Nautique announces a new partnership with the Wake for Warriors non-profit organization.
Wake for Warriors and founder David Deep, come to the aid of American Veterans when they return home from service. David and his team give these heroes a day out on the water with their friends and family; creating memories they won’t soon forget.
Spending time on the water is an incredible stress reliever, and the team at Wake for Warriors gives veterans the chance to get away from it all with quality time on the boat.
Events are planned all year long, and the team at Nautique is happy to contribute to the effort to give these heroes the best possible experience. “At Nautique, we’re always looking for impactful ways to give back to our communities with our Nautique Cares initiative,” said Nautique president, Greg Meloon. “This partnership with Wake for Warriors perfectly aligns with that and we’re proud to be supporting the American Veterans that have given so much for our country.”
“The entire Wake for Warriors team is excited to partner with Nautique,” stated Wake for Warriors founder, David Deep. “This partnership demonstrates Nautique’s commitment to using their resources to positively impact and help our nation’s military veterans. Our participants will ride behind the best towboats in the world and be supported by the great people at Nautique.”
Years ago as a TV news anchor, I cringed when news managers carelessly tossed around the notion that boating was a rich man’s sport and thus rarely made daily broadcasts about the subject. As a boat owner, I knew better. The majority of boats sold were less than 25 feet, and more affordable used boats outsold new models 80:1. When you did come across a yacht owner, they were your “go-to” people for charity events.
As summer season kicks in along the Gulf Coast, in each community from Texas to Florida, you’ll hopefully see news about local fishing tournaments, or as they say in Grand Isle, Louisiana, rodeos. The annual Swollfest Rodeo, staged out of Sand Dollar Marina, will celebrate 19 years of charitable work this June. As their simple website banner says, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Local dentist Dr. Nick Rauber launched the concept as a teenager and nurtured the fishing rodeo’s growth to some impressive numbers: 600 registered anglers, hundreds of sponsors, 75 volunteers and thousands of attendees who descend on Grand Isle the first weekend of June every year.
This year’s charities are Children’s Hospital at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge and the Outdoor Wish Foundation (OWF). OWF finds recipients and, unbeknownst to them, learns of their background and begins developing a unique experience for that individual. There are two recipients chosen each year, and one hundred percent of the cost is borne by the all-volunteer OWF.
When you think of some billfish tournaments, large boats come to mind. However, Swollfest’s variety of categories include kayak anglers, children 12 and younger, a women’s division, and the best boat in shore and best boat off shore. These categories help unite all anglers who have a love for ecological conservation, a passion for the competition and a heart to help those in need.
You don’t have to speak with a Cajun accent to compete, but it does help to explain how the rodeo got the name Swollfest. It’s a whimsical take on swell, competition and catching the biggest fish. The fishing tournament takes place June 7-10 and includes nightly musical talent.
Nine months after Panama City selected a developer to revitalize the marina and aging downtown district, the city finally has a plan to review. Some of the most notable changes involve partnerships. Bellingham Marine, one of the world leaders in marina construction, is replacing local favorite Legendary Marine and joining lead designer Sonnenblick Development. Together they envision new environmentally friendly docks, two hotels, a public fishing pier (built with oil spill money), an event lawn, a 10-plex movie theater, two parking garages, restaurants with outdoor dining along the T-dock, residential high-rises, and a lighthouse. Artist renderings also show a boat ramp, but its precise location is expected to be somewhat fluid.
The marina plan includes room for transients with an eye toward tourism. A dedicated water taxi area for transportation to popular nearby St. Andrews Marina will also be included. The plan now goes before several review boards with construction expected to begin after this year’s boating season.
Jon Fadely is a professional mariner working with the global charity, Mercy Ships. A licensed deep-sea captain, he has served as Master on four of the five Mercy Ships, from 1992 until now. Jon, his wife Angie and their three children lived for 11 years on board two different ships, travelling to many parts of the world with volunteer crewmembers and bringing hope and healing to the poor. Their children now grown, Jon and Angie live in Lindale, Texas, where they serve full time at the International Operations Center of the organization.
