As we anxiously await the arrival of Cat 5 Maria, I received a note from Mark, my friend and owner of s/v Orion. Along with all the property owners in the islands Mark is still patiently waiting for his personal issues to work themselves out and in our many conversations Marks focus has been on the people and not his property. Those of you that have a relationship with TMM will read below that the staff is mostly accounted for, however I am told that Joyce was off island in SXM and attempts are being made to confirm her well being, they will update as soon as soon as she is heard from. Every resident and business throughout the islands is working harder than any of us can imagine, under the worst conditions imaginable, to get the people back on their feet again, they need our support. The following is from TMM;

"I just received this update on TMM. They have confirmation that their staff are safe with the exception of a couple people who were off island and whose safety is yet to be confirmed. TMM had 4 boats undamaged as they were en'route or off island. The rest of the fleet is damaged, many severely, but others repairable. While the BVI team are busy securing boats and buildings against approaching Maria, the stateside team are refunding charters they will not be able to fulfill and developing a realistic plan to rebuild and re-establish the top-notch service they have been known for.

Owners of TMM vessels have developed a fund to benefit the Tortola based TMM staff and to assist them in rebuilding their lives and homes. If interested in participating, please go to https://www.youcaring.com/tmmtortolastaff-952274 "

Also, Mark, owner of S/V Orion, is compiling a list of volunteers on behalf of TMM to assist with rebuilding efforts when the time is appropriate. If interested, you can PM him at SailOrion or via email at [email]mark@sail-orion.com"[/email]

Thanks for the update. I have chartered with TMM for years, and have developed a great relationship with Lin, Karen, and the crew. They are wonderful people with a terrific organization and we have had nothing but a professional experience with them each and every time. I am concerned about Joyce, and would appreciate an update from anyone who might have information about her. The one photo I have seen from their base looks bad; all boats dismasted and a large hole in the office building roof. I'm afraid that this next storm may be as bad as Irma, which will be catastrophic. My thoughts and prayers are with TMM and all of the people of these wonderful islands. I plan on volunteering with Mark's group when the time is right.

Thanks Laserking! Will certainly post here when we hear from our dear Joyce.

We are currently contacting the Tortola based TMM staff to understand their challenges ... immediate and longer term. The fund that Beerman shared has already received many generous donations despite just going live last night and we are working hard to identify creative ways to get the necessary aid to TMM staff quickly.

Regarding the shape of TMM buildings and vessels ... we had 14 boats in the marina and another 19 in Paraquita Bay. Both areas took a massive blow, but there are a reasonable number of boats which should be repairable. The 1st floor of the main building at Road Reef Marina which is the TMM office has some water damage but is OK (all things considered). Auxiliary buildings suffered varying degrees of damage, but most of the critical equipment was spared. This result is a direct result of the massive amount of work that Barney and team did to prepare ... they gave the vessels and the supporting business a fighting chance ... without this, we would be much worse off. Focus now is to get these folks back on their feet and protect them the way they protected us.

Thanks for your support! - Mark