Haiti

Shouts of 'Land Ahoy' after our 12 hour sail from Great Inagua heralded a totally different landscape to the flat sandy islands we have become accustomed to in the Bahamas. Mountains green with lush vegetation were silhouetted above the horizon! Haiti!!

This was the destination with the disaster relief supplies we had onboard. Haiti was decimated by the last two Hurricanes and abject poverty, a result of past governing parties ineptitude and political instability did not help the people already struggling an everyday existence. Haiti is the poorest of all Caribbean countries. Brought over on slave ships from West Africa mainly Togo and Benin the Haitians have a very distinct West African appearance. Eighty percent of Haitians are of West African descent the rest being mulattoes. The women are beautiful, unlike the sun darkened skin of the hard working men, the women are more milky coffee colored with finer features. Most of the islanders speak Creole. Most of the people living out of the cities rent and farm small plots of land to be able to feed themselves. Sadly due to the instability crime in the cities is rife and demotes what could be a bucket list sailing Mecca to only a few small ports safe to venture into.

 

Thiago draws that children!

The people are polite, gentle, laughing and smiling as they row their dugout canoes to the boat begging for work of any kind. It is somewhat overwhelming as, one after another, they beg for your attention to describe what they offer. It is mind boggling to say the least and I found it dreadfully depressing to not be able to offer each and every one of them some sort of labor to earn some income. The average Haitian earns about US$400 a year. That's US$1.10 a day or US33.34 a month! So their quotes prices of US$15 or US$20 for a day's work to polish the hulls or the stainless steel or to do a large load of laundry is cheap for cruisers but changes the dynamics of an entire family!

 

The Pastor , teacher and fisherman beg for supplies 

Our first stop at Cap du Mole was a gentle introduction to what was to come. We were only approached by the local pastor with the local teacher and a fisherman providing transport begging for school supplies for the children.  Sadly we had none to give and they soon moved on. Our next visitor horrified me by offering us Lobster and when we declined he scratched under the seat in his boat and dragged out a pure white blue eyed bedraggled salt water saturated young cat, probably a few months old. She looked into my eyes mewing pitifully as he held her up. Tied by the neck with a string she was attached to the wet boat. I wasn't sure if he was offering her as dinner instead of the lobster we refused or as a pet. I shudder to admit it was probably the former. With the risk of Lulu catching some feline virus I just could not take her aboard. I radioed and begged all the other boats in the anchorage to save her with no luck. The sad blue eyes and pleading mewing will haunt me forever!

This fisherman offerer Lobster or Cat!

We left early the next morning 0400 towards Ile a Vache, this was a passage to end all passages! This stretch of sea between Cuba and Haiti is known as the Windward Passage and the entry to the Caribbean. Approaching along the North shore to Western tip of Haiti we had the worst seas we have ever had on any voyage. We had 25 knots of wind gusting 30 from behind with following seas with a very steep swell of about three meters and a 2 to 3 second period. Traveling faster than we were the waves were running up the sugar scoop and breaking into the cockpit. For the first time since we set sail from Cape Town the cockpit was awash with breaking waves. At one time the water was right to the level of the tabletop. It was also the first time in our history of sailing together Andre did not allowed to take my watch but did it for me! Must be love!

Here in Ile a Vache we ran the gauntlet of local's begging for work and where we offloaded our cargo to the IRG boat Tandameer.

Workers I didn't have bread so they
got Chocolate chip muffins for lunch 

Ens watching the workers drooling, yep he got muffins too.

Day one was spent supervising the workers we had hired to clean and polish the boat. The next day we set off for the weekly local market at Madam Bernard, four miles east of our anchorage. It may have been only four miles but we were transported into third world Africa at its best! Dusty streets with stagnant pools of water to negotiate, assuming from the last rains. Shouts of the traders offering their wares, mangy dogs seeking scraps very surprisingly hardly any flies.

