Return of Historic Sailing Vessel ‘Vega’

We don’t know about you, but it seems to us there’s been a decided dearth of good news in this weirdest of years. So we were particularly thrilled to receive, and pass on, the following . . .

You may recall the story in the April 2019 issue about the shipyard accident involving the historic working brigantine Vega. In a nutshell, during a routine haulout at a shipyard in Thailand, the carriage wheels on the marine railway collapsed and the 128-year-old wooden ship (built in 1892 in Norway as a Baltic and North Sea trader) rolled off and onto her port side. A bungled attempt to roll her upright resulted in her rolling over onto her starboard side. The incoming tide did the rest — flooding the interior and ruining all electronics and machinery, as well as all personal possessions of Shane Granger and Meggi Macoun. The couple purchased Vega in 2001, and for the last 15 years, have run the vessel as a nonprofit humanitarian supply line to dozens of small Indonesian islands. Cargos have included everything from medical test equipment and pharmaceuticals to laptop computers, vegetable seeds, school supplies and reading glasses.

With almost zero help from the boatyard, a group of volunteers spent the remainder of 2019 — 12 hours a day, seven days a week — restoring Vega to seaworthy condition. Eighteen broken frames and 26 planks were replaced, as were all wiring and instruments. “Without the financial support of our friends who normally provide medical and educational supplies, Vega would have been lost,” says Shane.

With the ship finally back afloat and waiting for a weather window at Rebak Marina in Malaysia earlier this year, COVID-19 brought all plans to a screeching halt. Shane, Meggi and the volunteers took a deep breath, then dove into the hundreds of jobs that still needed doing. When it’s possible to finally cast off the docklines, Vega is ready to deliver a long list of supplies and equipment that — after two years away — are needed now more than ever.

Look for more on this uplifting story in the September issue of Latitude 38. In the meantime, check out www.vega1892.com to learn more about Vega’s mission, the out-of-the-way places they assist, and, if you are so inclined, how you can help.