214-foot ship packed to the gunwales with aid for Haiti
Supplies find way from around N.E.
Word began to make its way around town about a week ago that a large boat would be leaving Boston with relief supplies for Haiti. The news spread from phone calls to e-mails to Twitter and Facebook, and over the past few days, hundreds of people descended on the East Boston marina, piling pallets with food, clothing, medical supplies, everything from toys to tents.
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,’’ said Jackie Heimes, an administrator at the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina, which had to hire someone to help answer the deluge of calls. “The response was just overwhelming.’’
The engines on the 214-foot vessel owned by Sub Sea Research Co. were chuffing last night as the crew prepared to ferry more than 250 pallets of supplies to Haiti. The company, which has spent years in Haiti doing its work searching for shipwrecks, began organizing the relief mission last month from its offices in Portland, Maine.
Within days of making its plans public, the company received 80,000 bottles of water from Poland Spring and Hannaford Supermarkets, a 25-foot medical truck, 33 hospital beds, and thousands of pounds of diapers, baby food, and much more. Workers packed 125 pallets into the boat’s cargo deck and were not sure how much more they could take.
“People drove down from Northern Maine to bring supplies,’’ said Stephanie Ferrante, one of 11 employees who volunteered to make the trip to Haiti. “People have huge hearts. It’s an amazing thing to watch how giving people can be.’’
They were planning to stop briefly in Boston before setting sail for the weeklong trip.
But their stay at the marina beside Logan Airport was extended for two days, as word of their mission spread and more people came to pile supplies on the docks. They had to make room on their deck for another 125 pallets, more than they ever expected to take.
“It is truly unbelievable the amount of supplies that are being donated,’’ Greg Brooks, general manager of Sub Sea Research, wrote on the company’s website yesterday. “On our way to Boston, we heard that there were 20 or so pallets waiting on the dock for us. As of [Tuesday] afternoon, it was 80 pallets of aid supplies. At midnight, a local group of Haitians stopped by the ship with 20 barrels stuffed with food, clothes, water, and everything in between. The phone is ringing constantly; people want to help. Our crew has been working around the clock stuffing the aid wherever possible.’’
People came from other states, some with trucks filled with garbage bags of clothing. There were suitcases filled with toys and boxes of food.
“It was crazy to see the turnout,’’ said Pat Gately, the marina manager.
Late yesterday afternoon, there was little room left to walk on the deck. Crewmembers were moving pallets to make space for two containers they plan to pick up in Miami.
Gary Esper, the ship’s captain, said the company has made special arrangements to offload supplies in Haiti, where ports were wrecked by the 7.0-magnitude quake on Jan.12. He said the crew plans to anchor off the coast and use the ship’s crane to load supplies on Haitian boats usually used to ferry coal. He said the company is spending about $100,000 on the trip.
“We lost a lot of friends down there,’’ Esper said. “We felt like we had to do something to help.’’
David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com. 