SB: What attracted you to work for Mercy Ships? JF: Firstly, it was that I could use my professional maritime skills to help serve those in need around the world. Secondly, that my family could join me; my wife could also serve in a professional capacity (HR management) and our children could live with us on board and continue their education in an accredited school.
SB: How did you find out about the organization?
JF: My brother worked with the parent organization in the 1980s and advised us of the upcoming visit of the Mercy Ship Anastasis to Houston, where we lived and worked at the time. He also volunteered us to help the ship’s advance team with the port arrangements! Then, once the ship arrived, we visited the crew on board and heard more about their work.
SB: Please succinctly describe the work and goal of the organization? Mercy Ships follows the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. We use ocean-going hospital ships crewed by international volunteer professionals and supported by offices in 16 nations, to deliver a variety of health care services to the people of developing nations through programs, which include life-changing surgeries, vocational training and education.
SB: How long have you been with the organization? In what corners of the world have you traveled to? Twenty-three years. We joined Mercy Ships on April 1st, 1992 as a family of five, and have traveled to Central and South America, including one trip up the Amazon River; throughout the Caribbean; into the Great Lakes, twice; along the East, Gulf and West coasts of North America (both U.S. and Canadian ports); around the northern Pacific Rim including stops in Alaska, Russia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii; several countries in Europe; Great Britain; and several countries in West, Central and Southern Africa, most recently to the island of Madagascar.
SB: What is your position today? Have you always held the same position? I “wear three hats” in Mercy Ships at the moment: Quality Management Systems Developer, Child Safety Manager and (part-time) Maritime Safety Instructor. I also keep my “Captain’s hat” ready (including my deep-sea unlimited license) in case the organization needs a relief skipper.
I first served in Mercy Ships in my capacity as a licensed maritime professional: as Chief Officer, then Captain of the smaller ships in the fleet; then eventually as Captain on each of our larger ships. After moving ashore to work in our main office in 2003, I have served as Safety Manager and also Director of Marine Operations.
In general, I provide a range of internal consulting services to the managers and senior leaders as we work together to make the organization more effective and more efficient. My maritime training and experience have given me an appreciation for managing complex systems and coordinating the efforts of a wide range of talents and temperaments to achieve a common goal.
Vanyah is one of the many recipients of the good work done by MercyShips.org, Photo Credit Elie Sergio Benarson
SB: Can you tell us about one your favorite stories with your position and the organization? JF: In 1994, on the first mission voyage of the Caribbean Mercy, we were sailing from Florida to the Dominican Republic along the north coast of Cuba, when I was called to bridge; the lookout had reported a yellow flag waving off the starboard beam. As we watched, we could barely see the hull of a small motorboat cresting the waves then disappearing back in the trough. We altered course to investigate and as we drew alongside the boat, we learned there were over 20 Cubans on board, including women and children; the boat was out of gas; and they had been out at sea for more than two days. We brought them on board to assess their condition and provide the care they needed: several were dehydrated and one woman was fading in and out of consciousness.
One of the Cubans said he was a doctor, and that they were attempting to get to Miami in order to emigrate to the U.S. He said the hardest thing for them had been drifting at sea with no power, watching ship after ship sail on by, but none stopping to help. I was aware that the Coast Guard had active patrols in the Windward Passage, and so contacted them to request a transfer. They agreed and we established a rendezvous, which we reached the next day. All of the Cubans survived their ordeal at sea, and were safely transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard. I’m not sure what happened to them after that, but I believe they may have been taken to Guantanamo Bay. Before he left, the Cuban doctor gave me his stethoscope as a sign of their thanks for being rescued.
SB: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your position? JF: I’ve been privileged to be involved in many special efforts and projects throughout my years with Mercy Ships, but one achievement, which helped shape me in my course with this organization was the commissioning and maiden voyage of the Caribbean Mercy.
