Zeepard Rescue Mission Makes Landfall at Black Point, Exumas
Editor’s note: After a major propulsion and electrical refit in Fort Pierce, Florida, crew of the 97-foot gaff-rigged ketch Zeepaard have solved machinery problems and are on the way via Bahamas to Île-à-Vache, Haiti, having taken on more cargo while preparing. The crew plans to attend the Fourth Annual Bahamas Gathering put on by Lorraine’s Cafe in Black Point, Exuma, March 13-15, 2025, and pending a good weather window, expect it to take a week to reach the destination.
By Capt. Ray Thackeray
International Rescue Group (www.internationalrescuegroup.org) set off from Chesapeake Bay bound for Haiti with over 10 tons of aid supplies last year after gaining a replacement engine, to find that our new transmission failed after just a few hundred miles. Zeepaard, our 97-foot 100-Ton Gaff-rigged Dutch ketch, limped south in and out of port along the east coast with an overheating transmission and made it to Fort Pierce, Florida, mostly by sail to get the transmission rebuilt by a local expert. At the same time, Captain Joei Randazzo arranged for her old friend Kat at S&S Propellers, Pompano Beach, Florida, to reduce our propeller pitch after we purchased a used replacement which was not quite to our specification but all we could find for our huge metric propshaft. From a reputable vendor, it turned out the propeller we purchased was badly unbalanced so S&S did a great job with their amazing machinery and presented us with, effectively, a brand shiny new propeller and wished the work to IRG as a donation!
And what a difference getting a better match between engine, transmission and propeller makes! Chief engineer Paul Brown worked mostly sweat equity with a ridiculously tight budget to design, acquire and install a completely new cooling system for both engine and transmission, and now we can run days non-stop as one expects for fast passagemaking. No more overheating or vibration. More solar power means no more flat batteries. Heaven.
At the same time, IRG supporters Captain Keith and Roberta McFarland donated a diesel generator with just 80 hours on it, which runs on 1/5 gallon of fuel per hour and a far better fit for purpose than our 20kW Northern Lights that burns two gallons an hour which was installed originally more for air conditioning than charging batteries! Tell you what, folks: It still costs $1,000 in parts even if you are installing a generator yourself with plumbing and electrical parts.
While in Fort Pierce, we accepted cargo from Patrick Lucien of the EDEM Foundation and Pastor Bill Montgomery of JustMercy.org, who will be accepting our now 12 tons of relief supplies for distribution to the island recipients.
Why Île-à-Vache? Yes, it is not safe for yachts to visit Haiti during these turbulent times since the president was assassinated and the power vacuum ended up with various gangs taking over the country. But the population of about 17,000 on Île-à-Vache has nothing to do with the political unrest and have nothing to offer those who are vying for power. The people are living off subsistence fishing, their chickens and mangoes and are in a near-famine state of hunger. There is little or no employment and are basically cut off from the mainland. These people are suffering through no fault of theirs and need a leg up.
We are carrying meds for empty hospital dispensaries, fishing equipment, five boats and dozens of recycled sails so the fishing can be sustained. We have emergency food for the poorest. We have enough non-GMO seeds from Hope Seeds designed perfectly for Haitian cooking and farming so they can re-sow their fields every year; we hope every farm and garden can get their share and a new start. We are carrying supplies sent for four churches and the community center. The 55 bicycles aboard are for schoolkids, and we expect to set up a bike repair expert to keep them running as a community resource — we have tools to do the job. I used to live in Amsterdam and loved the amazing system they have there with black city bicycles available to anyone, repair vans fixing them up on the spot full time. You see an unused bike and simply take it where you want to go, then leave it in a rack for the next user.
If we can take cash with us, we can boost the economy, spending every penny on various projects on the island. Even short-term employment means cash will circulate fast, please help: even $5 makes a difference to a whole family.
To donate, click on the Go Fund Me campaign here: https://gofund.me/79a9a414
Read the first story about this rescue mission by Joan Conover at Caribbeancompass.com (https://caribbeancompass.com/help-for-haiti). Log onto the website of International Rescue Group for further details (www.internationalrescuegroup.org).
