NorthernWave
Well-Known Member
Trinity flies in, assesses damage
According to an e-mail from Trinity Chairman Felix Sabates, Trinity officials have flown in to see the yard by helicopter. Capt. David Doll was able to reach the yard on an air boat he brought from Florida. “We can never thank David enough for his courage, and determination to help all of us.”
The six employees who remained at the yard are accounted for, he said, adding that they refused “rescue” so they could stay to look after the boats. John Neal, one of Trinity’s machinists also known as Wheels, was staying on board M/Y Lady Florence when one of the bow lines snapped. When he tried to retrieve it in 150 miles per hour winds, we was washed overboard with his life jacket on. According to Sabates, Neal was “very aware of where he was.”
“He let the current carry him as he new it could only take him toward our inside docks, rested with the current pushing him flush to the pier, stayed there for a few minutes, and as the water came up he was able to get out of the water, and run for higher ground,” the e-mail stated. “You would think he would want to get out of there now, but he was the first one that volunteer to stay. We offered to put him up at our company apartment in Baton Rouge and he declined, a tough Bayou dude.”
The yard suffered some damage, but “once they let us in the yard, we can be back in operation in less than two months,” Sabates wrote. “We are going go have to replace lots of the electrical equipment due to the flood, but the damage is easily fixed. We just hope they let us in soon.”
All the boats, including the ones in the building sheds, survived. The ones in the water suffered only minor cosmetic damage, he said.
“We feel very sad for all the suffering and devastation to others,” he wrote. “Many, many of our associates have lost their homes and all their belongings.”
Trinity has set up a command post in Baton Rouge to financially help it employees and created a Web site for more information. www.trinityyachtsemergencycommandpost.com.
Trinity President John Dane’s other company, US Marines LLC that build military RIBs for the Marines and Navy, was washed away, Sabates said. “There is not much left of it.”
“We thank the Lord for fortunes,” he wrote. “It almost makes us feel guilty that we were spared.”
Yacht club destroyed
Nancy Smyth’s sister who lives outside New Orleans advised her that Gulf Shores Yacht Club in New Orleans has been destroyed by fire due to the hurricane.
Updated Sept 4th, 2005
Capt. Charlie Hazouri is fine
Hello to my friends, neighbors, family, aux members and fellow nobles. We were able to evacuate and are in North Carolina at Lisa’s parents. We do not know the extent of our home damage but will keep you all posted. Our cell phones are not operational however we are able to communicate through land line here. We will be going back to evaluate and help with recovery and/or clean up as soon as they will let us. I will stay in contact for those of you who are still in Louisiana to see if there is any thing you need upon our return. Capt. Charles J. Hazouri
Seeking Capt. Kenny Tassin
Kenny Tassin is a megayacht captain and is my cousin. My father, Bill Robertson, and our families are trying to reach him to find out about his mother and other family members that may have been displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. If you have a way to reach Kenny, please ask him to call Todd at 904-610-9982. Thank you, Todd Robertson
Ft. Lauderdale yachting community pulls together
Suzique Coyle is heading up to the Gulf Coast late this week (Sept. 9) to help with clean up and she’s asking the Ft. Lauderdale yachting community for donations. She’s a heavy equipment operator (as well as an interior wood finisher) and she needs volunteers willing to work long days for little pay (FEMA money) who can handle basic living conditions for 45-60 days. In that regard, she’s also seeking donations of stuff – anything from the loan of an unused camper van to sleep in, a laptop or wireless connection for communications, toilet paper, shampoo, stuff like that. She figures FEMA will feed them so she doesn’t need any food, but other things are welcome, even clothes since there likely won’t be any washing facilities nearby. She’ll share the excess with anyone she comes in contact with. (Word is that FEMA really needs plus-size clothes for displaced people.) To help, e-mail her at FLYC@megayachtmaster.com. (FLYC stands for Ft. Lauderdale Yachting Community.) There’s a drop off at Tip Top Canvas at 1918 S. Andrews Ave. and she needs a couple volunteers to work that location this week, too.
