Haiti- Sailing boats join the rescue - and you can help too!

by Sail-World Cruising on 23 Jan 2010 Two well-known organisations of cruising sailors are joining to help the aid work in Haiti.

OceansWatch, an organisation of sailors who are already geared to deliver marine conservation and humanitarian aid to islands and coastal communities in developing countries, and the Seven Seas Cruising Association, oldest and largest worldwide organization supporting the liveaboard cruising lifestyle, are joining together in the effort.

They will bring their considerable resources to helping to coordinate a fleet of sailing vessels to take food, medical aid, relief supplies and support to Haiti. Together they are coordinating members, boats, donations, materials, supplies and crew, preparing to deliver aid and lend a hand - and there are no overheads to bleed away donations.

As of today there are five boats in and around the Florida Keys and Virgin Islands preparing to depart +/- February 8 bound for Haiti. They will take as many supplies and materials as they can carry and that helpers can get to them before they depart.

For example, the 74’ Schooner http://www.schoonerwolf.com!Wolf , an experienced veteran at providing aid relief based in Key West, can carry 20 tons of cargo and is bound for Haiti on February 8th along with other vessels in a flotilla carrying a full cargo of aid supplies and volunteers.

OceansWatch member vessel http://www.worldcruisingguide.net/index.php?area_id=3608!Tranquility , a 56’ Bruce Roberts design with a well found sailing workshop, is collecting food, supplies and donations to purchase more to deliver to Haiti in the next few weeks, and is also departing around February 8.

In Jamaica, the 52’ Ketch http://karaka.site.voila.fr!Karaka (see photo below) is organizing a flotilla of aid vessels. They were in Ile de Vache, Haiti when the earthquake stuck and retreated to Jamaica for safety due to the hoards of refugees, and also so that they could stock up on supplies for an organized return voyage with other boats.

Please help and donate in any amount or way you are able. 100% of all donations to OceansWatch for Haiti relief will be used directly for purchasing supplies to be delivered and donated in Haiti. OceansWatch has no overhead, salaries, marketing or administrative expenses, so 100% of donations will go directly to aid with none used up in administrative costs or any other non-aid expense.

OceansWatch is a 501(c)3 not profit (pending approval) so all donations are tax deductible. Please donate whatever you are able by going to the Donate Now page on their www.oceanswatch.org!website and use the Paypal link to donate from your Paypal account or by credit card.

Cash and check donations can be mailed to Haiti Relief, OceansWatch North America, P. O. Box 616, Norwalk, CT 06856 USA. Please make any checks payable to OceansWatch and put Haiti Relief on the Expense/For line.

If you are located in a geographically-practical part of the world and have supplies of goods, food, shelter, medicines, tools, tarps, water containers, shipping containers, any items needed, that you would like to send to OceansWatch for us to get to Haiti, email us and we will send you the delivery address so we can get them to one of the boats heading that way.

If you have a boat in Florida or the Caribbean or would like to join the crew on one of the boats, please email usa-info@oceanswatch.org with your experience and skills offer and availability and we will try to hook you up to join the fleet or with a berth on one of the boats heading to Haiti.