It’s a Christmas miracle for the newly repaired Tauranga-based medical aid ship MV YWAM Koha, which is due to sail back into Tauranga waters on Christmas Eve.

Last month, the vessel became stranded in Lautoka, Fiji, needing urgent and expensive repairs, with cyclone season due.

The ship and its crew of volunteers were providing much needed medical aid to isolated communities in Fiji when an issue with a bearing in the tailshaft was discovered in November. 

Urgent repairs had to be undertaken following discovery of an issue with the tail shaft. Photo: Supplied.

The YWAM Koha, which has two dental clinics on board, needed to be urgently dry docked and repaired, leaving the organisation with a $300,000 bill. 

Youth with a Mission Ships NZ appealed for help to save the ship.

As cyclone season quickly approached, supporters got behind the campaign to raise the funds needed. Platinum partner Trinity Lands matched every donation, giving a total of $100,000, and the ship was able to go into drydock in Fiji for the repairs.

The hope was that the ship with crew aboard would be home for Christmas.

Urgent repairs had to be undertaken following discovery of an issue with the tail shaft. Photo: Supplied.

“The drydock and repair work was successful,” says YWAM Ships Managing Director, Marty Emmett.

“She returned back to the water on Friday, [December 15]. And then passed a sea trial on Saturday.”

Urgent repairs had to be undertaken following discovery of an issue with the tail shaft. Photo: Supplied.

The YWAM KOHA departed Fiji late Monday night, December 18, around 10.30pm NZT.

“Due to several miracles, we finally had a full complement of crew on board. The last position was filled 90 minutes before the ship departed the port of Lautoka.”

“The Koha will come in either on the high tide, around 5.30am [on Sunday, December 24], or on the low tide at 11am,” says YWAM Ships Aotearoa technical director Tony Fish.

“[A] 10am arrival back at Vessel Works wharf tomorrow [Sunday, December 24] is still the ETA,” says YWAM Ships Managing Director, Marty Emmett, “but it’s dependent on ship movements at the port when the ship arrives in the morning as to the exact arrival time.”

The MV YWAM Koha in dry dock in Fiji. Photo: Supplied.

The MV YWAM KOHA arrived in Suva, Fiji, after leaving Tauranga on its second voyage to Fiji on May 12, following months of preparation.

With the 2023 theme being ‘Go Again Better', the aim of the team was to accomplish even more than their last visit in 2022.

Urgent repairs had to be undertaken following discovery of an issue with the tail shaft. Photo: Supplied.

“As we look back at the year that was, we are filled with gratitude,” says Marty, on a recent Facebook update.

“We set out with the goal to “go again better” and we, through the partnership of 150+ volunteers and countless generous donors, have delivered.”

He says this last year they saw 1,213 in Fiji given health services, and 3,891 given dental, optometry, or general medical care.

“While we celebrate these numbers, we don’t do it for statistics, we do it for the individuals that we see, meet, and care for that get transformation.”

Tauranga supporters keen to watch the ship come in to port from the base of Mauao or from the Tauranga Harbour Bridge can keep an eye on the vessel’s Facebook page for updates on the arrival time.

The YWAM Koha will go to its usual berth at Vessel Works by the Tauranga harbour bridge, following which NZ Customs and MPI will visit the ship to clear it.

“Truly a Christmas miracle,” says Marty.

To support the work of the MV YWAM Koha by either volunteering or donating go to www.ywamshipsaotearoa.org.nz