Rescued at sea - sail boat lost.

Hi, my name is Andrea Churchill, and I'm starting this page to help my friend Michael Perry. He went cruising to Mexico for 4 months on 'Ces't la Vie,' his Seafarer 34. I have never seen a boat more organized, well equipped and lovingly maintained. Michael has been a lifelong sailor and knows how to fix, repair and rebuild just about anything on a boat. He has been preparing meticulously for this trip, but he got caught in extremely rough seas on the voyage back to the Florida Keys. The vessel started taking on water on Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, and he could not find the source of the leak due to the inner liner of the boat obstructing the view of the hull. By chance, the National Geographic ship 'Sea Lion' passed by and asked if he needed assistance. Because of the uncontrollable amount of water coming in, Michael made the heartwrenching decision to abandon his sailboat. It was a terrible struggle in these sea conditions to get onto the rescue ship who also never experienced such a challenge and did a fantastic job to save Michael's life. After a brief medical evaluation, the crew of the Sea Lion was very kind to him until they transferred him 24 hours later onto a Coast Guard vessel that brought him to Key West. And that's where I picked him up, sitting on a park bench with only his ditch bag and a life jacket left to his name. I offered him a bunk on my boat to give him some time to collect himself. The magnitude of having lost all his personal belongings, his trade tools, basically all his worldly possessions slowly started to sink in. As he contacted family and friends, he found out that his mother was put into hospice with only 2 weeks left to live. So he has to leave for Michigan immediately with no winter clothes or funds to speak off and no home to come back to.

As if all this isn't bad enough already, this had to happen on his 50th Birthday...

So you all can see and agree that Michael has been dealt a really bad hand right now. He's a very kind soul and always gives a helping hand to those in need around him. Especially all you fellow sailors out there can see how easily something like this could happen to any of us. And so I ask you to find it in your heart to donate any amount you can spare to help Michael get back on his feet. He will need clothes, trade tools, and replace his boat, his home.

I genuinely thank you in advance, and please share this

link.