To The Government and the People of Rarotonga

To The Government and the People of Rarotonga;

I would like to take this opportunity in this space to pass along my deepest gratitude and most sincere thank you for the extraordinary effort that was made on my behalf. I know there were many working behind the scenes whom I will never know, but in particular, I would like to say thank you to Kyle and Bob Matheson for making it all possible. 

‘It’ was a humanitarian resupply at sea organized, orchestrated, and executed on extremely short notice. Moreover, ‘it’ was made possible and carried out while the entire Island was under a strict Covid-19 lockdown. 

The Rarotongan government or its people were in no way whatsoever obligated to help. In fact, extending an humanitarian hand had far more downside risk than upside and could have resulted in a public relations and opinion uproar. I expect I will never know how difficult and delicate the entire task was. Suffice it to say that it was far beyond my ham-handed and clumsy abilities.

In short, I was seriously low on food. To make it home, I had cut rations to less than 800 calories a day. 1200 is considered a starvation diet. I provisioned the boat and any problems therein are mine and my fault. Moreover, my problems do not constitute an emergency for someone else. Nonetheless, the government of Rarotonga and a good many of the Island’s people went to very great lengths to help a complete and utter stranger for no other reason I am guessing than it seemed the right thing to do.

It is easy to be jaded and cynical about the world. I think you would be dead wrong if you were. I know it to be different. Rarotonga, the people who live and work there, and the government that oversees this incredibly beautiful island paradise are living, breathing proof.