Description
Cargo of Hope
A Nautical Adventure by Shane Granger
In December 2004, Shane Granger and his partner, Meggi Macoun, had just completed a sailing odyssey from South Africa to Malaysia and were enjoying a well-earned siesta when the Boxing Day Tsunami changed their lives forever. In a matter of hours, unstoppable waves, often over ten meters high, demolished cities not only in Malaysia but also as far away as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and East Africa, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. With thousands of people suddenly in dire need, Shane and Meggi loaded their vessel with donated food and medical supplies, then set sail for Sumatra to deliver aid.
For their ship, the Vega, the mission was a return to her origins. More than a hundred years earlier, in 1892, one of Norway’s finest boat builders had launched the legendary ship, specially designed to sail fully loaded with heavy cargo such as limestone, bricks, pig iron, and cement through some of the world’s roughest seas. Vega soon became famous for her ability to carry loads other boats her size could not. And now her legacy would continue as she returned to actively carrying cargo, though of a very different kind.
Shane and Meggi’s first mission of mercy marked a turning point and evolved into a passion. Every year since 2004, they have undertaken a 7,500-mile journey to carry tons of health supplies, educational materials, and other tools to remote island communities in eastern Indonesia and East Timor. To date, Vega has sailed more than 100,000 miles, delivering everything from pulse oximeters and midwife kits to backpacks and sports equipment and visiting locations few outsiders will ever see. The adventures they encounter along the way are nothing short of amazing.
Shannon Carpenter –
It isn’t often I find an awesome read, combining life on the open sea, a frequent good sense of humour, and a pull at my heart strings on multiple occasions. I am so glad I ordered this book. Any sailor will love this story. I hope it gets the attention it deserves and look forward to more stories from Vega. What a great mission, memory, and adventure! Shannon Carpenter
Earl de Blonville FRGS –
Beneath the author’s self-deprecating shipboard wit, there are unexpected dimensions: great courage, to keep risking his boat and crew; incredible resourcefulness, stretching his limited fuel and food resources to the limit; and exceptional humanity, to try to build futures for the next generation through delivering the basics of healthcare and education. Without the author and his volunteer crew, and the unstinting support of his sponsors, many people in remote island villages could never hope to find a place in the modern world.
Earl de Blonville FRGS, Leader: Australian Arctic Expedition
Kevin Kolosty –
A true modern day adventure, with ties to history, that leaves you wanting more. Well written, astoundingly compelling, and deeply entertaining. Shane lives the life that most, if not all of us, dream of. But more than that, while most of us have a somewhat selfish dream for this adventurous life, he turned the dream into a selfless experience. Doing more than most for a group of people deeply in need of help yet receiving little attention to their plight. It makes no difference if you buy the book to learn a little about someone who is living that dream life, or about the magnificent charity work being done on a shoestring budget, or about the dangers of a life at sea, you will be entertained and left wanting more. An excellent and compelling read! Kevin K.
Spisstevningen Hilton –
I have read your book – and I liked it! It’s so much more than a book for boat lovers. I liked that you have taken your own adventures into a wider context. Both the story of the building of Vega and especially the history of the islands of the Banda sea. I also must mention that your writing is quite colourful and descriptive. Thanks for taking me on this seaborne adventure.
Spisstevningen Hilton, Historical yacht and yachting expert
Scott Murry –
“One of the most amazing true sea adventures I have ever read… skillfully spiced with a wonderfully naughty sense of humor.”
Scott Murry, SEA Yachting Magazine
mybritt01 –
Once you start you can’t stop, fantastic read.
Michael J. Tougias, NY Times bestselling author of A Storm Too Soon and Extreme Survival –
High seas adventures, remote islands, and the “art of making a difference” all come together in this fascinating nautical account. Shane and Meggi have seen natural wonders few people on earth have. The reader will feel they are at sea on both fair days and in brutal storms, guided by two highly experienced sailors who have a thirst for adventure and a determination to assist others in need.
Kirkus Reviews –
A maritime chronicle of a humanitarian effort to deliver supplies to the needy.
From the helm of their restored 130-year-old sailboat, Vega, author and seasoned seaman Granger personifies the risks and rewards of survival on the open seas. He and his German partner, Meggi Macoun, a graphic designer, found their calling not only in the excitement of risky oceanic adventures, but also in their annual humanitarian mission, which “gives life meaning.” In 2004, the couple had just returned from a months-long odyssey from South Africa to Malaysia when a massive earthquake underneath the Indian Ocean spurred a deadly tsunami that submerged large areas of coastal Asia. Together with a sturdy crew of volunteers, Granger and Macoun initiated the inaugural Mission of Mercy rescue effort, setting sail for the northern Sumatran island of Pulau Weh with the Vega stocked with 22 tons of donated food and medical supplies. No stranger to long-haul sailing, Granger formerly trekked alone across the Atlantic in an engineless, rudderless brigantine he salvaged from a West African beach. Tapping into this experience, the author vibrantly brings their philanthropic journeys to life with keen details about the remote tropical islands, mountainous villages, and cultural communities they have helped over the years. He also describes numerous challenges, including vicious stormy seas and labor-intensive grunt work performed in congested quarters. The impact of that first altruistic expedition to Sumatra ignited a desire in Granger and Macoun to offer their services to other communities in need. The author also shares lively personal anecdotes about Vega’s mysterious Norwegian origins; information from a great-grandson of the vessel’s original boat builder, an amateur naval historian; and the author’s own notes on how the couple keeps the boat afloat “on a microscopic budget.”
A spirited, awe-inspiring story about people helping people.
Julian Stockwin –
‘A truly inspiring account of a ‘mom and pop’ charity in a 120-year-old wooden vessel. You really feel you are by Shane Granger’s side in his plucky little craft bringing succour to some of the world’s most remote communities.’