A Huge "THANK YOU" to Our Partners LIFT, Scan Shipping and FIJI Airways!!

Thank you LIFT Non-Profit Logistics & Scan Shipping!

Even before Cyclone Winston had passed over Fiji, Michael Retting with "Lift Non-Profit Logistics" was working with Sea Mercy to bring desalination units, ShelterBox's, and food and clothing that was being staged in Port Denarau for Sea Mercy. He has continued to support Sea Mercy's disaster recovery efforts for Fiji and has become a great friend and partner. His efforts has saved Sea Mercy thousands of dollars in shipping costs, savings that instead goes into purchasing aid and equipment for the remote islanders. Michael also introduced us to Scan Shipping who has help organize and prepare our US based aid shipments to be sent across the South Pacific to where it is needed.

Our deepest appreciation to both organizations for their support and assistance.

Learn more about them here:
LIFT: www.gotlift.org
Scan Shipping: www.scan-shipping.com

Our Thanks also to FIJI AIRWAYS for their support of Sea Mercy by shipping our Desalination Unit and 400 pair of "Grow with Me" shoes for the school children on the remote islands of Fiji.

SPECTRA (Katadyn) - Supplied us with a specially designed (portable) LB2800 Desalination Watermaker for our Sea Bridge Program. This unit is easily transported by our Landing Craft (and land based transport vehicle) and generates 100+ gallons of water per hour for the remote island villages.

GROW WITH ME SHOES - Emily Osborne introduced Sea Mercy to these wonderful shoes and started her very own fundraising effort that raised enough funds for 400 pair. These durable shoes are actually adjustable and will allow a child to grow with them through 5 sizes vs. outgrowing them in less than a year.

Another great example of companies going above the call of duty to help others.

Tyrepower of Australia Commits $86,975 to Sea Mercy's Makogai School Rebuilding Project!

Click on picture for link to complete story from Tyrepower.

Tyrepower of Australia has committed $86,975 to Sea Mercy's recovery and rebuilding efforts on Makogai Island to rebuild the school there!

We are very grateful for the heart and support from the leadership and staff of Tyrepower and our efforts on Makogai. Their support of the Makogai School Project greatly expands Sea Mercy's ability to help bring those living on the remote islands back to the thriving and healthily communities they were before Cyclone Winston's devastation. 

For more information on the Makogai School Project, or how to support help with other Sea Mercy projects (financially or via donations), please visit the Makogai Island project page on our website.

Thank you Tyrepower!

Rosie Holidays Donates $31,000 to Sea Mercy!

The mark of an incredible company is tied directly to the heart of its leadership. 

The Whitton family of Rosie Holidays is the perfect example of the above. As the leading resort and tour business in Fiji, they were one of the first companies to respond with support and aid for Sea Mercy to take to the remote islands following Cyclone Winston. Not stopping there, they continued to fund raise in order to support the Sea Bridge Rebuilding phase on the remote islands. On May 20th, they presented a check to Nigel Skegg, President of Sea Mercy Fiji, for $31,078.38.

"Nigel, We are honored to be your partners and know the funds will be put to noble use. With Richard’s vision, your leadership and support especially at the Port, Sea Mercy has been able to achieve and deliver extraordinary services to the families of this country in the maritime islands.

Rosie Holidays, Ahura Resorts and all our partners are always here to support you and the Sea Mercy Fiji work."  Tony Whitton

Our deepest appreciation and love goes out to the Whitton family and all the staff and employees of Rosie Holidays for their ongoing belief, effort and support of our programs.

Interesting and Informative Blog Post by Marie Dufour on DOMINO

Marie Dufour on Domino is part of Sea Mercy's Disaster Recovery Fleet (DR2A) leaving soon from New Zealand bound for Vanua Balavu, Fiji. 

