Tranquility

Tranquility
BJ & Ted leave Saturday on this 53' sailboat loaded with relief supplies for Haiti.

Sailing to Haiti with Sailors Without Borders

We've become involved in an extraordinary project as crew on the sailboat Tranquility, which will leave for Haiti April 1 (this Friday!) to deliver several tons of food, children's clothing, school supplies, solar panels, laptop computers, seed for a permaculture project, and tools & ingredients for building SuperAdobe houses on one of Haiti's islands. We'll be traveling in tight quarters with all the cargo & 8 crew on a 53' boat filled with cargo for 5-7 days and nights!

Sailors Without Borders is run by Cam & Leihia Murray, who normally live on and run a small solar and wind generator business from their boat. They're on their second trip to Haiti. Last year, after the earthquake, they delivered a boatload of shoes, clothes, and emergency generators. They've organized & led the fundraising for this year's trip which, as Cam says, is about "sustainability".

With the help of discounts from manufacturers and a large cash donation, for example, they have purchased for installation on a Haitian school on the island a $30 K solar array which will power the school and a network of computers connected to the internet. (The island's electricity was cut off some time ago.)

We will actually install the panels, inverter and batteries, a small network of donated laptops, a router, and a donated satellite internet system while there. The school will have their first opportunity to benefit from the internet.

Haiti is still in need. It was already the poorest country in the Americas before the earthquake more than a year ago. Recovery has been slow. Ironically, it's in the Caribbean, a vacation paradise for those of us who can afford it. This is our opportunity to give back.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

We're Off to See What We See!

Thank you for your support!!! Miami is disappearing on the horizon. We're nearly out of range. Be back in 5 weeks.
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Loading Tranquility with Supplies for Haiti

Yesterday vans & trucks filled with donated food and school supplies appeared at the marina. The solar panels also arrived to the relief of all. The trip is coming together very nicely.

Carts lined up on the dock at Dinner key in Miami to load the boat.

A chain gang of volunteers pass food to the cargo hold.

Leighia Murray packs canned goods under the temporary floor.

One of the 18 solar panels being loaded

The precious solar panels are lashed to the deck just before the afternoon storm arrives.

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

We'd Like Your Help!

As happens, the project has gone over budget and the Murrays are hard pressed for cash for last-minute essentials. Some of the promised donations have failed to arrive at the last minute & they're scrambling to make up the difference. They have taken months away from their business and rebuilt their boat to enable it to become a sailing cargo ship. We want to ask for your help in making this a success without maxing out the Murrays' credit cards.

This is direct aid--person to person--no payoffs; no delay; little overhead; and with sustainability and children in mind. If you've donated before & wondered where the money really went, or if you haven't donated because you think your money will be lost in the millions of dollars that seem to go astray in the large disaster projects--if this project resonates with you as it does with us, please click on the  donation button on the right. The funds will go through the Endangered Planet Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, so that the donation is tax deductible.

Our hope is to raise several thousand dollars for the project. Beej & I, along with every member of the boat, are actually paying to be crew in order to help with the overall cost. We're hoping you'll join us in the adventure. We'll blog the trip and enable you to see exactly what your dollars have done.
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