Halie & Matthew joins humanitarian relief effort to Haiti

A schooner familiar to Eastporters has been chartered to bring relief supplies to the earthquake victims in Haiti.

The Halie & Matthew is assisting the relief vessel Liberty in delivering nearly 45,000 pounds of needed food and medical items. The Liberty, docked in Miami, could only take about a quarter of that amount, so her owners looked around for help and noticed the Halie & Matthew in her Key West winter quarters, preparing to sail back to Maine.

"They contacted my partner Pat Driscoll," reports Butch Harris of Eastport. "There was no hesitation saying yes. Just as long as they bring her back to Eastport afterward."

The Halie & Matthew, which can carry 100 passengers, is being rented out at a nominal cost to cover dock fees, food and other basic expenses.

Harris spent four days in Florida helping to prepare his vessel, which, as of April 7, was still waiting for good weather before sailing to Haiti.

Harris describes the Halie & Matthew's captain Jared Talarski and the crew on the humanitarian voyage as "experienced. They come from all over the country C Oregon, Alaska, New Jersey, Texas. And most all of them are commercial boat people. There is one guy who is a rigger for tall ships."

"I would have liked to go, too," he says of the Haiti trip. "But there's too much going on at home."

Anyone wishing to donate toward the Haiti relief effort led by the schooner Liberty can e-mail <liberty.schooner@gmail.com> or check out the website <www.uhasociety.org>.