Wouldn't it be funny if we got Mercy Ships tuk tuks?

Sitting around the dinner table on the ship soon after our arrival, after noticing the tuk tuks transporting locals around, we started to joke about getting some Mercy Ships tuk tuks. We could paint them white and put the logo on them. Wouldn't that be fun!

“All good ideas arrive by chance.”

Max Ernst

Andrew pitched the idea to our Managing Director who was looking to establish a crew shuttle between the ship and the port gate, a distance of around one kilometre each way in the searing sun, sweltering humidity or pouring rain and sweltering humidity. He loved the idea!

So after a few trips to a car dealership with the help of another French speaking crew member, negotiations were made to purchase two shiny new tuk tuks from a motorcycle dealer in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

The tuk tuks arrived a week later in a comedy of errors. They arrived by truck on a weekend outside the main port gate. Unfortunately the truck divers thought we would be able to unload the tuk tuks and we thought they would be able to unload them. They were told to come back later that day with the tuk tuks unloaded. However the message was not quite received and Andrew ended up paying some locals to hand lift the 300kg tuk tuks from the large truck to a smaller truck and then to the ground! Whatever gets the job done!

There were no shortage of volunteers willing to drive the tuk tuks from the port gate to the ship! Above the tuk tuks on their maiden trip to the ship. Andrew decided that he was not so skilled at driving a tuk tuk!

The tuk tuks run on a regular weekday and weekend schedule and only operate from the ship to port gate and return so as not to take any business away from the local tuk tuk and pousse pousse (bicycle taxi). They are not allowed within the port limits and we had to get special permission to operate our tuk tuks within the port.

We had a horrible great transportation field trip to take the tuk tuks to get insured. Naturally the drive out coincided with lunch so we had to eat out. The things we have to do in Transportation!

Almost home!

Many people have likened the tuk tuks to the Angry Birds.

Logo on! Loud and proud!



Andrew and Joe (then ship's mechanic, now Transportation Manager) pose with their new toys!

The tuk tuks have transported hundreds of crew in the past two months, provided jobs for two locals and turned a dinner table conversation into a reality!

 

 

"If I have a thousand good ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied"
Alfred Nobel