Helping Vanuatu

On Friday 13^th and Saturday 14^th March, Cyclone Pam ripped its way through the islands of Vanuatu causing devastation the likes of which have never before been seen in the Pacific. Vanuatu has been our home for the last four months as we took a break from sailing and chose to store our yacht in Port Vila for the cyclone season.

Susie and I were fortunately in New Zealand attending a wedding and visiting friends at the time Cyclone Pam struck. This did not stop us worrying deeply about our friends, the local Ni-Vanuatu and of course our beloved yacht, Adina. They were horrible days waiting for news from the islands. Despite the devastation cyclone Pam has created, our friends and the local Ni-Vanuatu people we know are safe and sound. Adina was stored in Port Vila Boatyard where we had her tied down in a cradle and stripped her down to the bare minimum. All boats in the boatyard escaped any damage. We extend our grateful thanks to Justin and his boatyard team who ran around getting as many boats ashore as possible and secured everything in the yard. Others were less fortunate and our hearts go out to them.

We are returning to Vanuatu and we want to help a country that has welcomed us with open arms and been a real joy to us. Right now all the major aid organisations are involved helping people in immediate need. Where we can help, using Adina, is to access the outlying islands and help in re-building the villages. Once we can mobilise Adina and all these crazy cyclones running around right now stop, we will sail out and supply as many materials and aid as we can. We want to take equipment to help people rebuild homes, provide food in the form of staples, give needed clothing, and supply some fun things to put a smile on the children’s faces.

If you are a yacht thinking about sailing through Vanuatu’s islands this coming season, please do visit. The ni-Vanuatu need us more than ever and we can promise you the experience will be a rewarding one. Eric and Anne from http://www.cruising-vanuatu.com/ hope to co-ordinate cruising boats sailing through, offering support. Their website offers detailed information about cruising in Vanuatu.

We encourage people to please make a donation to your favoured charity helping Vanuatu.

If you would like to help us in our efforts, there are many people out there on the islands who would be very grateful. Please e-mail us at tompartridge@yachtadina.co.uk or susieplume@yachtadina.co.uk and we will provide bank details for donations. We will account for every penny we receive, every penny will be used for materials to help villages, every one of your pennies or cents will put a smile on a Ni-Vanuatu’s face.  We promise.

Thank you.

Brydie Canham of B Media and friends has donated a heap of stuff!

All of this thanks to your donations and more to come!

Thank you Mitre 10 Blenheim, New Zealand for supplying discounted tools for Vanuatu.