KOCHI: Captaining a floating bookshop might have been an easier task for him than commanding a vessel. "It's been a real blessing to be involved with Logos Hope. We have friends from 50-60 countries and it's really wonderful. Everyone here has volunteered for the project. We may not have a heavy paycheck but it's great to be part of it," quipped Capt Pat Tracy, Master of MV Logos Hope, the world's largest floating touring book fair. Speaking to Express onboard MV Logos Hope, Pat Tracy who joined the vessel when it called at Colombo just a month ago, shared his experiences of life onboard. "We have a lot of facilities onboard. We are running a school for kids from kindergarten to Class VIII," he said.The crew members of Logos Hope are from nearly 45 different countries across the globe. It's their common love and passion for books that brought them together. So how's life onboard for the crew members? Do they miss their families? "Most of them come for a two-year tenure. Earlier, the modes of communication were limited. But now with the internet and telephone, it's so much better than it used to be. They are no longer isolated from the rest of the world," says Pat. A good number of crew members join the vessel after finishing their high school. "Before enrolling at the university they spent a couple of years onboard. The crew members get trained to adapt to different situations and learn various life skills." Being a touring book fair, they keep updating the books for sale and display. "We have tie-ups with publishers across the globe including one publishing house in Hyderabad. For publishers, it’s an opportunity to showcase their books to the world market.” “And some of them see it as a chance to get involved in charity work. Contract with each publishers differs accordingly. We have individual contract with each of them," Pat said. Logos Hope called at Kochi on Wednesday and will be here till June 21. The book fair will be open to the public till June 13. "It's been a long journey through the Mediterranean, the Middle East and so on. By Christmas hopefully we'll reach Singapore," Pat said. Logos Hope operates on a non-profit basis with crew volunteering for the job onboard. "It's a non-profit initiative. We help people in various situations across the globe. People contribute back, too. In 2004, a group of fishermen from Holland contributed 5,000 tonnes of fuel. It goes on like that."
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