanese Government-owned fisheries training vessel, which came with a big galley, mess hall and lecture spaces, says Mike.

A post-government owner added the accommodation aft of the funnel, which has become a mess room/recreation room during the refit, but is intended to also become clinic spaces or room for seminars and training.

Pacific Hope was originally a training ship for fishermen and deck officers, says Mike.

'So it did have a fish hold and refrigeration system. So we skipped all refrigeration stuff out, and we using the hold for building materials, tools, books – and all that kind of stuff for schools.”

Marine Reach is accepting donations of building materials that will be helpful in the islands, says Mike.

They're also approaching businesses for galvanised nails and roofing iron – that kind of donation as well.

As this month's departure looms there are still former offices on-board undergoing conversion to more accommodation.

Mike says the Pacific Hope will voyage with a crew of 25, plus about another 40 medical people, doctors, dentists, surgeons.

Eventually, they also expect to have optometrists, healthcare nurses and community development people on-board.

The first trip will focus on water projects and sanitation to help with rebuilding projects in Vanuatu.

Marine Reach added an additional block of outreaches in Vanuatu specifically to help with cyclone recovery.

'As well we have a land-based operation in Vanuatu, so we've been sending teams up since the cyclone hit,” says Mike.

'Certainly being able to get out to remote islands is a huge need. Vanuatu has 10 dentists in the whole nation, and about seven of them are located in Port Vila.

'It's similar with other medical needs that people have. The main city centres have medical facilities but outside they don't. So we really target the outlying islands where there is very little access or no access to medical care.”

Pacific Hope will have at least two dentists on-board for each outreach, which is usually about two weeks.

'This year we won't have the ophthalmology on-board but starting next year we'll have the clinics for the ophthalmology,” says Mike.

The mercy ship's official farewell will be today, when it will move to the Port of Tauranga No 1 berth and hold its open day for the public and all volunteers who've donated thousands of man hours to convert the ship.

Much of the work converting the ship, providing labour for sanding and painting has been provided by volunteers, like the Aquinas College students who've painted their way through much of the ship during the last two years – some have been there more than once as part of their community classes.

'We are getting there,” says Mike.

"It's like when you build a house, things change quickly. You get all the framing up, then the gib goes up, and power points go in – and so we're sort of at that point, which is great.”


Photos by Simon Cornwall.