Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Dynamic 40 Leaderboard

242 set sail on doomed search for a better life

by on 2 Feb 2009
Setting off to cross 1700 nautical miles of ocean SW
This is the 50ft sailing boat in which an amazing 242 desperate would-be migrants set off from Haiti to cross unknown waters seeking an imagined better life in the USA. Among the passengers were children, an infant, and a eight-month pregnant woman.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returned the Haitian migrants to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday after the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca located the grossly overloaded sail freighter about 25 miles west of Ile de la Tortue, Haiti, Monday night.

To achieve their goal, the 242 aboard the boat would have had about 1700 nautical miles to cover. Overloaded as she was, she would take at least two weeks with the most favourable conditions to reach the shores of the USA. It was an expedition bound for tragic failure. Even carrying enough water, let alone food, for 242 people, would have been a challenge.

It was while on a routine Caribbean Sea law enforcement patrol that the Seneca crew spotted the overloaded vessel and immediately began rescue efforts due to the large number of migrants aboard the unseaworthy vessel and rapidly increasing seas and winds in the area.

As weather conditions continued to deteriorate, a small percentage of migrants became aggressive and attempted to force their way onto the Coast Guard smallboats. A few migrants fell overboard from the sail freighter and were immediately recovered in good condition by Coast Guard smallboat crewmembers.

Despite the deteriorating weather conditions and aggressive attempts by a small percentage of migrants to jump into the small boats, no migrants or rescuers were injured during the extensive effort to safely disembark the 242 migrants from the vessel. .

'If not for the patrol presence of our cutters off the coast of Haiti, there easily could have been a major loss of life in this ill-advised attempt to reach the United States illegally,' said Capt. Peter Brown, Seventh District chief of law enforcement.

'Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations are as much humanitarian missions as they are border security missions. The Coast Guard will continue to rescue Haitian migrants from their peril at sea and will always do so in a professional manner that preserves the dignity of all people.'

All migrants were safely transferred to the cutter Diligence and provided basic medical care, food, water and shelter from the elements.

About Haiti:
Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. 80% of its nine million people live below the poverty line, with 54% in abject poverty. The country has been plagued by political violence for most of its history, and the country is prone to natural disasters. In 2008 alone, four tropical storms severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and the agricultural sector.

The country continues to attempt to recover. Since 2005, until the four tropical storms which severy damaged it last year, it had registered positive growth. Haiti is expected to receive debt forgiveness for about $525 million of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative by mid-2009. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.

The Coast Guard has rescued and returned 599 Haitian migrants since Jan. 1.

V-DRY-XSelden 2020 - FOOTERCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER

Related Articles

Packing for a Summer Sailing Weekend
Just because it's summer doesn't mean you're going to stay warm and dry all the time Just because it's summer doesn't mean you're going to stay warm and dry all the time, particularly when you're out on the water. The day may start windless, with a little dew on the ground, but a sea breeze can pick up in the afternoon.
Posted today at 11:00 am
Young Sailors Invited to the 2025 Fireball Worlds
A special discounted entry fee for eligible youth participants for the event at Lake Garda Circolo Vela Arco and Fireball International are inviting young sailors from around the world to take part in the 2025 Fireball World Championship at spectacular Lake Garda, with a special discounted entry fee for eligible youth participants.
Posted today at 8:02 am
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina.
Posted today at 5:39 am
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D1
Sunday's storm winds cleared to deliver ideal conditions for the opening race day Sunday's storm winds cleared to deliver ideal conditions for the opening race day of the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, official championship stages of the World Match Racing Tour and Women's World Match Racing Tour.
Posted today at 4:33 am
Freestyle Pro Tour Paros day 2
The strong Meltemi blowing all throughout the night, greeted the riders in the morning Day 2 at the Freestyle Pro Tour Paros once again delivered, with the strong Meltemi blowing all throughout the night, greeting the riders at around 30 knots in the morning.
Posted on 30 Jun
World Sailing announces split venues for LA28
The boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port World Sailing has said it welcomes the confirmation of sailing venues for the Olympic Games LA28 the boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port.
Posted on 30 Jun
One thing. One big, very fast boat
One thing that opened the door, another made us enquire some more - 50 knots! Yes. It was one thing that opened the door, as it were. One thing that piqued the curiosity enough to go, ‘I'll take a look at that!' One thing that when you're trying to crack in excess of 50 knots...
Posted on 30 Jun
NYYC International Women's Championship update
The first group of invited skippers have been announced Elite-level international women's keelboat competition will return to Newport, R.I., in late summer of 2026 when the New York Yacht Club hosts the inaugural International Women's Championship.
Posted on 30 Jun
Luna shines bright in 2025 Morgan Cup Race
This was a truly international fleet with the majority of the teams from the UK and France The start of the Morgan Cup Race was a spectacular sight with over 100 boats beating to windward into the Western Solent for the fourth race of the Cowes Offshore Racing Series and the 11th race of the 2025 RORC Season's Points Championship.
Posted on 30 Jun
Freestyle Pro Tour Paros day 1
Kicking off with a nuclear single elim The opening day of the Freestyle Pro Tour (FPT) Paros kicked off exactly as forecasted - nuclear winds from morning till late afternoon, accompanied by nonstop freestyle action.
Posted on 30 Jun