On Saturday we loaded cargo bound for Haiti onto “Wild Iris”, a Valiant 40′.

Thousands of pounds or beans, rice, flour, sugar, yeast, grits, spaghetti, tomato sauce, powdered milk, canned food, soap, toothbrushes, reading glasses and much much more. Our most heartfelt thanks to all of the cruisers in George Town who donated food, supplies, cash and to the 15 or more people who showed up to help us load all for supplies.

Jim passes Bill the first box.

Loading Wild Iris

Also thanks to the Exuma Market for selling us food at their wholesale cost. Wild Iris plans to depart Sunday heading for Haiti, it ma be a week or more until able to update the blog, but will do so with pictures of the trip and and photos from Haiti.

Thanks to all the volunteers, many hands made it fast & easy.

Tuesday February 23

Today we begin preparing OW member vessel “Wild Iris” to sail for Haiti this coming Sunday.  At 11 am we held another OceansWatch informational meeting at Volleyball Beach where we meet with Exuma resident and Marine Ecologist Catherine Booker and talked about the harbor sanitation project and other water quality and marine resource issues.

Sequoia ordered 40 bags of 50 # each of rice, beans, flour, and grits along with some sugar and cooking oil from the Exuma Market. We will also buy as much milk powder as we have money to buy. The Exuma Market is selling food to us at wholesale cost to take to Haiti and many cruisers are donating food from their stores. The boat should be full when we sail.

Monday February 22

OceansWatch member vessel the Westsail 43 “Hiatus”, under command of Captain Dan Wever, and crewed by OceansWatch members Tory Field, Eric Hansen and Gino Muzzio, land in Haiti and unload their cargo of 6000# of beans, rice, flour, oil and medical supplies. They were met at the dock by the mayor, chief of police and father of the local mission running the refugee camps. OceansWatch Chief Medical Officer Dr. Biaggio Muzzio goes ashore to escort the medical supplies to the local hospital and volunteer his services.

Sunday February 21

First contacts with cruisers who get excited about OceansWatch and suggest that we have a meeting at Volleyball Beach right after the Sunday morning Beach Church service. Lee from Alesto2 gives me a ride to the beach, 15 people people show up for the meeting, most of them seriously interested to help. Paul and Honey invite me to lunch on Wild Iris, and then we go ashore fro a more formal meeting at the Peace and Pleanty, all working together on organizational ideas for supporting OceansWatch here in the Exumas.

Honey, Sequoia, Carl, Michael, Crystal & Paul at our first formal OceansWatch working meeting in George Town at the Peace & Plenty from 3-6 pm.

Friday 19 February

Captain Margaret rows ashore to Customs to clear us in, we all go ashore while Hiatus crew does some last minute looking at weather and provisioning. Hiatus weighs anchor around noon and sets sail for Haiti while Drummer decides to wait for the rest of the Conch Republic Navy fleet due to arrive within a few days. Sequoia makes an announcement on the George Town Cruisers net re OceansWatch and Sail Aid to Haiti and begins to make contacts with local residents and other cruisers.

Thursday 18 February

Arrive Georgetown 4 pm, Margaret rows ashore, meets up with Dan & Tory, no luck clearing in, too late as customs is closed. We invite the crew of Hiatus; Dan, Gino, Eric & Tory along with Kylie and Drew, friends of Drummer crew from a nearby boat and their sailing dog, to come over for a Potluck dinner on the spacious decks of Drummer. Good food, beer and rum for all. Celebrating the first half of the journey from Key West to Haiti, 400 miles done and 390 miles to go.

Wednesday 17 February

Arrive Nassau 6 am, anchor behind Hiatus. Captain Margaret & Capt. Dan go ashore and attempt to clear customs, but return unsuccessful. We have a meeting w/ Dan & the crew, decide to weigh anchor and head for Georgetown. Up anchors at noon, sail through the Exuma Banks (dodging many, many big ugly nasty coral heads), then over night south down Exuma Sound all night & day. Pretty good following wind, smooth sailing after we get through the channel and off of the Banks.

Monday 15 February

0100 Hours Captain Dan wakes up the crew and tells us that it is time to set sail for the Bahamas. After some discussion we decide that it will be best for me to join Drummer, as they are shorthanded and could benefit from an experienced hand. We weigh anchor and motor out to rendezvous with Drummer and I transfer over to join her crew.

Together we set sail, motoring mostly, through the rest of the early morning dark hours, then sailing through the day and night crossing the Gulf stream, through the night, past Riding rocks over the Bahama Banks and on to Nassau.

Sunday 14 February

Raise anchor at 1000 hours and head for Marathon. Find ourselves sailing along side Conch Republic Navy schooner Drummer who have also loaded cargo and are ready to go, so Captain Dan invites them to join us and sail along together. They agree and follow us to Marathon. Hiatus arrives Marathon 4:30 pm, we dinghy ashore to do laundry and go in search of new cell phones for Tory and Sequoia.

Saturday 13 Feb

Many last minute preparations, making burgees, sharing charts & route info with other boats, buy dive weights and a coaxial cable for the new SSB radio to install on Hiatus, activate the SPOT beacon etc. Final crew member Tory Field arrives from Miami at 5 pm and we do a hurried shopping for provisions for the voyage. Dan and Gino are out on Hiatus, both sick and tired, with the dinghy, so we accept a ride from my old friend Captain Al and his friend Candace. Seems like a good stout boat, 14 feet rigid fiberglass flatboat with 15 hp motor, but five people, all of Tory’s gear and the wind and waves prove too much for her low freeboard, only a third of the way out to Hiatius through the anchoring field the boat swamps and sinks under us, leaving us all swimming and the provisions floating away. It is pretty rough and windy. A couple of nearby dinghy’s come to the rescue and help tow the boat over to a nearby anchored Hans Christian owned by Dave. Eric and Sequoia stay in the water helping to stabilize the small boat while Al bails it out with a cooler and bucket. Dave hosts 5 soaking wet people and our gear and serves hot tea to us all while we call for assistance. Turns out Tyler from Encavale, another one of the Conch Republic Navy Boats, is on Hiatus waiting for me to return to share some charts with him so he motors over in his small dinghy, gives me a ride back to Hiatus where I launch the large dinghy and motor back to the Hans Christian to fetch Eric, Tory and what is left of the food and Tory’s luggage. Has to be a  record for the wettest dinghy ride ever.