Anastasis hospital ship crew reuniting

The Anastasis leaving Wellington in 1983

The early crew of a global missionary hospital ship will reunite in Tauranga this weekend.

It will be the first time many of the crew have seen one another since volunteering on the Anastasis in the 1970s and '80s.

The 1953-built Italian cruise liner was the first hospital ship for global mission organisation, Youth With A Mission (YWAM).

The 159m ship housed three operating rooms, a 40-bed hospital ward, a dental clinic, a laboratory and an x-ray unit, Mercy Ships' website says.

"Renamed the Anastasis, the ship sailed the high seas for 29 years, during which time an estimated 25,000 volunteer crew members served on board."

Tauranga man Jack Entwisle volunteered on the Anastasis for five years as the fire officer, between 1979 and 1985.

Eighteen months ago he had the idea to get the international crew from the ship's first 10 years back together and formed a reunion committee with his wife and four other Tauranga residents who had also been on the ship.

About 100 people had registered to attend this weekend's reunion at Bethlehem Baptist Church - some coming from Austria, England, France, Scandinavia, the US, Australia, as well as a few from New Zealand.

Mr Entwisle said it would be amazing to see everyone again, especially those who grew up on the boat, married on the boat and now had children they would be bringing over.

Children on the boat came from all over the world and attended the International Christian School on board.

During his five years on the boat it was renovated for three years in Greece and got the final touches for six months in California before returning to travel the length of New Zealand collecting supplies. Rebecca Savory