COCO DE MER TSUNAMI APPEAL FUND.

 

Christiane & Barry Cager were sailing their yacht "Coco de Mer" from Langkawi to Phuket on Boxing Day, Sunday 26th December. The tsunami went underneath the yacht completely unnoticed as at the time they were sailing offshore with 25 metres under their keel.



They arrived in Phi Phi Don in the afternoon on Monday 27th and were appalled at the extent of the devastation.

These bungalows had been uprooted and one actually washed into the sea. Apart from the two concrete built hotels most all the other houses and shops had been destroyed or badly damaged.

This was the scene in the main street when Barry & Christiane went looking for Angelo who owned Mama's restaurant. Just after this photo two men appeared out of the dive shop carrying a dead body in a blanket.

The Thai rescue teams had evacuated all the tourists so there were only local volunteers and military looking for trapped survivors & dead bodies. There was nothing useful to do so they went on to their berth in the Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket.


After a few days and talking to other people they decided to try to raise money to help tsunami victims, initially the restaurant owners on two local west coast beaches. Within a short time donations poured in and it soon became obvious that more people could be helped with the funds available so additional projects were sought.

 



This website was created so that the donors could have a visual record of how their money is being used and gives an outline of what the Fund has achieved so far together with some new projects that are getting underway.

This photo is of the restaurant owners and staff at Sai Kaew Beach which was the Fund's first project

The effects of the tsunami will be felt for a long time. Apart from some people suffering post-tsunami trauma the economy which is heavily geared to tourism is severely affected and many people are unemployed. A lot of self employed people have lost their businesses, boats, or means of earning a living. The Fund has helped some of these people get back on their feet so that they can support themselves again.

Christiane and Barry have also become involved with helping needy children and their families with education. Basic schooling is free, but uniforms, books, English, Computer Science, school lunches, travel, etc are not. Families have been sponsored and scholarships awarded by generous benefactors. The details are shown in this website under those two headings.

Donations are still gratefully received as there is plenty still to do.

Bank transfers to: Siam Commercial Bank PLC
Cheangtalay Sub Branch
167/9 Moo 1, Srisornthorn Road
Phuket 83110, Thailand

Ac Name: Barry Cager & Christiane Beattie for Coco de Mer Tsunami Appeal
Ac No: 706-2 24575-3
Swi ft Code SICOTHBK

Cheques to: Coco de Mer Tsunami Appeal
C/o Pamela Townshend
59 Castlebar Park, London W5 1DA

Tel: + 44 (0)208 723 1293
E-Mail: harwooprop@aol.com

 



 		Some of the people involved with the Fund.

Barry & Christiane arrived in Phuket with the Blue Water Rally which left Gibraltar in October 2001. Their intention was to circumnavigate, but Thailand was too good to pass through in three weeks so they stayed.

Since the tsunami they have been involved in all the projects shown on this website thanks to the generous donations being sent to them to help the tsunami victims and their families.

"Coco de Mer" is a 57 foot steel Cutter rigged Sloop built in Hayling Island, Hampshire, UK and launched in April 2000. She left Gibraltar in October 2000, spent a year in the Caribbean and joined the BWR in Panama in February 2002. This photo taken from another yacht is of "Coco" in heavy seas off the north coast of Colombia in January 2002.


Angelo Rasami owned Mama's restaurant on Phi Phi Don which was devastated by the tsunami. It was he that Barry & Christiane looked for on Monday 27th December when they arrived in Phi Phi Don. Angelo has tirelessly helped tsunami victims who were displaced from Phi Phi at first sending truck loads of rice to the people who had lost everything.

It was Angelo who first took Barry & Christiane to Koh Yao Yai to meet Khun Ajan Beedin, Director of Aokapor School, Aeg & Steve and Arunee. They went on the ferry with a French TV crew and appeared on French television the following evening. Angelo now has an office in Phuket with volunteers working to help the victims in various locations.

Khun Ajan Beedin, the Director of Aokapor School, was very quick to seize an opportunity and when he was given money from the Fund to improve the Computer & English classroom facilities jumped on the ferry to order everything immediately. The work was finished in 10 days.

He has been very appreciative of the help given by the Fund and I suspect that The School will continue to feature in our program. Nine of the children being sponsored are at Aokapor School and Ajan Beedin will monitor these children and see that the sponsors get a twice annual report




Akathat Naweewong (Aeg) is from Prunai on Koh Yao Yai and he located all the children that needed sponsoring. He has taken Barry & Christiane to meet them in their homes and is clearly well liked and trusted by the local people.

He has acted as interpreter on various occasions with the restaurant owners, fishermen and at Aokapor School. He worked as a Master Diving Instructor on Phi Phi Don and lost all his diving equipment as well as his livelihood. The fund has replaced his diving kit and bought him a stake in a dive boat which is being converted. Aeg is pictured with Timana, his Australian crew from Yacht "Raptor" when they won the Kayak races.
Somrudee Amatayakul (Cookie) helped hugely with organizing the program for re-equipping the 15 fishing boats on Nai Yang Beach. She obtained discounts on the engines and all the fishing nets supplied by the Royal Thames Yacht Club. She acted as co-hostess and interpreter when HRH Prince Andrew visited Nai Yang on 26th April to meet the fishermen.

Cookie was helping the injured and retrieving bodies in Khao Lak just after the tsunami and she has raised funds from her friends in Bangkok. It is at her

instigation that Barry & Christiane visited the Pakarang Boatyard and have since decided to donate two completely equipped Longtail fishing boats from the Fund. She is pictured here with Scott Carter the Project Manager at the Boatyard.


Arunee Kottner is married to Steve the American English teacher who helps training the staff at Aokapor School. She persuaded Barry & Christiane of the need to equip the English teaching facilities and classroom which had no electricity or desks & chairs.

Arunee is now finding the children who need help with scholarships to enable them to continue their education. As this has only just started the photos of the first three children & families are shown under the "New Projects section". Arunee also acts as interpreter on various occasions. She will doubtless find more children and families in need of help.

Sue Plodput is married to Suwan, one of the fishermen, and because she works as a caddie at the Blue Mountain Golf Club she speaks some English and understands a lot more. She has been the main liaison with the fishermen and a great help with the paperwork. All the identity papers and receipts have been arranged by Sue. Her 15 year old son cast the nets for HRH Prince Andrew to see. She is seen in the photo with Barry & Cookie issuing instructions.

Nick Wyatt & Zara Tremlett manage the Yacht Haven Marina. It was their idea to help the restaurants rebuild on Sai Kaew Beach.

They have raised funds from various yachtsmen and have organized the two outings on Koh Yao Yai for the sailing community to spend money on lunch and entertainment and help the people of Prunai. Their office staff have been allowed time off to help with interpreting and translating English into Thai.