She has written an awesome post on her blog summarizing Cyclone Winston and Sea Mercy's recovery plans. She has also added a huge amount of information about communications, weather, cruising guides, charts, etc.

http://dominocatamaran.blogspot.co.nz/2016/05/new-zealand-to-fiji.html

There is also a link to her blog and to the blogs of other Disaster Recovery Fleet vessels on the right-side of this page so check them out to keep up on their progress.

Aid Delivered to Three Villages in Ra: Vendrala, Nassau and Nayavuira

<via Tom Ganley on Sea Mercy Fiji – Cyclone Winston FB page>

Sea Mercy is currently involved in a joint operation with Byond, an Australian non-profit disaster relief NGO. A few days ago, Byond members Lykke and Tali went out to the three villages in the Ra, accessible by water only; Vendrala, Nassau, and Nayavuira.

They did a survey and texted back the village's current needs. Doug, Carla, Kelli, Tracy and I gathered it up and delivered it yesterday. Special thanks to Doug and Kelli for driving back on a dark and stormy night.

Oddies Marine (New Zealand) Offers Discounts to Active Sea Mercy Volunteer Vessels

Juliet Abbott & Aaron Blackmore from Oddies Marine have offered to help out the Sea Mercy vessels and skippers with marine equipment supplies.  Fiji and its beautiful people are close to their hearts and they are visiting Fiji to volunteer on the Sea Bridge program in June/July 2016.  Oddies Marine will give a discount to those vessels and skippers actively assisting Sea Mercy in appreciation of the amazing work of the organization, helping the people of Fiji and the Pacific.

 Oddies Marine is located on Beach Road in the Waikawa Marina, Picton, in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds. The business was established in 1982, supplying chandlery, marine hardware, accessories and boat building products, for all sizes of dinghy’s, yachts, powerboats and launches.

Oddies Marine provides top, quality, experienced service in the marine industry. What we haven't got, we can get!

Please contact them on 0272 448604 or abbott.juliet@gmail.com if you need any marine supplies for your boat. They can freight anywhere in New Zealand or over to the Pacific if required.  Juliet & Aaron can also bring with required items with them to Fiji in June/July this year if it is not urgent.

Island Cruising Association Offering Tremendous Support of Sea Mercy's Recovery Fleet Efforts

Island Cruising Association continues to offer it's tremendous support to Sea Mercy's Disaster Recovery Fleet as they gather and organize in Opua, NZ. Many "Thanks" to John Martin and all the members of this organization!!

Their latest newsletter includes detailed Skipper's notes from Sea Mercy's Recovery Fleet Coordinator, Jonathan Robinson. There is a lot of excellent information here for all you who are planning on (or just thinking about) joining us in this monumental endeavor. Copies of that article are posted below or you can click on this link to download the entire ICA Newsletter for April.

Fiji is even more in need of help in light of the flooding and additional damage done by TC Zena yesterday. 

Sea Mercy & ShelterBox Working Together in Fiji

 It is so encouraging and refreshing to have one of our international aid Non-Government Organization (NGO) partners (ShelterBox) acknowledge Sea Mercy's role and support of their relief programs. Because there is such a battle over international attention and who gets the credit following natural disasters, it is rare for international NGO's to acknowledge the smaller "blue collar" NGO's like Sea Mercy who work tirelessly for them behind the scenes to deliver their aid to the remote islands.

In Tonga, following Cyclone Ian in 2014, and in Vanuatu following Cyclone Pam in 2015, our vessels spent months delivering the international NGO's land-locked aid sitting on the primary islands to the hundreds of remote islands, with rarely a mention in their reports or even a thank you.

"Thank you" ShelterBox for being different. Fortunately our Sea Mercy volunteers and vessels do not give of their time and risk their vessels for the fame, we do it for the people that we love in the South Pacific. However, it is always encouraging to hear from our partners that they appreciate our help.

All the best to you and your efforts around the world and we value your partnership.

See the full story by ShelterBox under the "Sea Mercy in Action" section of this blog.

Water Emergency - Solar Water Desalination Unit Preparation!

