International
Rescue Group's 97-foot
boat has sailed 7,000 nautical miles and conducted 8 humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in the
Caribbean in over 4 years, supporting dozens of other yachts in the region with volunteers and supplies. Now IRG plans to re-fit for a new mission to set up operations in
Asia, based in the
Philippines.
Looking for volunteers to voyage to
Guatemala and help re-fit our yacht, if you'd like some experience in a
marine yard on
hull steel, wooden rig,
electronics and painting etc., come and join us! There are comfortable cabins available, the weather's great (not hot!) and we have lots of
work to do here in
Florida before sailing and
Guatemala for re-fit. Chief
Engineer Shawn Sweetman is already aboard, looking for 2 or more crew prior to departure.
Looking hard at possible excellent
weather window Monday/Tuesday February 26/27th.
REFIT LOCATION
ABEL's at Rio Dulce Guatemala is where we can continue to live on the
boat and do
DIY work, we'll use the Yard for the heavy work such as pulling the propshaft, repaint the bottom with anti-foulant etc. We will do various jobs like grinding, welding and re-priming
steel where there is
corrosion, taking of some old machinery, refresh the
electronics and Nav, install a
radar, do some sail
repair and rig work etc.. NOTE that our main
engine is being replaced in Guatemala, we will be using auxillary
propulsion to exit our anchorage in
Florida, sail all the way in the easterly tradewinds, and arranging a tugboat to take us to the shipyard. You must be comfortable with the idea that this is a sailboat, if the
wind dies enroute we will simply await the
wind to return. Please think carefully about this, some people react badly to being
offshore becalmed for more than a few hours, if so this may not be the voyage for you. If you wish to truly hone your sailing skills, you will learn a lot.
ITINERARY
Note that this can be delayed for various reasons, this is the best stab at timing. Volunteers who have hard stops may not find this yoyage suitable.
Feb 2017 Preparing ship for voyage while coordinating disaster relief boats and supplies destined for
Puerto Rico,
BVI and
Dominica
Feb 26th 2018 (Weather permitting) Voyage from Hollywood, Florida to shipyard in Guatemala
March-May 2018 Haul-out and block for 3 months. Crew may stay aboard in their own berth and help with re-fit of the yacht on many projects,
food will be provided
June 2018 Launch and shakedown sail in
Caribbean Panama region. Transit
Panama Canal into the Pacific and tour the Gulf of
Panama and Las Perlas islands on a humanitarian aid mission
July 2018 Voyage to
South Pacific and on to South
China Seas, to establish an IRG base in the
Philippines approx November 2018.
NOTE the
hurricane season in the
South Pacific ends 31st April, we will quickly transit from Panama to the
Galapagos s and enter the southeast
trade winds headed for
Marquesas Islands. Preliminary planning for the Pacific section are: Panama, Las Perlas,
Galapagos (ONLY if funds become available via crew),
Marquesas Islands and other stops to
Papua New Guinea, then into the South
China Seas.
Volunteers who join and support work in Florida gain priority for a
cabin to the South China Seas. During voyaging volunteer crews share the cost of the voyage at $20 per day each which includes all
food, consumables etc. Those volunteers who join the work on the vessel in Florida and
Central America have a
cabin of their own and food during the land work.
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