Thalassa – Mission of Mercy

Thalassa (Greek: Θάλασσα, “sea”). In Greek mythology, Thalassa was the primaeval spirit of the sea, daughter of Aether and Hemera. With her male companion Pontus, she spawned all the fishes of the sea. The Greek story-teller Aesop wrote fables about her.

Thalassa 1 was originally built in 1982 by Mick Drake in Triabunna, Tasmania. It first worked as a cray boat out of Strahan on the West Coast. Andrew Strachan restored and relaunched the boat in 2012 with a sacred dedication to Thalassa and a blessing to her crew by Father Rod Bower. The restoration work was carried out under the direction of Graeme Freeman (Frizzle) and shipwrights Johnny Castle and Rick McDonald. A superbly built vessel, with all Tasmania timbers and the excellent workmanship of the shipwrights, Thalassa is well able to roam the South Pacific.

After the March 2015 cyclone in Vanuatu, Thalassa and her crew sailed to the outer islands to distribute food,  half a tonne of clothing purchased from the Triabunna Uniting Church Opportunity Shop and football shirts donated by The Entrance Tigers Football Club.

Thalassa and her crew make journeys each year to different hardship locations throughout the Pacific.

Thalassa sailed to Vanuatu in the aftermath of the severe cyclone that devastated the outer islands and affected the people who live there. The boat arrived arrived with clothing and other items including bags of rice, some of which were donated or purchased from the Uniting Church in Triabunna. The islanders were thankful and happy to receive these much-needed gifts to assist them with continuing on with their lives. This young islander who suffers from cerebral palsy and can barely walk, was carried to a canoe which transported him out to meet Thalassa. The photograph below is with Thalassa’s Skipper, Andrew Strachan, who gave the young man a football jumper. His huge smile shows his gratitude, appreciation and excitement in receiving this gift.

Photos and story courtesy of Andrew Strachan.