Whilst visiting Zanzibar, Peter was asked to try to get help for local projects and children’s education.
This picture shows Father Anselmo pumping water from a recently installed bore.

Machui Catholic Mission Zanzibar Tanzania East Africa

If you would like to find out more about Father Anselmo’s work, please visit:
this site.  Or Email: padreanselmo@hotmail.com

Sails from Western Australia

Many thanks to Colin Stevenson and South of Perth Yacht Club for their generous donations.
Colin advises that some of the sails were supplied by Paul Eldrid of Quantum Sails (peldrid@quantumsails.com.au). They are sails previously owned by some of his customers. These kind people are:
Larraine Richardson and Maurice Field
Brian DeVries
Jeff Sinton
Tony Mitchell
Rob Baker

A big ‘Thank You’ to Ron Crouch Transport who bought the 6 pallets (of sails) from Sydney to Wagga and Lindsay Fox (Linfox) who bought over the sails from Perth – all for free and thanks also Delfast in Fyshwick for their co-operation.”

September Newsletter from Peter

The recent African visit was extraordinarily successful, with meetings with Government officials,sail demonstrations on beaches with fishermen, “Safety At Sea” seminars in classrooms and maritime buildings and navigation discussions with charts and compasses.

Government officials were enthusiastically supportive of the whole Program and suggesting ways that they might be able to assist. Hundreds of fishermen have given their names for sails and equipment supplies. Kenyan representatives at the meetings came from the Kenyan coastline from Tanzania to Somalia and included villages and maritime community leaders.

Training Group

“Train the Trainer” type seminars were conducted with these fishermen and they were very keen on learning. They represented many times their number and were amazed by the strength of the Australian sails and appreciated their manufacture, size, durability, shape, quality and resilience.

Individual fishermen on beaches were given a sail, maritime chart and compass as samples to use and show to other nearby fishermen.

There are some 6,000 boats in the locations visited and the Program shall try to supply sails to half of those. The Program seems to be adding another zero each time sails are supplied to a country – Western Samoa started with about 30 and the Seychelles with over 300.

One fisherman from Madagascar with his son led us through a swamp at low tide (that was “great fun” ) to his boat on the beach.

Delivering Sails

A sail was fitted to his boat and he was very impressed with receiving it. He is please to live and fish in Zanzibar and away from the war in Madagascar. Pandu Hamis has three girls and a boy. He lives and fishes near the Old Saltans’ Palace (Wu Vuvi Maruhubi) on Zanzibar (Unguja) Island. We fitted a sail to his boat and he was very happy.

Many fishing boats in Eastern  Africa have up to five crew and even cook meals in their small open boats! Their existing sails are of poor quality cotton pieces sewn together and generally last until the next good breeze, when – after splitting – they are taken down and sewn back together again.

We met Anwar Sadat – a very young Principal of Zanzibar Stanet (private) School – one of the very few on the island. He is a very bright young man who asked me to try to fix the only school photocopier machine they have. Taking it apart was no problem but there seemed to be more pieces left over when I attempted to put them back together again. The photocopier was definitely post war – though I’m not sure which war! He has 600 students spread over three campuses on Zanzibar and if anyone would care to donate some money to him to fix – up the photocopier or buy a new one for the school I’m sure he and the whole school would be most appreciative. His e-mail address is:

hawana(at)yahoo.com and his postal address: Zanzibar Stanet Schools PO Box 2294 Tanzania phone 0777 600039.

The Program is gradually receiving sails in from all across Australia and will continue to build – up the contents for the next steel container load to be shipped overseas. The next consignment will include other items besides sails, namely aluminum/steel masts, spars, booms, halyards, life vests, etc. – so if you are “clearing-out” any old sail lofts/lockers please contact the Program and we will forward a “Certific
Peter Gately
ate of Appreciation” for any donations received.

I hope everyone is enjoying their sailing.

Yours Sincerely
Program Manager

Peter is off to Zanzibar

Below is a note (verbatim) from Rev. Fr. Anselmo Mwang`amba.

DEAR  PETER GATELY,

Sails  Ocean Sails ( S.O.S. )

Many greetings from Zanzibar AFRICA !

Thanks alot for your e-mail I have read this evening, May, 29.o8. Imagine, our mission Electricity power -starting mid of this month May up to day, May, 29th. The electricity department people are telling us, when to resume. Pray for us, your coming to Africa, you will experience alot. Poor Africa…

* Possibly, I will Be there in Dar-Es-Salaam Airport to meet, to receive you, on the 26th,July, 2008.
While you are with us here, you have the time to meet the Bishop.This evening I have told him
Date of arriving here in Zanzibar. He told me, meanwhile he will not there, but we hope when is
back within the days you are with us here in Zanzibar; you eventually see him.

* I have already organized the The Fishermen Group you will meet first. Then later on, together with
me, you will have the chancen to meet as many people of different categories as possible. As you
mentioned in your E-mail letter. The rest of your Pragram, e.g. to Mombasa will be organized after
your arrival here in Zanzibar. As there daily flights at least everyday to Mombasa, Nairobi Kenya.

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO ZANZIBAR TANZANIA A F R I C A ! ! !
Asante – thanks for your coming, in advance.
Rev. Fr. Anselmo Mwang`amba.

From: “Albert NAPIER”
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 10:23 PM
Subject: Sails Ocean Sails
Dear Mr Gately,

Happy New Year to you and your family.

May God the Almighty bless and give you more courage and strength to continue do the wonderful work for the poor fishermen in the third world countries.

On the behalf of the Seychellois Fishermen we thank you for your donations (sails).

I had managed to remove the sails from Port Victoria harbour on the26th December 07. Sorry for not telling you earlier.
The Seychelles AOS executive Committe is meeting next week and we are going to discuss on how to distribute the sails.

We will make some kind of publicity for that occasion and I will take photos, write articles in the local Newspapers and have coverage by the local media about the distribution.

Your organisation will be mentioned.

Once against thanks you very much for your donations that will assist fishermen a lot in many ways ( save on fuel) etc…
I will communicate to you later regarding the date of the activities.

Many Thanks.