By Shane Granger
Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot
In December 2004, Shane Granger and his partner Meggi Macoun had just completed a passage from South Africa to Malaysia. Not long after making landfall and docking their historic vessel Vega, the Boxing Day tsunami changed their lives forever. In a matter of hours, unstoppable waves – many over ten meters high – demolished cities in Malaysia and as far away as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and East Africa, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. With thousands of people in remote tropical areas suddenly in dire need, Shane and Meggi loaded Vega with donated food and medical supplies and set sail for Sumatra to deliver aid.
If you’ll acknowledge, dear reader, that God chose Meggi & Shane for their mission of mercy, then surely He provided the ideal vessel. Built by one of Norway’s finest boat builders and launched in 1892, Vega was designed to sail fully laden with heavy cargo including bricks, limestone, pig iron and cement through some of the roughest waters in the world. She soon became famous for her ability to carry loads that other boats could not.
That first humanitarian voyage sparked a passion, and every year for two decades Meggi & Shane have embarked on a 7,500-mile journey, carrying tons of medical supplies, educational materials, tools and other supplies to island communities in Indonesia and East Timor. To date, Vega has sailed more than 100,000 miles to deliver everything from midwife kits and pulse oximeters to sports equipment and backpacks. A tale of love, compassion and dedication, Cargo of Hope is an exceptional read.
Shane Granger (1948-until his time runs out) has logged more than 250,000 nautical miles. He and Meggi live aboard Vega. ■
