At his home library in Diani, Kwale County, mechanical engineer Ricky Dhumbi enjoys a hot cup of coffee while reading a book.
He holds a special fondness for a World Atlas and a chemistry book because they bring back memories of the MV Doulos, the last floating library to dock at the Port of Mombasa in 2005. But after almost two decades, a similar encounter with the world of literature is returning to Mombasa. This time, it arrives in the form of the MV Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, famously known as ‘The floating library’ and comprises a total of over 5,000 different book titles. The majestic sailboat will arrive on Wednesday at the Mbaraki Wharf.
The MV Logos Hope is sailing under the Malta flag and has a length overall of 132.5 meters, a width of 20.8 meters, a draft of 5.2 meters, and a carrying capacity of 12,519 Gross Tons. The ship is home to 350 passengers from 65 different countries. There is a wide range of genres available for purchase on the MV Logos Hope, including science, sports, hobbies, language, faith, cookery arts, and medicine. Members of the public can tour the ship for 45 days and explore other amenities such as the international café, visitors deck, and welcome area.
The leader of the Advance Preparation Team, Constanza Figueroa, explains that the MV Logos Hope will hold various on-board events, including children’s plays, performances by the crew, and an arts and culture fair. The ship started its journey in Abudhabi and has sailed to Oman, Seychelles, and is now finally in Mombasa. The MV Logos Hope will be added to the list of academic vessels that have made their inaugural stop in Kenya, following MV World Odyssey, a state-of-the-art floating university which docked at the Port of Mombasa in November of last year.