On most remote islands, over 90% of fresh drinking water comes from water catchment (rain flowing off the roof of homes, into gutters, and into water storage tanks). With the majority of the homes and roofs damaged or destroyed, islanders are currently forced to drink potentially contaminated drinking water from runoff ponds or pools. With the dry season quickly approaching (April through October) and without adequate water catchment and storage capacity, the risk of dehydration and waterborne illnesses on these remote islands will be very high.

To address that growing concern, Sea Mercy has currently secured and retrofitting 7 desalination units to run on Solar power. We will deliver them and additional storage tanks to the most at risk remote island communities at the earliest opportunity. Each unit can produce over 1,000 liters of clean drinking water a day, giving us the additional time needed to rebuild the water catchment capacity of each village.

Our thanks to Jess & Sam at Kaleva Yachts and their supporters for helping us meet this incredible need. We already have one unit heading out to Batiki on Shine and these units are going to make a massive difference.

LuminAid Solar Light Test by Susan Skeggs

Amazing solar blow-up lights we test ran tonight. One hour in the sun, gave us light for bedtime stories and still going 3 hours later when we're going to bed. Sea Mercy has distributed at least 200 to remote Fiji islands and villages in the last 2 weeks! So proud to be part of such an amazing team that is making such a difference.

  

Note: The Sea Mercy website has more information on how you can help distribute more of these handy lights in Fiji through their Give Light - Get Light campaign.

Sea Mercy and Shelter Box Working Together After Cyclone Winston

ShelterBox supplies arriving on a C130 from Auckland to Fiji. The ShelterBox supplies and team members were quickly transferred to a Sea Mercy vessel to be delivered to the devastated remote islands in Fiji. This is a great partnership and we are looking forward to our organizations having an even greater impact in weeks/months to come.

First Pictures Out Of Makogai by Susan Skeggs

First pics out of Makogai. The lack of vegetation will be a huge problem - yeah for the Shelter Boxes! Just need to sort out a water solution and get some seeds so they can start their gardens growing again.

Find out more about these amazing Shelter Boxes:

http://www.shelterboxaustralia.com.au/about.php?page=9

SEA MERCY UPDATE: Thursday, 25th Feb 2016 from Susan Skeggs, Sea Mercy Fiji

The villagers of Makogai are so grateful to have the live aboard dive vessel “The Nai’a” as part of our Sea Mercy fleet. The Nai’a has been the first outside help to reach the island. The Nai’a arrived midday today to find pretty much all the houses were destroyed and 37 adults and 37 children (10 of which are babies) have been with limited shelter, water and food since Saturday night. I can only imagine the relief that they must have felt when those people realized that help was actually coming for them and they had not been forgotten.

All the village’s concrete water tanks were cracked and broken so water has been in desperate demand. Today the Nai’a crew found an unbroken plastic water tank that Winston had relocated to some bushes, and all the Nai’a guests, (yes they have guests on board who are pitching in!) crew and all the villagers became a bucket brigade to fill this tank from water transported off the Nai’a by skiffs. We are only in satellite phone communication so photos will follow once first boat returns.

Another vessel “Shine” departed Denarau at 6am this morning equipped with food and building supplies and a nurse and x4 Shelterboxes (check out these amazing disaster kits which are in Fiji in conjunction with International Rotary www.shelterbox.org)

Hopefully our other vessel “Skabanger” will arrive midday tomorrow. We also have “Outsider” ready to depart early morning with more supplies to where needed.

Concurrently, Sea Mercy is also teaming with Rotary and Red Cross to service two remote villages in the Ra District tomorrow. Again these villages have had no outside assistance since Saturday night and are only accessible by boat.

Sea Mercy are also wanting to supply a vessel to the Lau Group and Tavenui early next week, so we are still seeking further donations in kind or cash.

Vinaka vaka levu once again for all those who have not only supported Sea Mercy but all the other worthy causes making a difference and helping rebuild our beautiful country.