1983 - 2001
He sailed for 11 years as a Good Samaritan, serving in the Caribbean, Central and South America. During that decade, it transported cargo and personnel to the Pan American Games for the U.S. Olympic Committee. in 1991, and became the first ship to legally sail between the United States and Cuba in 30 years.
In 1994, she underwent extensive renovations, including the addition of onboard operating rooms, and was renamed Island Mercy and reassigned to the South Pacific, where she served until 2001.
The Island Mercy focused on ophthalmic and dental services, and carried cargo and a permanent crew of 60. Its shallow draft allowed it to access places where larger Ships of Hope could not reach. He was affectionately known as “Little Giant” by his crew.
