Divers Discussion Forum
You can reply to the message below by clicking the reply to this message link. If you have a question or have seen something interesting please please send us a new message. Wade or some of our viewers will reply to your questions.
[ Home | Contents | Search | Post a new message | Reply to this message | Next Message | Previous Message ]
From: Chris Bone
_: 5
Date: 29-01-10
Time: 07:56
UPDATE: A message from Haiti
In March 2009 OceansWatch Director Donna Lange visited Haiti to scout, make contacts and set up plans for how OceansWatch members could lend a hand. Even then the need was great. Now it is even more so. One person she met is Jean Phelix Joseph on Ile a Vache, where he operates an orphanage.
Here is an email we received from Jean Phelix recently:
"Haiti is making face of a very difficult moment. Port au Prince the Capital is devastated and buildings of all kinds are collapsed by the earthquake of Jan 12, 2010. Other towns are devastated too. The earth passed at ile a vache too .... There were a lot of people at ile a vache who were living at Port au Prince. Many of them went there to get jobs, others for school and so on. Among those people some are dead, wound, broken legs, broken hands. Many others of them return home empty hands. They did not possess anything there.
Those people are in needs of everything, and we have an island very poor in terms of work, social security and etc. Help for those people are very urgent. This work that you are doing is very great. I think that you need many good people by your sides to help you going on this great work that can bring a lot of relief for ile a vache. So, face to a lot of people who come down on the island, it is possible for the island to deal with more problems ahead. Always encourage people sailing by boat to come at ile a Vache with things for the people on the island. Things like medicine, food, fishing materials, school supplies, enriched milk for sister Flora orphanage. We hope that all your efforts are going through for the benefit of ile a Vache and the people living in it.
May God bless you, Jean Phelix Joseph"
Just today at OceansWatch we received an email from Karaka; a 52' Ketch in Jamaica loading provisions for Ile a Vache; that informed us of a safe passage landing site for sailboats to deliver the much needed aid.
The fleet has grown to more than 15 boats coming from all over Florida and the Caribbean to respond and help deliver aid to small islands and coastal villages in Haiti best reached by small boat.
Today Schooner "Wolf" Captain Finbar Gittleman reports: "We had a GREAT meeting with the CO of USCG Sector Key West and crew of the Mohawk (just returned from Haiti) and all is well. When we explained our plans in detail, and potential target locations and their respective on the ground contacts with fully functioning distribution networks...and the safety nets we are setting up...and the international support your organization is generating...they got it and are now as supportive as we had hoped originally."
So all systems are go for launch. Please donate whatever you can so that the fleet of "Sail Aid for Haiti" boats; a joint effort of many sailors on many vessels coordinated jointly by OceansWatch and the Conch Republic Navy; can deliver as much aid as possible. Please visit the OW website Donate page and send this link to everyone you know to help fill those boats: http://oceanswatch.org/north-america/pages/donate
Schooner Wolf will lead the first wave departing Feb 9th
OceansWatch member vessel s/v Tranquility will lead a later flotilla departing after the Miami boat show.
LINKS Article published in Yachtpals.com on Sunday:
http://yachtpals.com/sailing-haiti-9011
Visit our blog:
http://blogs.oceanswatch.org/north-america/?p=157
See us on Facebook: OceansWatch
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/group.php?gid=16144950190&ref=ts
Join OceansWatch:
http://oceanswatch.org/north-america/forms/join-oceanswatch
Correction: Please note, while some of the boats joining the fleet of Sail Aid to Haiti are members of the Seven Seas Cruising Association, the SSCA is not a sponsor or organizer of this event.
Last changed: 29-Jan-2010