Updated Sept 2, 2005
Trinity still standing after Hurricane Katrina
Trinity Yachts in New Orleans has apparently survived the worst of Hurricane Katrina.
Satellite images on Digital Globe, which provides worldwide images for the media, show Trinity on high ground, with most of its major buildings in tact.
“We survived,” said Felix Sabates, chairman of the yacht building company. “We were on the other side of the levee so we had no flooding [from the breached levees]. We had flooding from the hurricane, but the yard is bone dry today.”
At least three yachts at the yard are afloat, including M/Y Leda, the recently launched 161-foot Zoom Zoom Zoom and the 161-foot Lady Florence, said Capt. Dale Parker, an owner’s representative at Trinity.
Parker recently completed the new build of the 180-foot M/Y Mia Elise and is working on the new build of the 161-foot Mustang Sally. He’s lost his home in Slidell, Miss., and his vehicle, he said. But he was in Ft. Lauderdale at the time of the storm, so he’s safe and has spoken to several Trinity executives and employees. The captain of Leda called Parker Thursday night and confirmed that his mate is fine, he said.
The property upon which Trinity sits is part of the levee system and is higher than New Orleans proper. The storm surge likely caused flood damage at the property, but according to satellite images, the waters have receded. Sabates said he’s unsure as to the extent of the damage, but at least the buildings are still standing.
Sabates said he’s received hundreds of phone calls from the marine industry, “including from some of our competitors.”
“But we haven’t heard a word from the European yards,” he said. “I’m not surprised. We’ve been a pain in their side and we’ll continue to be a pain in their side.”
Many of the callers offered help, but Sabates said he wasn’t prepared to ask for any until he’s been to the area to assess the damage. Other concerns are more immediate, he said. Trinity President John Dane lost his home and another executive who was out of town on business for the storm has yet to contact his wife and children.
“We’re alive and well,” Sabates said. “We’re not kicking yet, but we will be kicking soon.”
According to an e-mail from Trinity Chairman Felix Sabates, Trinity officials have flown in to see the yard by helicopter. Capt. David Doll was able to reach the yard on an air boat he brought from Florida. “We can never thank David enough for his courage, and determination to help all of us.”
The six employees who remained at the yard are accounted for, he said, adding that they refused “rescue” so they could stay to look after the boats. John Neal, one of Trinity’s machinists also known as Wheels, was staying on board M/Y Lady Florence when one of the bow lines snapped. When he tried to retrieve it in 150 miles per hour winds, we was washed overboard with his life jacket on. According to Sabates, Neal was “very aware of where he was.”
“He let the current carry him as he new it could only take him toward our inside docks, rested with the current pushing him flush to the pier, stayed there for a few minutes, and as the water came up he was able to get out of the water, and run for higher ground,” the e-mail stated. “You would think he would want to get out of there now, but he was the first one that volunteer to stay. We offered to put him up at our company apartment in Baton Rouge and he declined, a tough Bayou dude.”
The yard suffered some damage, but “once they let us in the yard, we can be back in operation in less than two months,” Sabates wrote. “We are going go have to replace lots of the electrical equipment due to the flood, but the damage is easily fixed. We just hope they let us in soon.”
All the boats, including the ones in the building sheds, survived. The ones in the water suffered only minor cosmetic damage, he said.
“We feel very sad for all the suffering and devastation to others,” he wrote. “Many, many of our associates have lost their homes and all their belongings.”
Trinity has set up a command post in Baton Rouge to financially help it employees and created a Web site for more information. www.trinityyachtsemergencycommandpost.com.
Trinity President John Dane’s other company, US Marines LLC that build military RIBs for the Marines and Navy, was washed away, Sabates said. “There is not much left of it.”
“We thank the Lord for fortunes,” he wrote. “It almost makes us feel guilty that we were spared.”
Yacht club destroyed
Nancy Smyth’s sister who lives outside New Orleans advised her that Gulf Shores Yacht Club in New Orleans has been destroyed by fire due to the hurricane.
Updated Sept 4th, 2005
Capt. Charlie Hazouri is fine
Hello to my friends, neighbors, family, aux members and fellow nobles. We were able to evacuate and are in North Carolina at Lisa’s parents. We do not know the extent of our home damage but will keep you all posted. Our cell phones are not operational however we are able to communicate through land line here. We will be going back to evaluate and help with recovery and/or clean up as soon as they will let us. I will stay in contact for those of you who are still in Louisiana to see if there is any thing you need upon our return. Capt. Charles J. Hazouri
Seeking Capt. Kenny Tassin
Kenny Tassin is a megayacht captain and is my cousin. My father, Bill Robertson, and our families are trying to reach him to find out about his mother and other family members that may have been displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. If you have a way to reach Kenny, please ask him to call Todd at 904-610-9982. Thank you, Todd Robertson
Ft. Lauderdale yachting community pulls together
Suzique Coyle is heading up to the Gulf Coast late this week (Sept. 9) to help with clean up and she’s asking the Ft. Lauderdale yachting community for donations. She’s a heavy equipment operator (as well as an interior wood finisher) and she needs volunteers willing to work long days for little pay (FEMA money) who can handle basic living conditions for 45-60 days. In that regard, she’s also seeking donations of stuff – anything from the loan of an unused camper van to sleep in, a laptop or wireless connection for communications, toilet paper, shampoo, stuff like that. She figures FEMA will feed them so she doesn’t need any food, but other things are welcome, even clothes since there likely won’t be any washing facilities nearby. She’ll share the excess with anyone she comes in contact with. (Word is that FEMA really needs plus-size clothes for displaced people.) To help, e-mail her at FLYC@megayachtmaster.com. (FLYC stands for Ft. Lauderdale Yachting Community.) There’s a drop off at Tip Top Canvas at 1918 S. Andrews Ave. and she needs a couple volunteers to work that location this week, too.
Updated Sept 2, 2005
Trinity still standing after Hurricane Katrina
Trinity Yachts in New Orleans has apparently survived the worst of Hurricane Katrina.
Satellite images on Digital Globe, which provides worldwide images for the media, show Trinity on high ground, with most of its major buildings in tact.
“We survived,” said Felix Sabates, chairman of the yacht building company. “We were on the other side of the levee so we had no flooding [from the breached levees]. We had flooding from the hurricane, but the yard is bone dry today.”
At least three yachts at the yard are afloat, including M/Y Leda, the recently launched 161-foot Zoom Zoom Zoom and the 161-foot Lady Florence, said Capt. Dale Parker, an owner’s representative at Trinity.
Parker recently completed the new build of the 180-foot M/Y Mia Elise and is working on the new build of the 161-foot Mustang Sally. He’s lost his home in Slidell, Miss., and his vehicle, he said. But he was in Ft. Lauderdale at the time of the storm, so he’s safe and has spoken to several Trinity executives and employees. The captain of Leda called Parker Thursday night and confirmed that his mate is fine, he said.
The property upon which Trinity sits is part of the levee system and is higher than New Orleans proper. The storm surge likely caused flood damage at the property, but according to satellite images, the waters have receded. Sabates said he’s unsure as to the extent of the damage, but at least the buildings are still standing.
Sabates said he’s received hundreds of phone calls from the marine industry, “including from some of our competitors.”
“But we haven’t heard a word from the European yards,” he said. “I’m not surprised. We’ve been a pain in their side and we’ll continue to be a pain in their side.”
Many of the callers offered help, but Sabates said he wasn’t prepared to ask for any until he’s been to the area to assess the damage. Other concerns are more immediate, he said. Trinity President John Dane lost his home and another executive who was out of town on business for the storm has yet to contact his wife and children.
“We’re alive and well,” Sabates said. “We’re not kicking yet, but we will be kicking soon.”