En route to Madam Bernard

In Madam Bernard we were able to visit the orphanage, Johanna, who is also on a yacht in the same anchorage as us has become involved in trying to secure donations for the children and she offered to show us around. About 60% of the children are mentally and or physically disabled. There seems to be a large percentage of Cerebral Palsy or birth injury children lying wet and dirty, drooling on themselves. On little boy throwing Grand Mal (epileptic seizures) lasting about 60 seconds every 30 seconds. Our requests for medication for him didn't help; they just don't have any! At least we got him removed from his wheelchair where he had slid down and had his chin pressing on his chest

The Orphanage

unable to breathe properly and laid on the floor where he could continue to fit 'more comfortably'. Their carer is an uneducated man with no medical background. The staff volunteers also with no medical knowledge! What chance to these children have? Ostracized by the community and no support form government their only hope is donations. They need wedges to support them, wheelchairs for the spastic ridged children hanging precariously over the arm of their inefficient chairs rubbing pressure sores on exposed skin. Nappies (diapers) medicine, school supplies for those not disabled, Physiotherapy for those that are. The list could go on forever! How can we help them?

Johanna also introduced me to Ryan and asked if I could see what was wrong with him. He is a year old but the size of a tiny six month old and the muscle tone and the mile stones of an even younger child with recurring fevers and infections. He had been to the hospital and Johanna was told they didn't know what was wrong with him but she managed to get him into physiotherapy to improve his muscle strength! I wasn't sure what to expect but a thorough examination showed him to be a

Ryan and his Mummy

textbook case of Marasmus. This is a malnutrition disease of the very young. The poor mum, who is a little slow herself, was obviously long out of breast milk and valiantly trying to keep feeding her poor, tiny, sickly crying baby who was born two months early to begin with! His reddish hair, thin bowed legs and arms with no muscle strength at all, his distended round tummy, his disinterest and apathy in the world around him, dull eyes are all signed of extreme malnutrition. I wanted to take him home! Instead Johanna will now help the mum to plan a diet rich in protein and carbohydrates that will hopefully get him on the road to health!

You can't visit Haiti without leaving a little of your heart there for the people trying so hard to overcome political, financial, environmental and social adversity!

Market Place

How can you help? This is what they need, if you can get donations IRG will get it to them!

School supplies, books, pens, pencils, paper etc

Diapers for very young and older children

Medications

Wheelchairs

Beds

Medical wedges for supporting their bodies to lie on their sides or sit up

Clothes from babies to teenagers

Toiletries

Baby milk and porridge for supplementary feeds

Bottles

Disposable suction for those drowning in their own secretions

Toys, balls, games

Contact us or IRG (www.internationalrescuegroup.org) to receive donations for the children of Haiti.

 

Matthew Town, Great Inagua Island

The country and town you visit may be picture perfect but your travels are made by the people you meet. This is certainly the case in Matthew Town!

We lifted anchor from Hogsty Reef at 0400 hours and by the time we reached the anchorage in Matthew Town it was 12:28 PM. We hurriedly checked the anchor had a  good grip and dropped the dinghy, motoring over to the Harbour. Two Haitian barges took up the South Western corner and the bow of a sunken boat stuck up in the Eastern Corner with a small fishing boat was tied to the wall just behind it. The wall was 6 to 8 feet high, not possible to disembark from the dinghy easily.

A smartly dressed local waved us over and suggested we tie onto the fishing boat and climb over it to the lower rock bank at its bow. He assured us it was his friends boat and there would be no problem. That's how we met Kevin! He informed us the supermarket closed in 20 minutes and he would be happy to drive us there. We, of course, realized this was his business, or as he informs the authorities who challenge him about being a taxi, a charity service to visiting Yachties. Whatever it was we were happy to take him up on it.