In the spring of 1994, in St. Petersburg, Florida, my wife and I heard, along with the rest of the crew of our Mercy Ship, the Good Samaritan, that we would be transferring to a new ship, which the organization was purchasing. The Good Samaritan, in turn, would be delivered to our colleagues in New Zealand, who would rename it the Island Mercy and carry on an effective medical program in the South Sea Islands of the Pacific. The catch? The “new” ship, to be renamed the Caribbean Mercy, was 42 years old, laid up in Norway, and had only ever been classed and equipped for coastal ferry service. We needed to send a commissioning team over to Norway to work with surveyors and naval architects to re-classify the ship and then sail it across the Atlantic Ocean, to Florida.
I arrived on board in late April, and caught up with our German Chief Engineer. “Edgar,” I asked, “How soon will you be ready to run these engines?” “As soon as I figure out how to read Norwegian!” he replied with a wry smile. We recruited a team of local translators to provide us English versions of all of the operating and maintenance manuals, addressed a myriad of other technical and regulatory details, and sailed from Norway on May 24th, the ship’s cargo holds filled with construction and medical supplies from our generous Norwegian friends. After stopping in Rotterdam, the Azores and the Bahamas for fuel, we arrived in Tampa on June 13th, sailing in under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge with its two pylons lit up like guardian angels, the eastern sky ahead growing lighter with the dawn. One mission accomplished, many more missions to go.
SB: What do you love most about what you do? JF: The people I work with in Mercy Ships, from the office staff to the crew members of the ships, are some of the most dedicated, selfless, hard-working people I’ve ever known. Sure, we have our problems, our misunderstandings, our hurt feelings and bent egos. But over all and through all and in all runs a deep, personal and profound commitment to the mission of the organization: to bring hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.
SB: Did you grow up with a love for the ocean/water? Did you enjoy boating/fishing as a child? Do/did you own a boat, if so what is the name and make? What kind of fishing do you enjoy?
JF: I grew up in Liberia, West Africa, for several years living right on the beach in Monrovia. Sand and salt water evoke “home” for me, even today. At a young age, I learned to snorkel and bodysurf; I read all I could find about Jacques Cousteau and the Calypso. Robin Lee Graham and his single-handed voyage around the world on the Dove also inspired me. In college I studied marine sciences and navigation at Texas A&M University at Galveston, then worked with Western Geophysical in their seismic research vessels upon graduation.
I’ve never owned a boat myself, but always enjoy getting out on the water, whether sailing a friend’s dinghy on Lake Minnetonka, or cruising on a catamaran from St Maarten to Saint Barthelemy, or navigating a Mercy Ship to Madagascar. I’ve enjoyed deep-sea fishing for sailfish and marlin off Mazatlan; I’ve attempted fly-fishing for trout in Missouri (the trout won); but thanks to my father and grandfather, my “go-to” is spin casting for bass and other freshwater lake fish.
For more information about volunteering for a maritime or other position with Mercy Ships go to mercyships.org
ABOUT MERCY SHIPS: Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class health care services, capacity building and sustainable development to those without access in the developing world. Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries providing services valued at more than $1 billion, treating more than 2.5 million direct beneficiaries. Each year Mercy Ships has more than 1,600 volunteers from more than 45 nations. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, health care trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers, and agriculturalists donate their time and skills to the effort. Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and serve nations one at a time.
By Nathalie Gouillou, Southern Exposure, January 2016
Florida-based bay boatbuilder Kevin Barker makes wishes come true for customers and strangers alike. Barker recently teamed up with Make-A-Wish Foundation to supply 17-year-old Dylan Dykens with a custom tower for his 22′ Sea Hunt BX BR. Dykens, who was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in June 2014, is going through chemotherapy treatment at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. A boating and fishing enthusiast, Dykens will now be able to go fishing for redfish, snook and tarpon, as well as participate in fishing tournaments. Meet Kevin Barker.
