Sea Mercy Recovery Fleet Update #3

Disaster Recovery Fleet 1 is already working in Fiji. We have four vessels on their way with aid to the Lomaiviti Group and one vessel heading to Vanua Balavu. Weather permitting, today we will be sending two additional vessels out for aid delivery and assessment to the Lomaiviti and Lau island groups.

     I.          Disaster Recovery Fleet 1: (Fiji)

a.   BREEZE with Per, Sabina, Ella and Dr. Jan-Ake aboard sailed for the Ra District then on to the Lomaiviti.

b.   APROPOS(Jim) sailed with BREEZE and is now with OUTSIDER(Ian and Wendy) in Makogai.

c.   SHINE(Patrick and Geoff) plan to depart Port Denarau on April 23 for Lomaiviti then on to Levuka Ovalua. They will go to Batiki, Moturiki and Nairai checking the water makers previously installed.

d.  Check out the blog post on OUTSIDER's water maker installation in Taveuni.

Disaster Recovery Fleet 2 is mustering in Opua, NZ on April 25^th with plans to sail to Fiji at the first weather window. Disaster Recovery Fleets 3-5 consist of additional local yachts and several large yachts in NZ, Tahiti and Australia. They are preparing to join our operations in Fiji at their earliest opportunity.

  II.          Disaster Recovery Fleet 2:

a.     Fleet 2A

                                     i. Our Vanua Balavu clearance has been approved by the Fijian Government who have agreed to meet the general costs. The vessel clearance fee remains the skipper's responsibility.

                                    ii. Northland Spars and Rigging have offered us warehouse space for staging 
supplies prior to embarkation-Thank you Terry.

b.      Fleet 2B  Please welcome new additions:

                                      i.     Tim, Jude and family on board HONEY

                                     ii.     Bruce and Di on TOUCAN

                                    iii.     Max, Elizabeth and family on FLUENTA

                                    iv.     Catherine and Peter on THE SOUTHERN CROSS

III.          Disaster Recovery Fleet 4

a.     Danny on ROCKSTAR will be joined by

b.     David on ANAHATA who has just departed Majuro and

c.      Oscar on ZEN II who is awaiting generator spares in Port Denarau.

Finally, a big “THANK YOU” to Marie and JP from DOMINO who have been collating information on our target islands. We are particularly short on information for Kanacea and Nayau if anyone can assist.

For additional information on our Recovery Fleet plans, please read Sail World’s article concerning our fleet.

Report From Jim Schutt (S/V Apropos) On Visit to Na Sau Village on Makogai

Sea Mercy yacht, Apropos, conducted an assessment of Makogai Island on April 14-17 of 2016.  The aim of the visit was to deliver supplies to Na Sau village on the island as requested by Sea Mercy.  

                    

Key Findings/Observations:

We visited the Fisheries side and the men took us to Na Sau in their longboat to deliver the supplies.  We didn’t have a lot of spare petrol so they gladly accepted waka! One man at the Fisheries side has Dengue Fever and I gave him a dozen Tylenol. 

At Na Sau, we delivered a couple hundred pounds of supplies—mainly canned food, clothing, shoes, children toys, and water bottles.  An elder showed us around the village.  Their water-maker is working well and he ran it while we were there. 

I asked what they needed most:  a chainsaw, rebuilding the school, and more kids clothing. 

The seeds we brought earlier are sprouting now.  We also gave then 8 LuminAid solar lights I bought in the US which they appreciated.  They were very grateful of Sea Mercy.

Watermaker previously installed by Sea Mercy is still
working well and providing fresh water to the village.

What is left of the school.

 

Seeds we brought earlier are sprouting.

"We spent a few days on Makogai and delivered supplies to Na Sau village - it was an awesome experience!" Jim S/V Apropos

Cruising Kids Sell Cookies to Raise Money for Fiji Relief

Don't you just love the way cruising expands the minds of children and opens their hearts to the people of the places they have visited!!

Elizabeth Silverstein (Field Trip), Gigi Mitchell (Nirvana), Ella Richards (Varekai)
sell cookies in Whangarei town basin to raise money for Fiji Relief.Photo courtesy of Julie Mitchell.

  Gigi Mitchell(Nirvana) and her friends, Elizabeth(Field Trip) and Ella (Varekai), made and sold cookies in the Whangarei town basin. They did it for two days and raised $255 NZ. Gigi did all the baking and her friends helped with the sales. I understand they also had help from the brothers, Axel (Nirvana) and Michael (Field Trip). J

Gigi’s mom, Julie Mitchell, told us “Last year we went to Fiji and Vanuatu. We spent a long time in the Lau Group and she really was concerned for the people there. We saw in Vanuatu how cyclone Pam had really effected the people, so she decided to do something to help.”

Julie contacted us about donating the money they had raised and we directed her toward the Rotary Global Grant Fund link on the Sea Mercy website. This program will allow us to turn every $1 of donations into $4 for our Fiji relief efforts with the help of the Rotary. We just need to reach a minimum donation level of $7,500 by June 1st to receive a grant of $30,000. Please consider donating to help us reach our goal if you have not already done so. 

Thank you Gigi, Elizabeth, Ella, Axel and Michael for your efforts in helping the people of Fiji!!