Thank goodness for Kevin; as we soon realized without him we would have got nothing done at all, being weekend and the town was virtually shut down.  He loaded our diesel cans into his boot (trunk for American readers) and off we went about 3 mins drive to the supermarket. We managed to stock up on a few items but they were short of nice fresh veggies. No problem he assured us he knew of another little store who would have. There we met the sweetest lady, Jocie, who informed us proudly her tomatoes and veggies were home grown on the island.

You realize this is a feat when you know a little history of the Island. It developed around the Morton Salt factory, in fact as you spot land you may be fooled into thinking the high white dunes are sand, they are however salt. The factory is still working and employs most of the islanders. We were informed with the high salt content everywhere growing vegetables and other plants is not easy!

Once we had stocked up at the soon closing Supermarket, it was time to check out of Bahamas. Kevin assured us he would be able to find an officer to do the job despite it being weekend. Driving over to their offices he knocked and banged on the door with no response. A number of phone calls also generated no response. We knew Dominican Republic insisted on us having check out papers from the previous port and our hearts sank. Kevin was not perturbed at all. We stood chatting in the sun until just after the lunch hour and then he banged again. Lo and behold the door opened to a very smart efficient looking officer. No one would have guessed he was probably having a siesta and we had disturbed him. We expected a little attitude for bothering him on the weekend and during lunch but we were wrong. What a nice professional, efficient man. Officer Penn, we salute you , thank you.

Ramona

We figured we had probably exhausted the island of great people but boy were we wrong. The next introduction was to Ramona She manages the service station for her dad, who is, according to Kevin, as old as the hills, he has been around forever. He guesses him in his 90's. 

She managed to fill some diesel cans but then the pump stopped working. No problem her dad, Uncle Leon appeared wobbling and holding onto a staff. He plonked himself down behind the old gas pump and proceeded to prime it. After some time he was not having any luck and Andre suggested we go down to the Harbour and use his pump there. Leon had a good Laugh at himself for not thinking of it earlier.

Uncle Leon fixing the pump

It was there I got to chat to him. What an intelligent, interesting, well travelled man. He has seen most of Europe, been in London numerous times, travelled to Cuba, Puerto Rico and many others including South Africa where he went on a game viewing safari. He has a super strong personality and his tales of the ineptitude of the Bahamian medical service had me giggling. That was one of the reasons he visits Cuba every six months, for good, cheap medical care. He had so many interesting stories to tell but unfortunately we had to go as by this time it was almost four o'clock and we still had to unpack groceries, and put the diesel in the boat.

We also discovered Ramona's husband is missing at sea. He and two friends were heading for Jamaica (his home town) they sailed out of Matthew town and have not been heard from again! Their boat 'Fatal Attraction' has not been found or heard from. As you can imagine it is not easy for her and their children. Not knowing must be the worst!

There is something special about the Matthew Town people. Our chat with Kevin, while waiting for the Customs official was very interesting, he is an intelligent, dynamic entrepreneur.  We wish him well in his business and any future endeavours.

 

Hogsty Reef

Hogsty Reef over 30 nautical miles from land in any direction can only be visited in perfect weather, an atoll rising up out of the depths forming a horseshoe shaped reef. Just five nautical miles east to west and three north to south. It has earned its reputation as a passage stopper, there are apparently more than 200 wrecks on the reef.

Two of these wrecks bare their rusted bones above the water line. The Liberty and The Lady Eagle lie in about 3 meters of water. The incoming waves continue to pound and smash onto them creating whirlpools as the water rushes in and out of the submerged hull. The bow lies midship facing onto the reef and is full of Blue Tang and a big school of Mutton Snappers. Lobster hide beneath scattered pieces and colorful reef fish swim in and out. Large Nurse shark lie lazily on the bottom and huge Barracuda lurk menacingly keeping an eye on you for a potential food source.

Lady Eagle

The remoteness saved the life of a fish or two and took fresh shot fish off the menu. Taking a chance shooting one with huge Barracuda and Shark nearby was not worth the risk. The odd lobster was not that lucky and we had to have lobster for dinner, breakfast and lunch.