SB: Tell us a bit about yourself.
KB: I was born in Savannah, Georgia, and grew up on Hilton Head Island just north of Savannah in South Carolina. Barker Boatworks’ first model was named the 26 “Calibogue Bay” because my earliest fishing memory was with my grandfather in Calibogue Cay just west of Hilton Head Island. My first boat was a Boston Whaler when I was 13. My 14-year-old son and I just finished completely renovating his first boat, a 15′ Boston Whaler. I attended Syracuse University on a football scholarship where I played for five years.
SB: Tell us about your involvement with the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and Dylan Dykens. How did it come about? What inspired you to act?
KB: A family friend who is on the Sarasota board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted us about Dylan’s wish. As parents all we want is to keep our kids healthy, safe and do all we can to raise them into becoming good men and women. I can’t imagine what the Dykens went through and are still going through with Dylan. When we were asked to help, I didn’t think twice. To be able to help put a smile on his face was the reason we did it.
SB: What was the process for creating the custom tower and Dylan’s involvement?
KB: When I met Dylan and his dad, Doug, for the first time I knew very quickly that Dylan had a specific design he wanted. During the next couple of meetings he even put together a book with all of the lights, rod holders, footrests, and hardtops he wanted to incorporate in the tower design. He would come to the shop once or twice a week in between treatments to oversee the progress. He even helped out when he could. All I wanted was to build exactly what he wanted, and I think we accomplished that.
SB: How did you get into the boating industry?
KB: I have always had a passion for boating and fishing. In the mid 90s I fished in an average of 15 kingfish tournaments every year in 34 and 36 Yellowfins. I was hired by Yellowfin Yachts to run the inshore division, which I did for 10 years. Until now it was my first and only job in the marine industry.
SB: Tell us about your company.
KB: Our company builds the most innovative bay boat in the industry. We took all the features that customers asks for and incorporated them into the design of our first boat, a 26′ bay boat. We designed the boat to have more offshore capability. We did this by building a boat that has more beam than your typical bay boat and by increasing the freeboard and adding some “Carolina” flair to allow the boat to be much drier than the competition. We designed a console to be able to accept large MFDs (up to 19″) and be completely finished on the inside to be able to accommodate a marine head. We go the extra mile to produce a boat with “yacht quality” fit and finish.
SB: How has your company developed and changed over the years?
KB: Our company is only 16 months old, so we’re still fairly young. We are growing at a fast pace but not so fast that we sacrifice quality. I tell customers, “We may take a little longer but you will definitely be happy with the final product.”
SB: What do you love most about what you do?
KB: I get up every day and talk about our company, boating and fishing. To be able to get up and be excited about getting to work is something not too many people can claim. There is no dollar amount you can put on that. I truly enjoy dealing with the customers. They all have a different view on how they will use their boat. Every customer has different ideas on options, some of which we’ve even adopted and named after them.
SB: What type of boating/fishing do you enjoy personally?
KB: I enjoy boating with my family most, going to our local sandbars and islands, setting up camp, and just hanging for the day. My wife will tell you I sometimes go a little overboard bringing tents, a grill and all the beach toys you would ever need. I love cooking out on the beach after a fun day relaxing with family and friends. Now that our kids are getting older, my wife (Sarah) and I also enjoy going out for dinner on the boat as well. On the fishing side, I still enjoy tournament fishing and try to include my 14-year-old son as much as I can. We recently fished in a couple of kingfish tournaments on the east coast and had a blast. My two daughters also like to fish, so you can call us a fishing family.
SB: Have you been on the water with Dylan?
KB: I have not been out on the water with Dylan yet, but we plan to, soon. I was recently at a party in St. Petersburg, and when he and his family idled up in the boat I cried like a baby!
SB: If there’s anything you’d like to add, please feel free.
KB: I’m so happy that I was able to be a part of making Dylan’s wish come true. There are several other companies that were involved in this project and I would like to personally thank them:
