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The mariner is in a particularly vulnerable position
in life. If anything should happen to his
boat, he is likely to suffer practical hardships, in addition to any
trauma sustained.
Even a well insured sailor will usually have problems between the occurrence of
a disaster and the receiving of compensation.
When a hurricane hits an area with a number of yachts in it, often the worst hit are the ones who took the best precautions and are sunk by boats whose skippers lacked the experience and knowledge to secure their boats properly or place them elsewhere.
Whatever the circumstances which bring about a situation in which one or more of the people of the sea are stricken, often they lose their entire worldly goods, sometimes in the space of a few minutes.
If injured as well, some of those sailors desperately need assistance, at least in the short term.
Naturally, if there is a major disaster we will use this page to appeal for the assistance of our readers in helping the victims but the help is usually needed faster than help can be mustered at such short notice.
We would like to invite major companies or kindly individuals to offer worthwhile gifts to this fund which can be raffled to raise funds to be held in a special Benevolent
Fund, so that they are available as quickly as is possible when they are
needed.
The sort of gifts we would consider suitable would be things like a pair of airline tickets, any kind of boat or dinghy, an outboard motor, a handheld VHF radio, A radar system, A pair of folding bicycles, sets of top quality tools, a laptop computer and accessories, a hi-fi music system, a multi-system
TV/VHR , Foul weather gear for two people, cruising leisure clothing and footwear, a digital camera, top quality binoculars, a microwave or convection oven, a set of unbreakable tableware, a set of cooking pots and pans, a supply of marine paint or coatings, anything which would appeal to our marine
readership and also gift vouchers of any kind. In fact all gifts are
welcomed as we can then offer winners a choice of the prizes most easily
provided in their location.
If you are in a position to contribute such a gift to this appeal, please contact us and we can discuss how best to
organize delivery of the gift to the holder of the successful
draw number.
We would offer draw numbers at US$10 each and have smaller gifts as second and third prizes in each draw.
All proceeds would be held in a special account.
As and when the trustees of the fund considered a case as deserving of assistance, whether as an interest-free loan to a shipwrecked individual, help for the dependents of a mariner lost at sea or in the event of disaster, details would be published on this page.
A running total of funds standing by would be on display on this page and readers would be able to make donations into the account anonymously or be acknowledged on this page as wished. In the event of a special appeal, details would also be published here, both of help needed and help given.
To make this work, generous gifts of prizes are needed. The editors of
MarineZine will pledge a 14- day cruise for six people in the
Mediterranean, aboard the 71' staysail schooner
Leopard Normand III ,
worth about US$8,400, to start things off, and we need others to pledge
worthwhile prizes too. If you would like to help start the fund off with your
pledge, please contact us.
Please do not send any monies yet but we invite you
to contact us and make a pledge to show willingness to buy tickets or
provide prizes once the
fund is set up. We will only set the fund up if the pledges received
show sufficient support for the idea to warrant organizing the
thing properly with an appropriate establishment.
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