The Global Mercy™ Origin Story

How the Dream of a Purpose-Built Hospital Ship Became Reality

On June 16, 2021, Mercy Ships celebrated a joyful moment: the delivery of the Global Mercy™, which means the official handover of the vessel from the shipyard. The construction journey — which first began in 2015 when the first piece of steel was cut and the first block of the keel was laid — has come to an end. The idea behind the Global Mercy originated years before, however, during the finishing phase of the construction of the Africa Mercy.

The community at Mercy Ships likes to dream big: dreams of hope, dreams of healing, and dreams of a second hospital ship. This dream started in 2007 when the Danish Ferry Dronning Ingrid was transformed into the Africa Mercy. Jim Paterson, the main brain behind the Global Mercy who also led the construction process at the time, said:

“Towards the end of the Africa Mercy conversion, a few of us started to consider what we would like an ideal hospital ship to look like. A conversion is always a series of compromises as you are constrained by a lot of existing structure and systems, even although Africa Mercy conversion was quite extensive.”

Putting the Dream on Paper

The crew survey that year confirmed the wishes and ideas of Jim Paterson and his team.

“We needed increased space in the hospital to expand our training possibilities, we needed more storage space, and the crew wished for more public spaces,” stated Jim Paterson.

That dream started to become reality when, in 2011, the Mercy Ships International Board agreed to pursue a new, purpose-built hospital ship rather than converting another vessel or barge. After the basic design for the new ship was ready, a broker introduced Mercy Ships to the ship building company Stena RoRo. It was a good match at the right time. As it happens, Stena RoRo had a concept for a new ferry design that was remarkably similar to our own concept in several areas. Together, we spent a year and a half blending these two concepts to come up with a detailed specification for what would become the Global Mercy.

The Dream Becomes Reality

After choosing a shipyard in China and signing a new ship contract in 2013, it was time to finalize the basic design and start construction. In September 2015, the first piece of steel that would become the Global Mercy was cut and three months later the first steel block of the ship was built. The construction, as with most ships, is done by fabricating steel blocks that will be fitted together. In the case of the Global Mercy, a total of 267 blocks were needed. In the Keel Laying Ceremony in December 2015, the first block came to rest on the dry dock. This marks a major milestone in the construction journey, because for the first time, the dream of a second hospital ship became visible and palpable for everybody working on the project.

From that moment on, it was full steam ahead with construction. With each steel block, the dream moved closer to becoming a reality. It is with great excitement that we experienced highlights such as the first time the Global Mercy floated in the water (February 2018), the first time the engines started (September 2019), the moment we introduced the new ship to the world (October 2020), and the moment she became truly seaworthy after passing sea trials (April 2021).

Jim Paterson has been there from the first planning stage to her delivery. After the sea trials were completed, he reflected:

“Right now, we are in the thick of it bringing the project to completion, some days it is great to see what we developed on paper become a reality and is very fulfilling – other days you look at some things and think will we ever be done! I don’t think it will really sink in until we let the last line go here in China and watch the ship sail away.”

Final Part of the Journey

Now that the ship is delivered, it’s time for an exciting journey to take place. Very soon, the Global Mercy will set sail to Europe for final outfitting in Antwerp, Belgium, and supply stocking in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. With each new piece of medical inventory and operating room equipment, the Global Mercy will come to life, becoming a fully equipped hospital ship capable of transforming lives onboard. What started as an idea on paper and a block of steel will soon be a hub of hope like never before.

From the Netherlands, the ship will sail to Africa for its first field service in early 2022. By the time she arrives in Africa to welcome the very first patients up the gangway, our hospital ship will be filled with one more vital piece of the puzzle – our volunteers. With the capacity to house more than 600 volunteers, the Global Mercy will soon become a one-of-a-kind home to everyone onboard.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from the upcoming delivery voyage as we wish those onboard fair winds and following seas!

Join Us in Transforming Lives

We envision a world where everyone has access to quality, safe, and affordable surgical treatment. That is why we are expanding our work in Africa.

Do you want to join us on the Global Mercy? Discover more about our volunteer opportunities and find your place onboard >>

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