cruise-aiders.com Become a Cruise-aider

Cruise-aiders are people who wish to start a project, become involved with a project or help fund a project in remote places which often only yachties can access. These projects can be anywhere. We happen to have started with the Louisiade Archipelago in Papua New Guinea, as that is where we saw the need for fibre glassing skills to mend boats and fix water tanks.

cruise-aiders.com is the communication point for yachties wishing to organize or find out about projects. It is a non denominational, non political casual network of yachties. Simply people wanting to benefit under-resourced peoples in remote areas, helping people, in a culturally respectful manner, to help themselves.

It is hoped that others may see the kind of projects that can be done and provide incentive to do likewise! If we can do it, you can too. If anyone wants the building plans for the School they are available from Paul Taylor, and plans for Toloyot are available from Eric Gray, just contact us at info@cruise-aiders.com

Our Aims

To improve educational and employment opportunities in remote areas accessible only by sea, by providing financial assistance via a legal non profit entity The Yachties Foundation, helping people help themselves.

To enable particularly keen and able students to continue higher schooling by assisting with payment of school or college fees; for example, where the student or family is experiencing excessive hardship which would impact adversely on continuing studies. To be a recipient of educational assistance the student must live in a remote area where it is difficult to obtain finance in return for work, and be a dedicated student passionate about making a positive difference to the area in which they live.

To assist with creating sustainable projects on remote islands where profits go towards improving education, employment opportunities and educational facilities; for example, new schools with libraries and teaching resources or where this is not an issue, a fund whereby all share in the profits which go towards paying their children's school fees.

The Yachties Foundation

The Yachties Foundation is the financial arm of Cruise-aiders. It is a non-profit organization set up to handle the funds and financial side of projects. While we were in Gigila building Toloyot we could see the need for ongoing assistance with employment and education. This lead to some yachties going back to build a school with the same Islanders on Gigila Island. Others donated funds to seed fund two businesses, Pig Farming Project and Trade Store as well as to send some young people to high school and on to do teacher's training.

Current Projects

a) Trading Store on Gigila Island

b) Pig Farm on Gigila Island

c) New School for Gigila Island

d) One young woman is training to become a teacher, two students are able to complete high school, and a woman is training to become a First Aid Nurse.

Funding

Finance has come from a variety of sources, family, friends, businesses and individuals, mostly through personal contact. For details on becoming a Friend of The Yachties Foundation see below. There is an annual fee of $50 minimum which goes directly to either a project of your choice or into the education fund. An Annual General Meeting is held in either Port Douglas or Brisbane, plus regular updates on project progress are given so that the whole process is 100% transparent.

Profiles of The Yachties Foundation Founders Founding members

2009: Gina de Vere, Alex Mateer, Peter Kammler, and Rianon Mateer

Gina de Vere

Originally from New Zealand Gina has sailed approximately 13,000 Nautical miles, and is now living in Brisbane on board her 40' steel sloop, 'Caesura' with husband Christian Selaries. She has an extensive background is in many facets of marketing and is a specialist in innovation, backed by her masters in business innovation and entrepreneurship. Her interest in starting Cruise-aiders was to facilitate communication between those who wish to carry out projects in remote parts of the Pacific, and those funding the ventures. This lead to establishing 'The Yachties Foundation' with Alex Mateer in 2008.

Alex Mateer

Born in the USA, but having lived most of her life in rural Australia, Alex and her husband Rick Kilpatrick are currently living on Low Isles(Far North Qld) as the island caretakers. They commute to Port Douglas in their 34' steel sloop "Roxanne 1". Alex has been employed in the field of Community Education for most of her working life, apart from a 5 year stint with Rick as the owner/operators of Shaolin, a refurbished Chinese junk, which operated as a tourist business off shore from Port Douglas. She is currently working part time at Mossman TAFE. She and Gina met on Gigila Island, in the Louisiades, working together on the Toloyot Project.

Peter Kammler

Peter Kammler is a German businessman and retired engineer. He sailed around the world in the early seventies, and then sailed his 46-foot alloy schooner from Europe to New Zealand in 1986. He and his wife Dagmar now live on a lifestyle property near Warkworth, NZ. Peter is a founding member of Power for Our Future, and the Sustainable Energy Forum. For six years he was on the Board of Greenpeace New Zealand. After leaving the Board he was made the chairman of the Greenpeace NZ Charitable Trust. His main interest is energy and economics.

Rianon Mateer

Rianon is one of the major sponsors of the Gigila trading store and pig farm projects. He is currently Senior Portfolio Manager at Trafalgar Capital Management (UK) LLP. His years of experience in the finance industry include working as an analyst for Salomon Smith Barney in Australia, and for Credit Lyonnais, and Cheyne Capital in London. He holds a bachelor of business in finance and accounting from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.

Become a Friend of The Yachties Foundation

If you wish to assist with the education of a child or a project which will ultimately benefit educational opportunities in remote areas, please place your donation of $50 or more in the following bank account:

Payable to "The Yachties Foundation"

Bank details; (BSB) 734008

(ACC No) 507482.

WESTPAC Queen Street, Brisbane, Queenland 4000 Australia .

We thank you for your support. Please advise us of your action by email so we may forward you a receipt and news updates. Let us know if you have a preference for how your donation is spent; directly to school fees for the education of a student or towards one of the cruise-aiders' projects. You will receive updates twice a year on the progress of the project or student, plus photographs wherever possible, so you can see where your donation goes.

Email address: TYF@cruise-aiders.com

The website is FREE, for you to use for your projects.

Simply phone me, Gina, in Brisbane (at the moment) on 044 840 7768 to arrange it or email.

Who knows where and what the next projects will be!