The Liberty

The once proud Lady Eagle is more intact and we didn't dive on her.

At each end of the horseshoe is a flat sandy spit about a meter high and 100 meters long. Littered with shells I found three of my favorite cowrie shells. Treasure indeed.

Early the next morning we lifted anchor and headed for Matthew Town.

International Rescue Group Reserve

Two years ago Andre flew to France to see a boat we were interested in called Rendezvous Cay, to cut a long story short we decided against buying it and were doubtful it would ever leave France!

Can you imagine our surprise as we sailed into Meeks Patch, Eleuthera to see that very boat tied up alongside a 97 foot steel yacht called Thunderbird 5!  We had to find out how it got there and what it was doing there. Approaching the boat we met Captain Ray Thackeray of Thunderbird 5. He informed us the previous owner had donated it to his organization called International Rescue Group after we had decided not to buy her! What a small world.

Some four weeks later as we crossed the channel back from George Town to Rat Catcher and who should we see anchored off of Chat and Chill beach but Thunderbird 5. Stopping to say hi Ray informed us Rendezvous Cay had sailed down from Eleuthera to Haiti to deliver relief supplies and had then headed back to USA for repair and overhaul to be chartered as one of the IRG boat to generate income for the organization.

Good Run left

Capt Ray Thackeray

As Capt. Ray had sailed the route we were considering taking South, Andre and John from JODA made a plan to visit and pick his brains.  In doing so we discovered Ray is the founder of International Rescue Group (IRG) run solely on donations. Thunderbird 5 was packed with supplies destined for Haiti who is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Matthew. The organization owns 5 boats one of which is currently based in Haiti and would be receiving the donations to put to use. They are digging wells, putting roofs back on houses distributing medical supplies and other goods. In addition to the boats they own IRG has a growing group of Auxiliary or Reserve boats. Invited to dinner of an amazing triage of curries and awesome company we met the Captain and crew of Good Run, one of the reserve boats. 

Thiago

Tiago a Brazilian, who looks like the traditional pictures of Jesus and has a demeanor to match, is the proud owner and his friends Zack from USA and Emma from New Zealand are crew. They were rafted up alongside Thunderbird being filled with supplies for Haiti. Their home page is Good Run Sailing for Hope.

Dinner Guests

The dinner

Tiago had actually already had a fund raiser in USA and with the proceeds bought as many school supplies and other goods as he could to take to Haiti. Their travels brought them in contact with Capt. Ray the rest is history.

It didn't take long for Ray to convince both us to load supplies for our destination being Ilha de Vache onto Rat Catcher and Joda. That is how we became members of IRG Reserve.

The morning following dinner prior to setting sail South we ratted up against Thunderbird 5 and loaded a generator, a water maker, an 20 donated yacht sails, a folding bicycle, garden tools, various items including boat spares donated for the boat based in Haiti.

The generator will be used to drive the water maker which produces 2000 liters a day. Post disaster water requirements for maintaining life are calculated at 2 liters per person per day. This means this water maker will supply a village of 1000 people with fresh water daily.

The sails are for the traditional boats used by the Haitian fishermen. This their only means of propulsion, no motors no fuel even if there was they couldn't afford it. So sailors worldwide are asked to donate their used sails to "IRG" or "Sails for Sustenance". To be distributed.

The folding bike is for the local IRG go to man for his transport.

A huge container of roof nails. Garden tools including spades for the digging of the wells.

Joda was loaded with similar items.

Ray, Emma, Zack and Thiago
L-R

IRG's aims have boats around the world assisting with or responding to disaster. 

Being solely run on donations every dollar helps and if you can't assist with dollars how about spending some time aboard one of the boats at $20 a day which covers board and meals. 

Alternately run a fund raiser or  organize donations. 

Join IRG reserve and get involved, no costs to join.